(Long Island, NY) If you’re a long-time fan of my reviews here on Long Island Exchange (well, of course you are!), then you know that, in addition to my love of cultured, sophisticated cinema, I am also an unabashed action movie junkie. Such films are best exemplified by speeding bullets, exploding cars, and flying bodies, all typically supplied by a square-jawed hero who never flinches once throughout the sundry carnage.
The heyday of such glorious flicks were the 1980’s through to the early 90’s, after which such fare tapered off in favor of leading men who cry and try to talk out their differences with their enemies instead of gunning them down. I can say with the utmost certainty that the America of today is very different than the nation presided over by Ronald Regan, and the Schwarzeneggers of that era have sadly moved on to bigger things. But, if you ask me, post-9/11 America needs a return to the 80’s, if only so kids today can believe that a lone man with an European accent is capable of single-handedly slaughtering an entire army with a few guns, garden tools, and a steam pipe.
As I’ve pointed out in reviews of recent action movies (such as The Condemned), Hollywood keeps trying to find successors to the heroes of the 80’s, and each attempt thus far has simply fallen short of the mark. This has been going on for so long now that I was really starting to give up all hope, and the fact that 60’s-ish Sly Stallone was called out of retirement to dust off Rambo for one final bloodbath didn’t help. I was convinced that I’d simply have to endure kinder, gentler action movies starring men with real human failings instead of unstoppable killing machines. But, just as despair was beginning to set in, someone has FINALLY stepped up to the plate, and done so in the unlikeliest of forms- that of distinguished Irish actor Liam Neeson(!).
Of course, it figures
that Hollywood wasn’t actually responsible for the rise of Mr. Neeson to the forefront of the action genre- Taken, the movie that has “taken” him there, is a French production, directed
by Pierre Morel from a script penned by the great Luc Besson (writer/director of The Professional and The 5th Element, among others).
In Taken, Neeson plays retired CIA agent Bryan Mills. Exactly what he did for the CIA is never exactly disclosed, but judging by the spying and combat skills he displays throughout the course of the film, I think he did the same think Matt Damon’s Jason Borune character does (in fact, Taken shares a lot of similarities with the Borune film series). His beloved 17-year-old daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) lives with his ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen), who has since remarried a rich business tycoon. Bryan’s CIA work was originally responsible both for his divorce and his estrangement from Kim while she was growing up, and his retirement from that hectic and secretive life is his way of mending fences and re-establishing his relationship with his child. Up to now, it’s been working out well, although Bryan at times feels it’s hard to compete with Kim’s wealthy step-father. This is especially true at birthday time- Bryan gives her a Karaoke machine (she dreams of being a singer), and step-dad counters with a horse. Yes, a real live horse. Of course it’s hard to compete with that, but Kim loves Bryan quite deeply nonetheless.
One day Kim comes to dad for something step-dad can’t give her- permission to go on a trip to France with her friend Amanda (Katie Cassidy). Despite his initial refusal, citing the dangers of Europe that he knows all too well, Bryan eventually agrees. However, he soon discovers (too late) that Kim has lied to him and that their actual plan is to travel round Europe following U2, something I can’t see any rational parent allowing two teenagers to do on their own. Arriving in Paris, a shady guy named Peter (Nicolas Giraud) shares a taxi with the girls to the house where they are staying. Once there, Peter phones some accomplices who soon raid the house and kidnap the girls, with the intention of selling them into a sex slavery ring. Kim manages to call her father on his cell moments before the kidnappers discover her and, at Bryan’s behest, shouts out crucial details about their appearance before the mysterious assailants smash her phone and take her away.
From here, Bryan goes into full John Matrix/Rambo mode and the fun begins. He uses his government contacts to cull as much information as possible from his daughter’s phone call and hightails it over to Paris to pick up her trail before she’s lost forever. Once in the most romantic city on Earth, Bryan proceeds to beat, shoot, maim,
torture, and blow up anyone foolish enough to get in his way, even if they cooperate with him. He shrugs off punches, kicks, and bullet wounds while dealing out death and mayhem like there’s no tomorrow. The movie should have been titled “Liam Neeson kills France.” Well, maybe just half of France, actually, but you get my point.
Honestly, I’ve never seen a modern action movie where the “hero” is so blatantly ruthless- at one point, Bryan threatens to do in the innocent wife and children of a corrupt French cop in cahoots with the slavery ring unless he gives up their whereabouts, and you honestly believe that he’s NOT bluffing. From reading this, one might think it’s hard to get behind such psychotic behavior, but when you consider he’s doing it for his daughter, you can honestly believe that you just might do the same thing if a loved one were faced with such a fate.
One thing a bit harder about Taken to swallow are all the coincidences that allow Bryan to stay hot on his daughter’s trail throughout the entire movie- he’s constantly in the right place at the right time, finding the right people, and discovering little clues that consistently lead him to the next piece of the puzzle, stopping only long enough to deliver a karate chop to an Adam’s apple or slamming a random head into a car door. But the film is so fast paced that it doesn’t really give you time to realize the absurdity of it all. I mean, once the ball gets rolling, Taken contains no lulls whatsoever. Another film might have its protagonist get all weepy and maybe find a person to befriend so they could pour out all their feelings of inadequacy at not having been there for their daughter in her time of need. However, Bryan just relentlessly stays the course and continues the slaughter, determined to get Kim back no matter what the cost. He’s like The Terminator, only not quite as nice.
Another thing that stood out to me about Taken was the cinematography and the realism of the locations. Eschewing obvious sound-stages for gritty on-location shooting, the film exposes you to Europe’s seedy underbelly and truly drives home the dire circumstances of Kim’s predicament. All of this is framed expertly by superior camera work, using dynamic angles and well-done hand-held techniques that don’t get too shaky when the action picks up, unlike so many films nowadays. Also, the editing of the various fight scenes was tight without overdoing the cuts, enabling you to clearly see every single visceral blow.
I can’t close my review of Taken without touching on the performances of its cast in a bit more depth. I’ve always been a fan of Liam Neeson, although up until recently he’s been more known for his dramatic work. But it’s that very dramatic background that I think enables him to channel the anger and swift brutality that he displays in this movie. He is truly an actor that sinks his teeth into any part he plays, and in Taken he manages to deliver a surprisingly moving and charismatic performance while in-between killings. Famke Janssen isn’t really given much to do, other than to act coldly to Neeson’s character and constantly complain about how his CIA work destroyed their marriage, although she does show a more tender side once their daughter is kidnapped. Speaking of their daughter, Maggie Grace does a competent yet unremarkable job as Kim, acting appropriately scared and upset when it’s called for, but otherwise it’s really just a cookie-cutter “teen in distress” kind of role. What really deserves mentioning are the actors portraying the criminals in this film, as they are all a very dirty, nasty lot. You really feel like the producers actually went out and rounded up all the real-life degenerates they could for these roles, which says a lot for the quality and believability of Taken. Imagine your daughter in the clutches of these men and you’d probably start gunning people down as well.
So, there you have it- one of the best action movies I’ve seen in ages. I’m giving it three stars, but if you’re a fan of movies where the main character just kills and kills and kills without a hint of remorse or humanity, you can add at least an extra half-star. Highly recommended.
