We saw “Taken” on DVD about a year after it was released in theaters and boy howdy were we impressed. It’s not so much that it’s a masterpiece of cinema – it’s just really good at what it is: a taut action thriller that grabs you from the beginning and doesn’t let go until the credits roll for the entirety of its spare 93-minute run time.
In “Taken,” retired CIA agent Bryan Mills (played by Liam Neeson) must make use of his particular set of skills when his teenage daughter is kidnapped while on vacation in Paris. He follows her trail through Europe as her kidnappers prepare to sell her to the highest bidder on the human trafficking market. Neeson plays Mills with razor focus, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake as he vows to take his revenge on the kidnappers and return his daughter to safety. DJ and I still quote the iconic scene when he’s on the phone with his daughter who is hiding out hoping to evade the kidnappers ransacking her vacation house.
The movie was a surprise sleeper hit when it was released in 2008. Made on a modest budget of $25 million, it ended up grossing more than $145 million. And you know Hollywood executives aren’t going to let a cash cow like that go unmilked. “Taken 2” and “Taken 3” were released in 2012 and 2014 respectively. We were totally on board for both sequels. That’s how much we liked the first one. Of course, they aren’t as good as the original, but the thing that makes them work is Neeson. His Bryan Mills is compelling enough to watch through all three films. He’s a dedicated dad whose demanding career got in the way of his marriage. But he doesn’t let a pesky thing like divorce come between him and his daughter, and he’s decent to his ex, which wins him points, too.
So technically this review is supposed to be about “Taken 3.” I wasn’t super fond of the set up for this one. I felt like the filmmakers used up their creativity in the first two movies and then felt the need to go for shock value in the third. Spoiler alert: the ex-wife dies early on in the movie, which forces Mills to go on the run as the police tag him as the murderer. Forest Whitaker plays the lead agent tracking Mills as he tries to find the real murderer to prove his innocence. Now we all know Whitaker is one heck of an actor who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in 2006’s “The Last King of Scotland.” He’s also an accomplished director and producer. With all his talent, I felt like the screenwriters could have done so much more with his character, but he turns in an understated almost clichéd performance of an agent who is always one step behind the fugitive.
“Taken 3” lacks the relentless drive of the first movie and the exotic locales of the second one. I’m not sure I can totally recommend this movie, but as a fan of the first one, I didn’t feel like it was a waste of an evening either. So here’s your takeaway: if you haven’t seen “Taken,” add it to your Netflix queue pronto. Take or leave the rest.
I will take your recommendation to heart!! Always looking for fast paced thrillers. Thanks for doing the research. I loved Taken and somehow missed there were sequels. We have gotten caught up in watching tv series on Netflix streaming. I like that I can watch one or two episodes in a sitting. One series we really liked was Leverage. A side note, it was filmed in Portland.
Thanks for the review L & D, it’s great to know what to add to our queue– it’s getting pretty low! Keep ’em coming, your posts are truly a treat!
OK, while I was taken with your review, I really could think of nothing to add to Liam Neeson. Today, though, we saw “I”ll See You In My Dreams.” Blythe Danner alone makes it worth the ticket price, but the writers/directors crafted a beautiful film: solid cinematography, nice music, good supporting cast, and a few surprises for those of us jaded by the usual Hollywood fare. Well worth the time and effort.