Taken Review

           Oliver Megaton, many have watched Taken 2... Now over the years I have aquired a certain set of skills. Skill that make me the enemy to all bad directors...If you try to Direct a Taken 3...I will find you, and I will Kill you...With my superior writing skills

Taken 

                I had to utilize that quote issued to Megaton on this review because it was one of the best quotes in modern film and should not at all be associated with Taken 2. We will get to that review soon enough. So here we have the great Liam Neeson, in his 2008 thriller taken. I think everyone that took a look at the trailer for this movie five years ago and KNEW they were going to the theater to see it. So let us go back a few years to take a taste of the action thriller classic, Taken.

Cast and Crew 

                  Taken was Directed my Pierre Morel, the Director of Transporter and District B 13. They were petty decent movies on the action and direction side so this is not a terrible association. Yet, Taken is by far Morel's best work in his career. The movie stars Liam Neeson who plays Bryan Miller, a "Security" man with a certain set of skills. Famke Janssen plays the most hated ex-wife in modern film. Also Maggie Grace plays Neeson's dumb daughter. The cast is pretty strong in their performances but Neeson is the creme' de la creme' in this film. The antagonists are very mysterious and uniform so there is no real villain in this film. That, is one of the things that make the movie better. 

Story 

                     Although Taken is a thriller, the story is actually pretty cut and dry. Bryan Mills is a Security man through the course of the first act, the directer hits you with about 300 pounds of foreshadowing about how skilled this guy is. He is divorced and his wife hates his guts. She becomes the villain for about 40 minutes of the movie. Bryan's Daughter is quite spoiled and decides that she is ready to explore the world, literally. Miller doesn't want her out of his sight but because he wants to have a good relationship with his evil ex wife and bratty girl he allows the trip. Ironically, the Armenian mob find and kidnap his daughter less than 20 minutes after she gets to France...bummer... and Miller needs to get her back. The story seems a little silly and with the wrong cast and direction this movie would easily be a piece of crap. But Pierre Morel does wonders with the material and makes this story work and makes Neeson's actions believable. Therefore you are engaged in the story and you have a great time watching this movie .

               

Presentation 

                  Taken has some really solid acting and cinematography. The movie uses a shaky cam technique and it is not perfectly executed but when it works it works. Bryan Mills will make you cringe when he smashes heads and cracks bones. Scenes with suspense elicit real suspense, and the movie actually had me make one or two false guesses. There is even a scene that makes the audience debate the purity of Miller's character. 

                 I do have one issue with the presentation. This movie is incredibly sexist. Spoiler time Spoiler time: if you don't want stuff spoiled next paragraph time...Okay current readers should have already watched this movie. The blame for this abduction and the death of Kim's friend is completely placed on the women in this movie. Miller's wife is so sadistically bitchy that you don't feel bad for her at all when she hears the news that her daughter is kidnapped. The Daughter Kim is terrible too. She shows no appreciation to her father and even manipulates her father without heeding his warnings. Even when she finds out that his job is on the secret agent level, she still tries to duck and dodge his guidance. The three female characters are so dumb and stereotypical that the events we see happen to them that should be traumatic instead make the audience think "HA! you got what was coming to you." But we shouldn't feel that Kim was taken to be raped and that should be something that weighs heavily on the watcher. Kim is the movies Bella, virginal while still wanting to explore the world which makes her dumb. Amanda was Kim's slutty dumb friend that wants to sleep with random guys and jump around listening to Justin Bieber....she dies, and you don't care. Lenore is the overly strong ex wife that left Miller for a rich man that takes care of her. Her over bearing strong attitude is bound to melt when she hears the news about her daughter. The set up is meant to put her in her place. I'm a media scholar I know bullshit when I see it and I call bullshit. This is a well directed conversation about how women just need to stay home and be women...that shit is not cool Spoiler conversation over 

The Rating 

                        Well, if you saw this movie you know my only problem with it. It is a big problem. A great many movies in American film are propaganda geared toward slowing don't women's progress and unfortunately women are cast into these roles because it is the only work Hollywood gives them. I feel particularly bad for Famke Janssen  because she is a Director and had to be this stereotypical evil ex wife with no human layers, then she plays a Witch in Hansel and Gretel, Witch Hunters...horrible movie. 

                         While I do have my issues I have to admit I enjoyed this movie. It has a line by Bryan Miller that is more than likely the definitive line in Liam Neeson's Career. There are awesome fight scenes and witty dialogue. The movie is executed with style and the overall story is dramatic enough to keep you on your seat. After viewing this, I came up with a new Rating that is a step above Satisfying and a step below delicious, witch is the perfect place for a movie like this. Taken was definitely...

Great Tasting 

Damn...I want some wings now