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Taken (15)
Friday, 26 September 2008
The only puzzle of this toxically stupid Europhobe thriller is that its director (Pierre Morel) and producer (Luc Besson) are both French.
We are looking at cynicism on a very grand scale. Liam Neeson plays a special ops retiree who's guilty that his career in the US military has estranged him from his 17-year-old daughter. So he tries to make it up by letting her go spend three weeks in Europe, against his better instincts; and wouldn't you know, the kid no sooner gets to Paris than she and her pal are kidnapped by a gang of Albanian sex-traffickers.
It turns out that the abducted girl's ultimate destination is a high-end flesh auction run for sleazeball plutocrats. But don't worry, Neeson's tearing up Paris in search of her, killing, torturing and maiming along the way.
From this we are meant to gather that he's not only a great dad but a kick-ass American who'll teach these swarthy foreigners a lesson – as opposed to a trigger-happy psychotic who'll shoot an innocent woman point-blank: "It's only a flesh wound," he sneers.
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Tremendous entertainment - well worth seeing. The reviewer is clearly very jaded indeed.
Posted by Benji | 16.10.08, 13:59 GMT
best film i've seen in a while
Posted by David boo | 12.10.08, 14:59 GMT
As Kathleen said before - I think you watched a different film to us! I went to see this in a packed cinema where the audience screamed and cheered at the screen and, judging by the atmosphere and comments I overheard on leaving the cinema, everyone seemed to enjoy the film. I would certainly recomment seeing it!
Posted by Ciara | 09.10.08, 17:12 GMT
I think you watched a different film than I did. First of all the character didn't "let" his daughter go on holiday. He succumbed to pressure. Secondly, isn't the issue of human trafficking a very real and menacing one, especially by eastern European groups (refer to several recent court cases).
I would agree that the film was very "tongue in cheek", but what I ask, is the James Bond genre?
I enjoyed every minute of this film with Liam Neeson playing a very different role. And didn't he rid the world of some very nasty people? Wouldn't he make a wonderful 007??
It is after all, only a film - go see it and sit back and enjoy.
Posted by Kathleen McAnespie | 03.10.08, 11:00 GMT
1 STAR!!!!!! Come on!!.... This is one of the best films I have seen this year!!... Yes, its a kill fest but would you not do the same if your daughter was "taken" Liam Nesson does a fantastic job. This is a 5 STAR FILM and RECOMMENDED, ... tree huggers, liberal or human rights activists wil hate it but for us normal people.. GO SEE IT!!!!
Posted by Peter | 01.10.08, 06:16 GMT