Get “Taken” for a ride

Posted by Movie_Maven

February 19, 2009 |

I saw “Taken” the other night. Normally, I’m a huge Liam Neeson fan, but was really not looking forward to it after reading the dismal critics’ reviews; however, I have to say that once I suspended disbelief and overlooked some really glaring errors (steering wheels on the wrong side, the daughter should have been more traumatized by her experience, several minor goofs about the cell phone conversation and playback, and some continuity problems, to name a few), I enjoyed the movie.

Directed by Pierre Morel, this film involves retired U.S. government tough guy Neeson, his estranged and remarried wife (Famke Janssen) and his 17-year old daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) who is off to Paris with a friend, much against her father’s wishes. After meeting a charming and handsome young man while waiting for a taxi, we find out he is a spotter for a group of Albanian sex traffickers who (as shown in the previews) take the girls.

Neeson’s character pulls no punches trying to find his daughter and I was entertained by his adeptness and fitness level for a 57-year old (although he still is one hot guy!)

There are no plot twists, just an action-packed story filled with some humor, violence, gore, explosions, betrayal, and sex - all of the elements of, well, a good action flick.