I still cringe when I think of how I aspired to this.Īs such, I hated Taken. As time marches on, I become gradually more ashamed not with how pretentious I was, but how pretentious I wish I was. I was in my late 20s and staunchly committed to my bullshit persona of self-proclaimed film aficionado and discerning critic of all things artistic. I first saw Taken shortly after its theatrical run. Like any decent revenge/action story, the bulk of the somewhat scant runtime is devoted to Bryan Mills and his oft-referenced “particular set of skills” to bring his daughter home and sunder anyone foolish enough to stand in his way. More on this nonsense later.Īs the name suggests, Kim and Amanda are promptly abducted (or taken!) by a sex trafficking operation. To the surprise of the trained CIA operative and no thinking person, Kim and her friend Amanda have instead ventured to France to follow their favorite rock band on the European leg of their world tour. As teenagers are wont to do, Kim charms her parents into allowing her to visit France for the summer under the false pretense of visiting a bunch of museums and artsy cultural shit.
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The film begins shortly after Kim’s 17th birthday. Liam Neeson plays Bryan Mills, a former CIA operative who has recently retired in order to be nearer to his estranged daughter, Kim.
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While far from perfect, Taken works on a number of levels that I didn’t appreciate on my first viewing. On its surface, Taken is a straightforward action movie that showcases the terrible things a man is capable of when his family is threatened. The 2009 Pierre Morel film Taken started the now inexplicable action star segment of Liam Neeson’s career. Teacher, quizmaster, and new 10YA contributor Stephen Ruiz has a very particular set of skills, and he’s going to use them to re-view the hit that few saw coming: Taken.