Taken is a cult
classic with a huge following, and all this is due to its portrayal of a former
CIA operative who was ready to do anything to get back his kidnapped daughter.
The movie’s intense following is due to its violent nature, portrayed by Liam
Neeson, as he becomes a mix of James Bond, Jason Bourne, and Rambo all rolled
up into one—chasing down a group of Armenians and making them pay dearly for
even thinking about taking his daughter.
The film was so
well received by audiences that it raked in a high $200 million from its $25
million production cost. Luc Besson was the man behind the direction and
writing of this cult classic, and he was called back to make the sequel, Taken
2, which was released in 2012.
The movie is
about ex-CIA operative Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson), whose daughter gets kidnapped
when she travels to Paris to follow U2 during their European tour. With only a
picture of his daughter at the airport and the voice of the man who took her,
Bryan races against time to save his daughter before she’s shipped out of the
country and lost forever.
Liam Neeson’s
performance in this movie is what’s captivating. His character’s ability to
stay calm and think his way through any situation is what makes Bryan Mills the
wrong guy to mess with (elements of Jason Bourne). He uses every known method
to track down these guys, even shooting a friend’s wife just to get the man to
talk. He places himself in danger numerous times but always finds a way out,
making him Bond and Rambo rolled into one.
By the end of
this movie, you’ll be queuing up for the sequel. My favorite action scene is
when Bryan corners Peter (the man who leads the kidnappers to his daughter) in
a taxi in Paris and starts punching his ribs, giving him details of how his
ribs and lungs may not survive another punch unless Peter gives him all the
information he wants. Here’s a DVD I couldn’t help but own. This movie paved
the way to stardom for Liam Neeson and we had many more movies by him, doing
almost the same thing.
Mind you, Taken 2 was just the same—same plot, with him and his wife being taken, and Bryan having to break free, track down the bad guys again, and mess them up. Taken 2 is just a speck in the dark compared to this grand masterpiece.
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