Taken [Blu-ray] by Pierre Morel, starring Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace, Leland Orser, Jon Gries: DVDNear.com

Taken [Blu-ray]

Taken [Blu-ray]
by Pierre Morel

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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Famke Janssen, Jon Gries, Leland Orser, Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace
Director: Pierre Morel
Brand: NEESON,LIAM
Blu-ray: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language); French (Original Language); French (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.40:1
Running Time: 93 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: 2009-05-12
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Product features:

Condition: New
Format: Blu-ray
AC-3; Color; Dolby; DTS Surround Sound; Dubbed; Subtitled; Widescreen

Movie Reviews of Taken [Blu-ray]

Movie Review: Liam Neeson releases his inner Jack Bauer
Summary: 5 Stars

TAKEN

**** ½ Out of 5

Release Date- February 27th, 2008 (France) January 30th, 2009 (USA)

Running Time- 93-Minutes

Rating- PG-13

Screenplay- Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen

Director- Pierre Morel

Starring- Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Xander Berkeley, Oliver Rabourdin, Katie Cassidy and Famke Janssen

Upon seeing the preview for Taken I was quite interested in seeing this flick I came across the abduction scene when flipping through the stations and it got me hooked and I found it quite intense and was very much looking forward to this movie. In recent years the action genre has really gone downhill. And even action flicks made outside of Hollywood feel as if they were made by Hollywood. Taken does sort of feel like that at times, but this is the type of movie Hollywood once made when the produced quality movies.

Taken isn't the most original movie ever made and you've seen variations of the plot done many, many times and maybe it's just me, but Taken also sort of had a feel of the TV series 24 in tone and in some of the scenes and in the main character. As much as it is an action movie Taken is also a suspense flick and both these elements work very well.

The screenplay by Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen was well written, but not without its flaws. The lead character Bryan Mills played by Liam Neeson is a former CIA agent and due to that he has connections that allow him to track down the people who abducted his daughter, but the problem I had is things come a little too easy. Bryan gets a little too much done too easy and certain aspects of the plot aren't developed enough, but despite that Besson and Kamen do a solid job. Bryan Mills is the main character and really the only character that truly matters.

And Besson and Kamen do a bang up job with the character. He's well developed and is a take no prisoners kick butt character. The rest of the characters are just sort of there and not given a whole lot to do, but in no way does this hurt the movie. Luc Besson has made some movies under Hollywood, but most of his flicks are French productions, but clearly geared at American audiences, but his movies are just a whole lot of fun. They might have a Hollywood feel, but they work better than most of the junk coming out of Hollywood these days. Robert Mark Kamen best known for the first three Karate Kid movies often works with Besson and both these guys work very well together. In general you may not get a cinematic masterpiece, but you do get your money's worth and Taken is by far their best work to date as writing partners (and possibly even on their own).

Director Pierre Morel does a solid job even if sort of by the books. The pacing is solid and early on it moves slowly, but steady and is interesting and none of the scenes feel like fillers. The action sequences are highly enjoyable even if they lack some originality. Quite a few times I couldn't help, but think of 24, which I suppose is more due to the script, but some of the scenes feel like something done on 24. But despite some lack of originality, Morel does an excellent job and shows some potential as a filmmaker. Taken is well made and moves at a very nice pace and always remains interesting. Even if the action scenes lack originality at times they are again highly enjoyable and there are some scenes that are highly suspenseful. Also don't let the PG-13 rating scare you off. A lot has changed in cinema and movies that would once be R-rated get away

What really elevates Taken is the performance by Liam Neeson; Neeson is one of the most talented actors of his generation and is one of the few actors that can pull off any role and do it great. Here as Bryan Mills he delivers one of the best if not the best performance of his career and is without a doubt one of my personal favorite performances of 2008. Anytime I write a review for an action flick I always mention how the action stars out there now really leave a lot to be desired. Gone are the Stallone's and McQueen's of the action genre. Liam Neeson though makes for the perfect action star; he has the no nonsense persona done perfectly and is also a great actor. While there are many actors who have done action flicks and gave excellent performances most of the time it isn't about the actual performance, but Neeson plays the tough guy role perfectly and also delivers one hell of a performance.

Maggie Grace as Kim gives a slightly awkward performance; I haven't seen a lot of her work outside of The Fog, which was simply a put a pathetic waste of time, but I thought Maggie did well with horrible material and showed some potential. At the time this movie was made I guess she was about 23 maybe and she just didn't fit playing a 17-year old girl and actually the character comes off a lot younger than 17. It's very common for actors in their mid 20s and in some cases late 20s too play teenagers and some pull it off and some don't. Maggie Grace doesn't deliver a bad performance per se, but slightly awkward. Again she wasn't bad, but just didn't fit the age of the character and came across younger than 17, but some of that is more on the writing and directing, but again it was just awkward.

Famke Janssen, Xander Berkeley and Oliver Rabourdin are solid in small, but vital roles and Katie Cassidy was good, but not given a whole lot to do. All the performances are mostly solid, but like I stated before its Liam Neeson that takes center stage here and really elevates Taken. Without Neeson, Taken would have been an enjoyable flick, but Neeson takes the material and makes far more out of it.

Overall Taken is a solid movie that just slightly falls short of being brilliance, but when all is said and done the movie works on pretty much every level and again I have to state it's Neeson that really elevates the movie.

The Blu-ray release is quite solid in terms of picture and sound; the action sequences sound amazing and the picture is sharp. I haven't gone through all the extras yet, but they all seem to be solid.

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Summary of Taken [Blu-ray]

Genre: Action/Adventure
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 12-MAY-2009
Media Type: Blu-Ray

What could be a skillful but ordinary action flick gets a surprising emotional heft from the presence of Liam Neeson as the hero. Bryan Mills (Neeson) has given up his career as a spy to form a relationship with his estranged teenage daughter--but when, on a trip to Paris, she's kidnapped by slavers, Mills uses all his connections and skills to turn the city of lights upside down and rescue her. Like most of the movies that writer/producer Luc Besson has a hand in (such as La Femme Nikita, The Transporter, Unleashed, and many other French action movies), Taken drips with lurid violence (a bit toned-down to get a PG-13 rating, but there's still plenty of it), deranged sentimentality, and stereotypes of all kinds. But this doesn't stop his movies from being effective thrill-rides, and Taken is no exception. Taken pays just enough attention to the illusion of procedure--making it seem like Mills knows all the right steps to track down his daughter--that the movie cheerfully seduces your suspension of disbelief, despite many plot holes and scenes where Mills doesn't get scratched despite bullets flying in all directions or pretends to be a French policeman despite not speaking French or even adopting a French accent. What holds it all together is Neeson; his gravitas and emotional availability make his character--the usual action fantasy of impossible competence and righteous fury--somehow seem real and relatable. --Bret Fetzer

Stills from Taken (Click for larger image)

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Taken [Blu-ray]