Movie Review: Taken, 2008 French Thriller/Action Film by Pierre Morel
By edelweiz on 11th March, 2009
Travelers, be warned. Be aware of your surroundings and don’t get too excited with strangers you meet in a foreign land. You might end up being kidnapped and forced to flesh trade. Just like what happened to Bryan Mill’s (Liam Neeson) daughter Kim in the movie Taken, the 2008 French thriller/action film by Pierre Morel.
posing beside a Taken movie poster
To start with, the movie is very straight forward and full of hard-core action.The pacing is fast and you are sure to get glued to your seat once you start watching. Though some of the scenes are predictable, you’ll get a high from the strength and determination coming from Bryan Mills. There are chasing left and right as the father, who used to be a top government operative, finds his missing daughter in Paris (where she and a girl friend went on a short vacation) and takes down the people responsible for it (a human trafficking syndicate), including the ones that would get in the way of his quest. After all, the pressure builds up as he only has 96 hours to do the delicate task.
Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills
I am partial to this particular film because I’m a big fan of action movies. But more than that, I was touched by how far a parent can go to protect his child from any kind of danger. Especially if that’s the least you can do to show your love to your only child. In the case of Bryan Mills, his daughter is in the custody of his ex-wife and is being raised by a better provider step dad.
Bryan Mills trying to get info about the whereabouts of his daughter
Neeson is outstanding in his portrayal as a father. His facial expressions are full of fatherly emotions. Also, despite his age, he was able to make the action scenes look seamless and real. The daughter is also a good actress. She really looks and acts like a seventeen-year old, with all those excitement-induced jumping and teenage laughter.
father-daughter bonding
With respect to the technical aspects, I find it satisfactory. The plot, on the other hand, is interesting enough. I loved the action scenes though I think less beating, especially of innocent people who are just at the wrong place at the wrong time, would do.
movie bloggers, photo courtesy of Az
To start with, the movie is very straight forward and full of hard-core action.The pacing is fast and you are sure to get glued to your seat once you start watching. Though some of the scenes are predictable, you’ll get a high from the strength and determination coming from Bryan Mills. There are chasing left and right as the father, who used to be a top government operative, finds his missing daughter in Paris (where she and a girl friend went on a short vacation) and takes down the people responsible for it (a human trafficking syndicate), including the ones that would get in the way of his quest. After all, the pressure builds up as he only has 96 hours to do the delicate task.
I am partial to this particular film because I’m a big fan of action movies. But more than that, I was touched by how far a parent can go to protect his child from any kind of danger. Especially if that’s the least you can do to show your love to your only child. In the case of Bryan Mills, his daughter is in the custody of his ex-wife and is being raised by a better provider step dad.
Neeson is outstanding in his portrayal as a father. His facial expressions are full of fatherly emotions. Also, despite his age, he was able to make the action scenes look seamless and real. The daughter is also a good actress. She really looks and acts like a seventeen-year old, with all those excitement-induced jumping and teenage laughter.
With respect to the technical aspects, I find it satisfactory. The plot, on the other hand, is interesting enough. I loved the action scenes though I think less beating, especially of innocent people who are just at the wrong place at the wrong time, would do.
Taken is a must-see movie. Trust me on that.
P.S. Thanks to Azrael for the free pass during the advance screening of Taken at the Cinema 1 of SM Megamall last night organized by Wave 891 and Viva International Pictures. Taken is now showing at selected theaters in Metro Manila.
Photo Credits (movie scenes): http://www.imdb.com
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love watching suspense-thriller movies. will surely look forward for this one.
how are you here sis..i’ve tagged you here http://www.onlinememorylane.com/2009/03/right-now.html
@nancy: yes, go and watch it. maganda talaga.thanks for the tag sis, medyo busy-busyhan lang ako ngayon.