There is only one good reason to like this movie and that is the always watchable Liam Neeson. Like what he did with the abysmal Phantom Menace, Neeson makes this viewable. I could easily see this with someone else, Jean Claude Van Damme, in the lead as a direct to tape feature. When you look at Taken in that way, it deflates like a popped balloon. It all feels like warmed up Bourne leftovers. The worst part may be the condescending human trafficking angle which reminds me of stuff like Brokedown Palace or Fear. This movie could find it's way onto Lifetime for a heavy rotation. The best scene is in the trailer, when his daughter is kidnapped and Liam's character throws down the gauntlet. For that one moment, the movie is alive and you are taken with it.
Review of Taken
