TAKEN
Starring Liam Neeson, Famke Jansen, and
Directed by Pierre Morel
Written by Robert Mark Kamen and Luc Besson
It’s kind of an understood thing that action films --- as much as I do love them --- tend to lack in their depiction of genuine drama. Now, there are always exceptions to this (Don’t act like the bromantic bathroom exchanges in “Lethal Weapon 2” aren’t affecting), but more often than not, action films don’t have to generate any emotions outside of excitement. “Taken” has plenty of excitement (for certain) but its biggest detractor is the film’s irritating plot device.
Liam Neeson plays. Top-ranking “preventer” Bryan Mills. Now divorced, Mills’ past has destroyed his family life forcing him to settle into reminiscent poker nights with his fellow retirees. However, he is not estranged from his re-married wife and their daughter Kim (Maggie Grace)...in fact, he tends to be over-imposing. When Kim decides to travel abroad, Bryan’s world-weary secret serviceman kicks in. He’s completely opposed to the idea of his young girl traveling through France without a chaperone. Ultimately and dishonestly, Kim leaves the country and get’s kidnapped in the process. Bryan, proven correct in his concern, sets out to find his little Nemo by shooting and asking questions simultaneously.
The meat of “Taken” is awesome! Neeson takes to the streets of France with the obsession and the discipline of a man who trained Batman. Yet, it is the baguette that makes “Taken” a stale experience…
Before the story gets to all the bad-ass car chases, electro-shocks, and knife-juggling, you have to (briefly) slog through opening and closing scenes where a blatant 20-something (Grace) pretends to be Neeson’s teenage daughter. It’s almost embarrassing to watch her enthusiasm as she runs around in her Lolita dress squeaking for her father. It takes away from a film that seems so at home with violence and so uncertain about depicting a family dynamic. Still, if I’m going to take the earlier stance that an action film just needs to excite then writers Robert Mark Kamen (co-writer of “Fifth Elelement”) and Luc Besson (director and writer of “The Professional” and “The Fifth Element” ) are allowed to come up short in the human drama area --- especially when their subtext could never be clearer: STAY THE F@CK OUT OF FRANCE!
Starring Liam Neeson, Famke Jansen, and
Directed by Pierre Morel
Written by Robert Mark Kamen and Luc Besson
It’s kind of an understood thing that action films --- as much as I do love them --- tend to lack in their depiction of genuine drama. Now, there are always exceptions to this (Don’t act like the bromantic bathroom exchanges in “Lethal Weapon 2” aren’t affecting), but more often than not, action films don’t have to generate any emotions outside of excitement. “Taken” has plenty of excitement (for certain) but its biggest detractor is the film’s irritating plot device.
Liam Neeson plays. Top-ranking “preventer” Bryan Mills. Now divorced, Mills’ past has destroyed his family life forcing him to settle into reminiscent poker nights with his fellow retirees. However, he is not estranged from his re-married wife and their daughter Kim (Maggie Grace)...in fact, he tends to be over-imposing. When Kim decides to travel abroad, Bryan’s world-weary secret serviceman kicks in. He’s completely opposed to the idea of his young girl traveling through France without a chaperone. Ultimately and dishonestly, Kim leaves the country and get’s kidnapped in the process. Bryan, proven correct in his concern, sets out to find his little Nemo by shooting and asking questions simultaneously.
The meat of “Taken” is awesome! Neeson takes to the streets of France with the obsession and the discipline of a man who trained Batman. Yet, it is the baguette that makes “Taken” a stale experience…
Before the story gets to all the bad-ass car chases, electro-shocks, and knife-juggling, you have to (briefly) slog through opening and closing scenes where a blatant 20-something (Grace) pretends to be Neeson’s teenage daughter. It’s almost embarrassing to watch her enthusiasm as she runs around in her Lolita dress squeaking for her father. It takes away from a film that seems so at home with violence and so uncertain about depicting a family dynamic. Still, if I’m going to take the earlier stance that an action film just needs to excite then writers Robert Mark Kamen (co-writer of “Fifth Elelement”) and Luc Besson (director and writer of “The Professional” and “The Fifth Element” ) are allowed to come up short in the human drama area --- especially when their subtext could never be clearer: STAY THE F@CK OUT OF FRANCE!
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