Taken

Genre - Action/Thriller
Year Released - 2009 [even though the above poster states 2008, it wasn't released till today]
Running Time - 91 minutes
Rated PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence/disturbing material, sexual content, some drug references, and language)
Directed by Pierre Morel (who directed the awesome, action-packed District B-13)
Written by Luc Besson (La Femme Nikita, Point of No Return, The Professional, The Transporter films, Unleashed, and District B-13. He is also writing the sequel to District B-13 titled District B-13: Ultimatum) and also Robert Mark Kamen (The Karate Kid films and Lethal Weapon 3)
Cast Includes:
Liam Neeson (Darkman, Rob Roy, Star Wars: Episode 1, Schindler's List, Nell, and the 1999 Re-Make of The Haunting - he is also the voice of Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia films)
Maggie Grace (the horrible 2005 Re-Make of The Fog)
Famke Janssen (Jean Grey from the X-Men films, Lord of Illusions, Deep Rising, GoldenEye, Rounders, The Faculty - she also played Ava in Nip/Tuck and she was also in the 1999 Re-Make of House on Haunted Hill)
Katie Cassidy (the awful 2006 Re-Make of Black Christmas - she was also in the 2006 Re-Make of When a Stranger Calls, Jack Ketchum's The Lost, and she also played Ruby in several episodes the Supernatural television series)
*Notice how everyone in this cast has a prior re-make on their record? :-)

Rating: 5 Skulls



Plot Summary:
While vacationing with a friend in Paris, an American girl is kidnapped by a gang of human traffickers intent on selling her into forced prostitution. Now, her father, Bryan - a former soldier - must pull out all the stops to save her. But with his best years possibly behind him, Bryan's task may be more than he can handle.


Review:
The tagline for this film is: 'The time for revenge has come' and it couldn't have a better tagline!

Liam Neeson plays Bryan Mills - ex-husband to Lenore [Famke Janssen] and father to Kim [Maggie Grace] Bryan is a retired "preventer" [government agent] who gave up his career, just to live close to his daughter. You honestly feel bad for the guy, when he attends his daughter's 17th birthday party, only to be upstaged by her step-father [Xander Berkeley]

When Kim approaches her father to ask his permission to go to Paris with a friend, he is hesitant - feeling it is not safe for a 17 year old girl to go traipsing off across the globe. However, he caves in, giving her his permission - and if you watch the below trailer, you know what happens next. . .

Someone asked me, just the other day, about people whom I admire. Well, I can add Liam Neeson's character Bryan Mills to that list! Here you have a father who has given up everything, for the love of his daughter. Not only that, he will go to the extreme and do anything to get her back, after she is kidnapped by slave traders. [now you are probably telling yourself that any father would do the same, and I would hope so, however Bryan has the skills in which to do everything on his own, which makes for a nail-biting good time!]

This movie holds the number 1 spot of best movie of the year, so far, to me.
It is definitely the best thing that Luc Besson has written, and I encourage everyone to go see this one in the theatres - it is money well spent [especially if you are a father yourself!]

Here is the Trailer:


If you have seen this one, definitely let me know your thoughts!
[to me, Liam Neeson is "the man!" Bryan Mills is right up there with Rambo in my book!] :-)

Jason