"Taken" Justice as We Wish It

Genres: Action/Adventure, Art/Foreign, Drama and Thriller
Running Time: 1 hr. 34 min.
Release Date: January 30th, 2009 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing thematic material, sexual content, some drug references and language.
Distributors: 20th Century Fox Distribution

Director: Pierre Morel

JJ Rating: B+

Kim (Maggie Grace) is talking to her father, Bryan (Liam Neeson), on the phone when men bust into where she's staying and take her. Bryan tells them that he will find them and kill them. They decide that's what they want and so that's what Bryan sets out to do. Taken.

It was a thrilling ride because Bryan puts up with nothing from anyone. He tended to be always one step ahead of all the 'bad guys'. When he would catch up with some persons that were of interest then he decided how to deal with them, and boy would he deal with them. I think the mass appeal of this film will be because of the fighting as well as the revenge and justification. Some people are bullies and it's great to see those people get their just deserts.

Liam Neeson must have been sore (if he did even some of his stunts) because of the amount of physical activity his character went through in several scenes. He was the lone actor, for he was the only actor who was in every single scene up to the very end. He is powerful enough to do that as well as commanding enough to make it work.

The storyline was simple and it got right to the point. It did not take long for the reason why he was going after these crazed men. His determination to get the job done was thrilling as well as something to cheer for. It just so happens to have the rights stuff for me to find it very enjoyable. What this movie taught me was that you should not mess with a formal agent for the Federal Government. They know things that could cause lots of pain.

The fight scenes were engrossing. There were moments of gun fights, physical fights, clever moves, dodging, running, revenge moments and recall. These types of movies work so well because they are about people that don't cower to the powerful one or group. They stand up to them and tell them what they will and will not accept and they have this determination that is unmovable; plus a focus that's piercing. It's the screen adaptation of who we wish we could be in dealing with our problems

Taken was a thrilling trailer with the haunting words of, "Now they are going to take you." That was a well done trailer for the movie represented just as boldly. It's a revenge movie that is exciting and compelling far more than it's filled with philosophical wonderings and the like. Want an hour and half escape from the troubles of this world with all its bank failures and political persons not paying taxes? This movie has the potential to do that for you. As long as you know that it's not totally mindless but it does have coincidence after coincidence in favor of the hero. It is justices how we wish it would be served; by a gun wielding ex-Jedi Liam Neeson!