NGU Skyliner

Kellan Mayfield
Staff Writer

If someone you loved was taken from you, how far would you go to get them back?

Taken, starring Liam Neeson (Batman Begins, The Chronicles of Narnia), tells the story of Bryan Mills, an ex-CIA agent who is struggling to sustain a connection with his daughter after his family has fallen apart. After reluctantly agreeing to allow her to travel with a friend to Europe, she is kidnapped and sold as part of the sex trafficking industry, and Mills is thrust into a race against time to find her before it’s too late.

The first question that will go through many viewers’ minds is, “Why Liam Neeson?” With proven action flick stars like Bruce Willis and Matt Damon, the 56-year-old may seem like an odd choice for the lead role. But in fact, Neeson is perfect as the gun-touting father figure; he effectively displays the raw emotion of a dad on the edge, without being too over the top in ridiculous Rambo fashion.

Taken’s pacing is nearly perfect; there is adequate time at the opening of the movie to develop characters and establish their connections with one another. From there, viewers are treated to action sequence after action sequence as Mills tracks down his daughter and the men who are responsible for her kidnapping. The fight scenes, a thrilling car chase, and a particularly cringe-inducing interrogation sequence all come together to make Taken the electrifying thrill ride that it is.

While the story is the obvious weak point of the film (we’ve seen the dad-on-a-mission movie formula before), it doesn’t detract from the film very much, if at all. Following Mills as he conducts his skillful investigation through the city of Paris is fun and at times, exhausting.

Fans of the Bourne films will immediately recognize the cinematic style of the fight scenes – Mills often dispatches bad guys in close quarters, while frantic camerawork keeps viewers on the edge of their seats while the action unfolds.

Overall, while Taken may only please diehard action flick fans, it is brilliantly executed and displays intelligent, realistic storytelling, especially being in the genre that it is. Neeson also proves himself as a more than capable action hero.

Taken is in theatres now and is rated PG-13.

Tags: Spring 2009, Vol. 108 - Issue 2

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 and is filed under Entertainment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.