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TAKEN

Starring: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen and Leland Orser

Directed by: Peter Morel

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing thematic material, sexual content, some drug references and language

By John Delia

One of the best non-stop pressure packed films I have seen in a decade, Taken takes a simple plot and pushes the envelope to the extreme. Welcome back Liam Neeson, it is great to see you performing like your early days. For those that like a lot of strong-minded attitude with their action, Taken is for you.
Bryan (Neeson) on his cell phone to one of the kidnappers: I don’t know you who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you’re looking for a ransom, I can tell you, I don’t have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills acquired 
over a very long career in the shadows, skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that will be the end of it. I will not look for you. I will not pursue you. But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you. And I will kill you.
When the answer comes back…Good Luck! Bryan starts a pursuit of his kidnapped daughter who had started a trip across Europe beginning in Paris. He has 96-hours to find his daughter before she is sold into slavery and gone forever. Using his commando-like skills, connections in France, superior brainpower and ruthless mind-set, the former government operative takes on the slave traders with reckless abandon.
Neeson does a terrific job playing the revengeful father who lets nothing get in his way of getting his daughter back. Much like Mel Gibson’s role in Ransom, when it comes to family, the persons responsible for the kidnapping are going to suffer. Neeson’s nothing can stand in my way attitude translates boldly in Taken, and he never wavers out of character.
Direction by Morel of the action thriller includes seamless scenes, excellent cinematography, choreography and pinpoint timing making the fight/action scenes very realistic. His slow buildup of family relationships at the beginning of the film allows the audience to see the personality of the characters important to the plot. He brings the energy of the storyline to the screen without a lot of meaningless CGI. Using effective stunts, realistic martial arts and pyrotechnics, he raises the bar on excitement.
The film is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing thematic material, sexual content, some drug references and language. Actually I do not know how they got this rating due to the realistic killings, so please take extra caution when deciding to let your teen see the film.

FINAL ANALYSIS: Taken is a realistic pressure packed film for action lovers. (4.5 of 5 Palm Trees)