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Movie Review by:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet |
Directed by:
Pierre Morel |
Written by:
Luc Besson, Robert Kamen |
Starring:
Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Leland Orser, |
Running time:
94 minutes
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Released:
01/30/09
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Rated PG-13
for intense sequences of violence, disturbing thematic material, sexual content,
some drug references and language |
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"Pierre Morel who was DP on projects like The Transporter and Unleashed,
goes about re-treading that ground and covering it in new and exciting ways,
defying clichés and destroying stereotypes like crushing ants with a
sledgehammer"
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There’s something to be said about listening to
one’s parents, I guess that could be considered the underlying theme of the new
Liam Neeson vehicle, ‘Taken.’ Beneath all of its bone-crushing brutality, and
bottle-breaking fury, rests a story about a father’s love for his child, and the
sacrifices parents are willing to make to protect their children. Who am I
kidding? This is a bad ass movie, about a bad ass ex-CIA operative taking on
villainous baddies to get his baby back, and I’m not talking ribs.
Looking as hot as napalm death, Famke Jansen plays a bitter ex-wife with a
serious hard-on for Neeson. She helps their daughter, played by Maggie Grace,
fool her over-protective father into signing a permission slip allowing her to
travel outside the country. What is supposed to be a chaperoned museum trip to
Paris is quickly revealed as a teenager’s plan to follow a rock band around
Europe, and one tough-as-nails father is none to pleased about it. He makes sure
everyone knows how unhappy he is with this arrangement, but with the kids on the
plane there is little he can do to change the circumstances.
Well, it wouldn’t be much of a movie if he wasn’t proven correct; as a result
his daughter is kidnapped shortly after she arrives in Paris. This is where the
ex-CIA operative part of his character swings into full effect as Neeson
systematically hunts down those who may or may not be involved in his daughter’s
disappearance, and questions them in the only way he knows how, under duress.
Implementing some pretty interesting torture techniques, Neeson is able to
coerce information from those who would hope to sell his child into the
underground sex trade.
Lot’s of gun play ensues, some cars crash into each other, scummy euro-trash,
electrocution, betrayal, hookers, and knife fights. Oh yeah, this has gotta be
my feel good movie of 2009. Imagine ‘Commando,’ only it’s not written by Jeph
Loeb (ew…no but seriously it’s co-written by Luc Besson who crafted The
Professional), and instead of some meat head like the governator running around
in a speedo we get an ordinary guy taking on some extraordinary odds. That’s
what works about this movie the most, Liam Neeson might as well be your next
door neighbor, and he’s so unsuspecting in his blandness the first time
audiences see him unleash his skills in hand-to-hand combat we’re almost as
surprised as the guy he’s delivering the beating to.
Without a doubt there is very little original ground to cover in a movie of this
nature, but it’s the way the director, Pierre Morel who was DP on projects like
The Transporter and Unleashed, goes about re-treading that ground and covering
it in new and exciting ways, defying clichés and destroying stereotypes like
crushing ants with a sledgehammer that solidifies this movie as a classic action
film. Unfortunately with the untimely and extremely unfortunate circumstances
surrounding the death of his wife, Natasha Richardson, I sincerely doubt we’ll
see Liam Neeson in a hurry to take on very many roles where so much death and
devastation is left in his wake.
If you get a chance to see this movie do so, you won’t be let down. It’s an
action packed ride through Europe with a distraught father determined to put
what’s left of his family back together again. Besides who doesn’t want to see
Quai Gon Jin shoot a bunch of guys in the nuts?
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TAKEN © 20th Century Fox
All Rights Reserved
Review © 2009 Alternate Reality, Inc.
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