Taken is one of those films that tell young travelers to stay home much like Hostel and Turista did so eloquently. The thing people need to realize is that hey – this crap ACTUALLY does happen! There are sex rings, drug dens and white slavery outfits. I think many people believe these films are based off of old wives tales and urban legends but in reality they really aren’t. THAT is a scary thought and really makes you wonder about the rest of the world.
In Taken Liam Neeson is; what I can only describe as an ex-CIA operative or other such thing. He’s not a rich man. He’s divorced and the only two things he has in his life is his work as a security guard (he saves a rich singer from a stalker – laying the beat down on him) and his teenage daughter. He’s a little estranged from her because he feels a little inadequate. Here he is – a handsome man that did great things to help keep our little part of the world safe from the bad douche’s out there. There is no respect from his ex-wife – NONE at all. His daughter is relatively happy living in the mansion her mom’s new sugar daddy owns and mommy is just as comfortable.
I wanted to punch the ex-wife square in the face and put that kid over my knee and teach her what for. It was aggravating watching this jerk of a wife completely discount and ignore her ex-husbands knowledge of the world and the scumbags that reside in it. Little Miss Princess wants to run off to France with her 19-year old friend. I don’t have children (that I know of anyway) but I would have a SERIOUS issue with my 17-year old running off to France with a 19-year old and I sure as hell wouldn’t care WHO they were staying with it would be a HUGE no. Daddy agrees with me but mommy is obviously smoking too much from the peace pipe cause to her this is a GREAT chance for Princess to see the world!
Daddy gets thrown under the bus and caves in having to sign the waiver for his daughter to get a passport. He lays down strict ground rules such as CALL me when you get in – CALL me all the time – DON’T go off with strangers and he gives her a MAP of the area and tells her where NOT to go. With the papers signed and the girls ready to board the plane he puts the map into her bag only to find another map with cities circled – what mommy failed to mention was that rich step dad bought Princess tickets to see U2 all over Europe. Nothing he can do about it now.
What follows is an action train ride that has Princess being taken while talking to dad. Being the savvy ex-whatever that he is he makes an honest plea to the kidnapper: let her go now and nothing will happen; don’t and I will kill you. There are martial art beat down scenes out the wazzoo, great acting and a hell of a lot of great story points. You are cheering for Liam from scene one and disliking the French all over again. Taken gets a definite stamp of approval on my part. And kids – a word of warning – listen to your parents because they DO know best.
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MORE INFORMATION
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http://www.takenmovie.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0936501
