Taken: Delivers What It Promises
I recently mentioned in a post or in a tweet somewhere about how Maria and I caught a screener of the new film, Taken, starring Liam Neeson. I have been putting off a review just in case some friends would read it and be disappointed but the truth is, “Taken” delivers what is promises! The first time I saw the commercial for the film I jumped out of my seat. “Ohhh, Liam Neeson is gonna be a BAD ASS!” I was psyched to see what this movie had in store; I was not disappointed in the slightest. If you haven’t seen the movie and don’t want to know what happens, don’t read the rest, just go see it!
The film starts out well enough. You learn that Liam Neeson is separated and has a daughter. You also pick up early in the film that he has a bit of a background… perhaps one that would make him a formidable opponent to say… a kidnapping ring… Well turns out that Liam Neeson has a past with one of the big agencies and has “retired” so he can be closer to his daughter. His friends (who all seem normal enough) invite him to do a body guard gig. It’s there that you get to see Liam in action. I should probably re-watch the fight scenes but from what I saw it looked like a mix of JKD, Krav Maga and some very nasty improvisation! Bottom line, Liam kicks some butt and everyone is shocked he still has it, “I’m retired, I’m not dead.”
Later Liam’s daughter ask to go to Paris with a friend. He doesn’t trust it b/c of his experience in the world, but soon gives in to make his daughter happy. He soon learns that his daughter and friend are going to Europe to follow U2 on tour… (Yeah, I was a little “eh” about that part too, but you never see Bono, so don’t worry!) He stays quiet despite the fact that his daughter lied to him and waits for her to call like she said she would. Stupid stuff happens at the airport in Paris when the daughter’s friend starts flirting with a random stranger. The random stranger who seems nice enough is given all the info he needs about where to find the girls as he takes a cab ride with them to where they are staying. He is then privy to the fact that they will be all by themselves… (Maria and I were both like… IDIOTS! But it gets better) The stranger leaves and you see him on the phone, he says, “Two, about 18…”
Liam Neeson has been calling his daughter all day, finally he gets through. The music in the house where she is staying is too loud so she walks to the bathroom where she still has a view of her crazy friend dancing and yelling to said loud music. She then sees two big guys break in and take her friend away kicking and screaming. Terrified and on the phone with her dad, she breaks down and begins to tell her dad whats going on. Liam immediately begins to get tracking equipment and recording devices together and hooked into his phone. He tells her to get into the bedroom and under the bed and instructs her on whats going to happen in a matter of moments. “They are going to take you. Leave the phone on the floor and scream out as much as you can about what you see…” The men enter the room, talk a little and then leave… thinking she is okay she gets back on the phone but as she does she is taken away and begins to scream out like her dad told her to… then… nothing. Neeson is still on the phone listening and hears the kidnapper pick up… he gives the kidnapper an option, “leave her go and I will not chase you, I will not pursue you. Take her and I will pursue you, I will find you, and I will kill you.” The voice on the other end simply says, “Good Luck.”
With that, Liam is off on a mission. Those buddies of his, yeah they got the hook up in their own areas. Liam already knows where she was going and staying, his buddies inform him about the guy on the phone… using all the good CIA tools they tell Liam who the guy most likely is, that he’s part of a kidnapping ring where they steal women and sell them off underground for whatever purpose. He is also told that he has a maximum of 96 hours before she is gone forever. From there on it’s a wild goose chase with Liam finding the “random stranger” and running into an old friend of the agency… Eventually Liam does find his man… (and MAN does he take care of business) but there is more… plenty more… but enough of this. Let me tell you that I loved this movie. When I saw the ad I loved it, when I saw the movie I jumped up and clapped my hands, “YES!” finally someone got it right! I didn’t want to see any random love story, I didn’t want any BS, I just wanted to see Liam Neeson kill everyone and get his daughter back. And THAT is exactly what I got!!! Taken, it delivers what it promises! See it!!!
Lancaster, PA
