Customer Reviews

Taken (2-disc Extended Cut) [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not a big fan of action movies. They tend to focus on violence and killing as many people as possible in the most original ways, but a select few have more depth. Taken falls into the latter category.

Why is it so good?

If you had told me that a 56-year-old actor would make one of the best action movies I've ever seen, I would have laughed and thought how bad Roger Moore's version of James Bond was in A View to a Kill and Octopussy. Action movies often feature actors who look the part, but who can't really act. Arnold Schwarzenegger springs to mind. Liam Neeson changes all that with this one performance. He doesn't look like he could take on the world, but his acting ability is so good that he convinces you that he's capable of everything he does in the movie.

Bryan Mills (Neeson) used to work for the government as a CIA operative. He still associates with friends from his previous job, but he's given up that career in an attempt to get closer to his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace). She lives with his ex-wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen), and her rich stepfather. When Mills takes Kim a thoughtful gift on her seventeenth birthday, her stepfather gives her a horse. Mills doesn't seem to have a chance of winning her respect. What's more, Lenore apparently hates him.

Mills is given another chance to make a connection with Kim when she asks him to sign a consent form so that she can leave the country for a vacation. As she's 17, she needs the permission of both parents. Mills isn't happy about the idea. He's seen a lot of criminal activity in his former line of work and understands the dangers involved. Is he just being paranoid? His dire warnings seem exaggerated, but we soon see that they are justified.

Kim goes to Paris with her 19-year-old friend and trusts everyone she meets. The day she arrives, an Albanian gang take her and her friend captive. We learn that they intend to control her through drugs and turn her into a prostitute, or perhaps even sell her to a willing buyer.

Perhaps the best moment in the movie is when Mills talks to Kim's captor on her phone:

"I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll 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."

He says it with absolute conviction.

I won't give away any more of the story. That setup takes around 25 minutes. If I have done a good job, perhaps you can understand why Taken is different. Mills is real. We understand his motives for giving up his job. When Kim is taken, we start to see some of the skills he claims to possess.

If she was your daughter, how would you react? What if you had the requisite skills to seek her out yourself? Is there anything you wouldn't do to save her?

Director Pierre Morel doesn't waste a single minute. At 93 minutes, the movie is lean and the action rarely allows us time to breathe once Mills kicks into action. He's a relentless killing machine, but, unlike most action heroes, his abilities seem authentic. To make things seem even more urgent, we experience everything from his point of view. Expect to see plenty of fast cuts during chase scenes, just as you would in The Bourne Trilogy.

It's easy to root for Mills because of the strong characterization. Neeson excels in this role and carries the movie throughout. I wonder if we'll start to see other good actors cast in action roles as a result? Taken is an enjoyable thrill ride with almost endless replay value.

great movie. keeps you guessing. surprise ending. easy to get in to.
not too long. two choices of raitings one for adults and one for early teens

This is a really Intelligent movie. Great storyline and very well acted by all concerned.

A sequel would be awesome

not bad for killing 90 min. but a little too "awesome" for such a character who can find clues, beat someone up, so unstoppable.... not too convincing.

I had expected to be really blown away by this movie. The previews made the movie look really intense and suspenseful. I felt that it was fairly predictable and not surprising at all. Basically just one man killing great quantities of men.

So says the films protagonist Bryan Mills(Liam Neeson)talking to his daughter's kidnapper over the phone.If you like your action straight up,no chasers,then Taken,released in Feb.2008 and put onto DVD in /09,is THE film for you.Once the action starts,it's a hold-onto-your-seats thrill ride that never lets up.
The plot is pretty straightforward.An ex CIA special agent Bryan Mills is attending his daughter's birthday party.From the get go Mills we see is meticulous in his personal habits,all stemming from his background training.His CIA days are behind him but he still keeps in touch with some of his former close associates.His daughter Kim's(Maggie Grace)mother Lenore(Famke Janssen) has remarried and Bryan's relationship with her is quite strained.When Mills meets with his daughter and ex for lunch,Kim asks for his permission to go to Paris with her girlfriend.He is reluctant and he thinks about it.He eventually comes around and Kim is away,with a few stipulations her dad has made on her.
The two arrive in Paris and head for their rented flat.On the way they meet a nice looking young man who they arrange to attend a party with later on.While the two are unpacking some unknown men enter the apartment and Kim's friend is taken away in a big struggle.Kim has been talking on the phone with her dad and she describes to him in detail what is taking place.Frightened and barely hanging on, all due to her dad's calm demeanor/training,she hides in an adjacent bedroom under a bed.He tells her she will be taken but to leave the phone open as long as she can and,most importantly,he will come for her.
Kim is dragged away as Mills listens.Springing into action he contacts not only her mother but his old associates who offer some technical skills in obtaining background info on the kidnappers.Mills only positive lead is that he has heard the sound of one of the kidnappers.He flies to Paris and clandestinely enters the girls apartment.He tenders the help of an old Paris police detective which leads him nowhere.From the memory card of his daughters smashed telephone he garners a picture of one of her kidnappers.He tracks him down at the airport and just when it seems he has eluded Mills he gets killed by a passing truck.
Mills knows that an Albanian gang,specializing in human trafficking,is the group responsible for taking his daughter.This leads him to a construction site which also houses a brothel run by the gang.He puts a temporary stop to the place by almost completely demolishing the operation but in the process gets a lead in the form of a heavily drugged girl who has his daughters jacket.He takes her to a motel and dries her out and gets the address of the place Kim might be at.He poses as a French policeman there to renegotiate his "fee" to keep quiet about their operations and enters the den of the Albanian traffickers.While there he fingers the man whose voice he heard briefly on the phone and after some further"negotiations", leaves with his man.
Using some plain old fashioned torture,he gleans the info that his daughter is now in the hands of a wealthy Parisian socialite who specializes in the sale of human flesh.Mills attends that function and poses as a waiter serving champagne.While in the small room with a buyer he finally sees his daughter,which he forces the buyer to obtain.While leaving the room to get his daughter(with the buyer in tow)the security there gets the best of him and his is held downstairs to be executed.Before they can do him in he is able to get free and turn the tables.He rushes out after his daughter who is now aboard a yacht owned by a wealthy Sheik.Through a car ride to beat all car rides he tries to catch up to the boat and eventually is able to jump aboard and overcome most of the security with all the usual lightening fast moves he has so far displayed throughout the film.He finally comes face to face with the Sheik holding his daughter at knife point.At the very moment the Sheik is about to negotiate with Mills,Mills shoots him dead with precision aim.
Daughter Kim safely back in his arms,they both fly home.
Famed French writer,director Luc Besson(The Fifth Element)uses a deft hand in his control here.The editing is top notch;no filler and all meat.The action once it starts,is breathtaking to watch as Mills' former "training"/"special skills" are something to behold indeed.Neeson is right in the zone throughout which adds that much more to the believability and intensity of the proceedings.The supporting cast is great and the stunt work wonderful.
Technically is the film has been transferred onto DVD in its original 2:40:1 a/r,and is clear and crisp.This version has both the theatrical and extended cuts of the film.There is commentary,the trailer and a making of featurette.There is however something the buyer should be aware of and it is in the making of the DVD itself.There is a scene where Mills enters the Albanians lair(behind the red door).He presents a card to one of the kidnappers.At that moment there seems to be a layer change and the film briefly stops ans starts.This is a common thing but here the sound actually goes out of sync with the actions/mouths on screen.I have checked this on a couple of players and it does it on both.It's a manufacturers glitch and should have been taken care of but of course these things never are unless the release is successful enough to warrant a future re-release.Gotta love this industry don't you?
All in all a top notch effort by all involved.Neeson is the intense protagonist who you just KNOW is going to get his man,or in this case his daughter.We know the ending before it really gets going but the trick is to sit back and enjoy the ride,and what a ride it is.4 1/2 stars,recommended viewing.

Taken is a terrific action film, right up there with the best of the Bourne Trilogy or James Bond films. In some ways, this film is slightly a cut above due to the performance of Liam Neeson, not exactly an actor that immediately comes to mind when one thinks about an action super hero government agent. But it is the atypical quality of this actor for the role that makes the film exciting in that he is quite believable as a retired ex-CIA operative who sacrificed his marriage, but nevertheless wants to build a close relationship with his teenage daughter.

One of the strengths of the film is its premise of the kidnapping of children for the international sex trade. Every parent or even non-parent can imagine the horror of such a scenario, and the plight of the Neeson character is therefore easily identified with by the audience. The difference here is that unlike the rest of us, he has "certain skills" that enables him to do something about it.

Admittedly, this film is somewhat of a fantasy in respect to his incredible "skills", but it still is a great ride to see him attempt to rescue his daughter from villains who are the epitome of evil, and consequently seeing them get what they deserve.

If you like action movies, you cannot go wrong with this one.

My DVD is flawed and I am returning it to Amazon the week of February 14, 2011.

RGH

As has been pointed out in nearly every review, Liam Neeson's performance is what elevates this otherwise average action flick into something truly thrilling. Enraged, ruthless, and superhumanly competent, Bryan Mills could easily have been portrayed by Vam Dam back in the day, but Neeson's able to keep all that intensity relatable. The action's all very well executed here, but it's far more enjoyable with a character we actually care about.

Be warned that this film pushes the Islamaphobic button. Hard. How offensive you find this really depends on your sensibilities. At its best, the film is tying its family narrative into wider cultural tensions. At its worst, it's relying on broad stereotypes as lazy shorthand. Personally, I think it leans towards the former, but not everyone will agree.

Extras
The theatrical and unrated versions of the film are here and, as usual in such releases, there's not much difference between them. Those interested in more extras should check out Taken (Two-Disc Extended Edition), though I don't know how much scrutiny a story this straightforward needs.

Presentation
The transfer here is very solid. The visual style is far grittier than what we see from the Michael Bay's of the world and so you don't miss much by just getting the DVD.

Bottom Line
As with most action films, you really need to sit back and enjoy the ride, but Liam Neeson's performance makes suspending your disbelief far easier. Muslim stereotypes hurt the film in some scenes and help it in others; which ones and how much really depends on your own perspective.

Don't bother buying this version of the DVD as all you get is two versions of the movie--the theatrical release and unrated version. There are zero extras.

Having said that it's an entertaining thriller in which Mel Gibson...oops, I thought ALL movies where the dad gets angry and seeks revenge as a one-man team by himself starred Mel...it's Liam Neeson in this one.

Huge plot holes and improbable one man vs. everyone where (it's Hollywood, 'natch) all he suffers is a hurt wing in the entire movie but takes out approximately 9,555 Albanian (yes, Albanian!) criminals in Paris (yes, set that movie in a foreign locale to boost that overseas box office).

The dumbest plot device (or non-device) is the fact we are introduced to his three other ex-CIA buddies who now work security for a pop singer. Now, to me, rather than going it alone to Paris given he has only 96 hours to save his daughter from a life of white slavery, he only enlists one guy to do some research on the criminals who may be involved with the kidnapping of his daughter. You don't think these guys would take 96 hours out of their lives to help their buddy, if asked?

I just didn't get that. Why introduce these guys as his friends and have them bond at a backyard barbecue then on a job working security, then say bye bye. Did they not have enough in the budget to pay them all to fly to Paris?

Anyway, there are some cringe-inducing drugged out scenes of horror as young girls are forced into prostitution so fair warning those who don't dig needles, disgusting room conditions and the whole world of human trafficking. Other than that plenty of bad guy fu, explosions-a-go-go and all around non-stop action.