Finally, I was able to watch a whole entire movie on Star Movies again. I think the last movie that I was able to catch fully was The Spirit. Very good old movies being shown on television and I love it. Taken is definitely one of them. This movie was originally released around 2 years ago.
The movie stars Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace. Liam Neeson portrays an ex secret service agent (Bryan Mills), who loves his daughter very much. He moves to California to be closer to his daughter who now lives with her mother and stepfather. His daughter goes on vacation to Paris with her bestfriend but is kidnapped by the Albanian mafia. Those kidnappers specializes in sex slavery, they drug their victims and sell them to men. The French police turned a blind eye on those crimes in exchange for money. Bryan vows to do everything to save his daughter.
One really great part is in Paris, when the kidnappers are in the apartment that Kim (Bryan’s daughter) is in with Amanda her bestfriend. As Kim sees Amanda being grabbed by the kidnappers, she is in another room, she has the presence to call her father to tell him what is happening. Bryan tells her to hide under the bed, and tells her to listen carefully. Bryan tells his daughter Kim that she is about to be taken and that what she should do is put the phone down and scream out any descriptions of the kidnappers. Bryan then hears heavy breathing and ends up speaking to the kidnappers, he says basically that he is an expert, that if they let his daughter go now, then it will end at that point. But if they do not let his daughter go at that instant, then he will find them and basically kill them. At this, the kidnapper just says, “good luck”.
Later on, with the help of Bryan’s friend, because he was able to record the voices of the kidnappers when his daughter had called him, they are able to figure out through the accent of the kidnappers that they are actually Albanian, and not only that, but what part of Albania they are from. Bryan also finds out that this modus operandi, because of the nature of this, they have 96 hours until she disappears forever.
I really consider the point where Bryan arrives in Paris and is told that he has approximately 96 hours, this point is really the point where the movie sort of speeds up dramatically. Now the clock is ticking, and the daughter he loves so dearly needs help.
This movie is really a wonderful testament to just how good of an actor Liam Neeson is, I truly believe he is one of the best in Hollywood. Versatile, great character play, and just ultimately believable in most any role that he plays.
Even though I know that this is a movie that is meant to be fast paced, action-packed, and one heck of a thrilling ride, I also see the great underlying theme and motivation of the movie. In this case, it really is about a father’s love for his daughter. A story about how great that love can be, that bond between father and daughter, that it can border on simple focus and anger towards anyone who dares to hurt his daughter. I just have a soft spot for it.
I was teary-eyed too especially seeing a father sacrificing everything for his daughter. Willing to do everything just to keep his daughter safe. I do not want to spill the whole story here even if it’s an old movie. But the twists and turns that this movie takes, as Bryan rushes to rescue his kidnapped daughter is a movie experience that I haven’t had in the longest while. I highly suggest you watch it on DVD. I heard that it might have a part 2 but that’s just rumors. If ever, I would definitely watch the 2nd part coz the this movie was just excellent.
I can promise this, that you will experience almost every kind of emotion watching this movie. And it really is a good movie, when you can truly just sit down and be immersed in the whole storyline, the progression of the movie, and the complex bits and pieces that keep coming at you and will really keep you in suspense. Taken is a rare movie that is able to really give you the full experience of a great cast, great acting, awesome story, perfect tempo, and so much more. Honestly, you have got to see this!
Check out the trailer below and see for yourself. Don’t forget to grab a DVD and watch it in full 🙂
My Rating for Taken: 5 out of 5 stars
oh, this is one of my fave movies. i watched it a year before it was released to the public. and when it was being shown to the public, i grabbed my copy and watched it four times. i even watched it on cable pa.
by the way, bryan mills was an ex-covert operative(undisclosed agency), not a secret service agent. 🙂
oh… thanks for the correction! 😀