Taken

It's just an action film, but TAKEN hits me in a very visceral way. At its heart it is everything that would drive a man or woman to kill. It is in essence that fever dream that, at least for me is supposition unless talking about my brother or my parents, drives our belief that we are stronger than our nightmares. It's that thing we wish we were when harm comes to those we love, and an underlying actual dream of who I wish I could be if such an event occurred. Above par I say, but then again I could be drunk again, wishing I was something that I am not. So hurray for Liam Neeson's character, who for a moment, went from political pawn to Super Hero; from failed Father to doomed protector. Yeah, I dreamed I was him once, and had no justifiable reason to believe so.

What’s nice about the plot points that don’t pay off is that the Father has only one thing on his mind. He is getting his daughter back, at any cost. So, when we are introduced to characters whose story lines abruptly end, the ones that survive meeting him, it’s fine. He has no further use for them so why should we. Everyone is a pawn to him, to be moved or adjusted in any way necessary to win the game. There is also something nice about choosing Liam Neeson for this role. He isn’t a well known action star and he’s actually older than who you think might be cast in this part. It uses pretty basic plot tropes to set-up the story, which opens quickly, and there are some people that believe it’s anti French. Of course two French men made it, but that never stops the naysayers. The truth is it is anti sex slave trading, and anti kidnap, and anti “the world really is a safe place,” but it could have taken place almost anywhere, and sad to say, even in the US.
So, I say go and see it, or wait for it on DVD. You’ll have a good time. Why must all heroes be bound to a morality more complex than their own.

Yes, I used a semi-colon.

G.

p.s. No, I still haven’t seen DEATH SENTENCE yet, but I’ve seen STRAW DOGS many times.