Film: Taken 2009 (Review)

For those who're rushing to the theatres...

A 90 minute action-thriller, featuring a high velocity, blood-raging action filled mid riff that's largely attributed to the powerful performance of Liam Neeson's in his portrayal of Bryan Mills, a retired CIA agent who relentlessly bashed at everyone (and I mean everyone) who hindered his pursue of his beloved kidnapped daughter and her captors. You'll probably love Liam Neeson in this Luc Besson co-scripted film and step out of the cinema feeling breathless with an arousal of emotions. It'll also be easier for you not to question the plot (for those who insist on reality-checking film plots) and just be led by Liam Neeson for the whole 90 minutes.

For those who've spare time to read on...

If you can forgive the "larger-than-life" excessively convenient plot co-written by Luc Besson, the performance of Liam Neeson really do deserve a good round of applause as an ex-CIA agent who's entirely driven by his love for his beloved daughter who had been taken by Albanian abductors for underground illegal sex trade during her Paris trip with a friend. I could sense his on-screen rage and relentless attitude beneath his calm demeanour. It's almost akin to a rash bash that was performed without any stylish veil placed over it, for he is no double-o-seven, mind you. 

Liam Neeson showed what extends a desperate father would go to in exchange for the safety of his abducted daughter (with the skills of a competent ex-CIA agent of course!), which revealed relation of his affection in the form of his ruthlessness hurled at those who were responsible for her daughter's distress. I was impressed with the way he physically cowered the guys he tracked down during confrontation, it was performed with ferocious rawness without any trace of self-conscious morals or logic. During his confrontation of the (later discovered) corrupted French official at his residence, Liam Neeson didn't hesitate for a single split second before he emptied a round into the arm of the official's wife to underline his stance. Liam Neeson transformed into a violent monster who wasn't shy of stacking body count, simply said.

Action sequences were very tightly edited to instill heart-thumping adrenaline in the hearts of the audience, leaving them gasping for air to regain comfort even after the action ended. Do note that certain action scenes were indeed exaggerated in Luc Besson style (for instance, the possibility of one man upheaving Paris single-handedly leaves much to one's thoughts), thus crossing several lines of reality to attract eager onslaughts of several detail-watchful critics. I, for one, have decided to overlook the plot flaws and focus on the pleasing performance delivered by Liam Neeson and the commendable efforts of cinematographer Pierre Morel for creating such intensive action scenes in only his second attempt as director. I want to be entertained, and this film has certainly achieved what I was looking for.

By the time you're done washing your hands in the restroom after the movie, you'll be cycling through your memory banks to ask yourself if anyone pissed you off lately. Highly recommended for those who need something to break into their dull and monotonous lifestyle of late to enjoy a well deserved weekend.