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Bookmark this pageTaken (2008)
Director: Pierre Morel
Synopsis
Written by ‘Leon’ director Luc Besson and directed by Pierre Morel (‘The Transporter’), ‘Taken’ is a hard-hitting contemporary action drama. Liam Neeson plays Bryan, a retired spy whose daughter, played by Maggie Grace (‘Lost’), is abducted by slave traders on the streets of Paris. Bryan pursues the captors across Europe, using the skills he’s learned in theespionage game to track them down and free the girl. Gritty and brutally violent, ‘Taken’ is a modern, high-octane Euro-thriller in the style of ‘The Bourne Identity’.
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Movie review
From Time Out London
From Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, the producer and writer of ‘The Transporter’, comes another lean, mean action movie. An anxious American father is on the phone to his daughter when she and her friend are abducted from their Paris hotel. Her dream holiday was always his worst nightmare. Now that nightmare is real. He has 96 hours to save his daughter from being sold into prostitution. Pretty much what you’d expect, then, except for one surprise: the father, an ex-government agent with ‘a particular set of skills’, is played by heavyweight Liam Neeson.Neeson’s presence lends dramatic heft to a formulaic action movie that otherwise majors in chase scenes and the brutally efficient use of firepower, martial arts, fire extinguishers and broken bottles. The quest is simple, as are the undeniable pleasures. Director Pierre Morel’s directing style is ruthlessly efficient, but leaves no time to ponder the plot holes or the borderline racist portrayal of vicious Albanian gangsters and sleazy Arab businessmen.
Author: Nigel Floyd
Time Out London Issue 1988, Sept 25 - October 1
User reviews of this film
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- Jon said...
- Posted on Aug 28 2009 22:30 i live in europe you plank lol!
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- Rory said...
- Posted on Aug 28 2009 14:04 This Film Is Fantastic 5 times watchin it And Still Its Just Amazin Must See I Cant find A Better Film Liam Was Well Good In The Movie! Thanks Timeout x
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- mj08 said...
- Posted on Jun 25 2009 21:08 AMAZING MOVIE!
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- jon said...
- Posted on Jun 18 2009 09:13 funny, i read in the papers only three days ago a brothel in holand was busted run by.... oh year. albanians who are the uninformed ones???
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- Anna0984 said...
- Posted on Jun 18 2009 06:17 Ok seriously this movie might be great for ignorants who want some twisted storyline to make them feel better about their miserable lives but in reality this rubbish portrays nothing real. Poor research and very ridiculous scenes trying to portray albanian culture. As Megan Fox has quoted if you get really stoned and watch this garbage it would clearly portray America trying to molest other countries people are not very informed on.
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- phil said...
- Posted on May 21 2009 13:33 AWSOME FILM. after beong told by a freind we rented it, although it wouldnt have been my first choice im really pleased that we rented it. I like it so much i would actually buy it. The action is beleiveable and impressive and the story is realistic also. Good acting and a great story make this a top film, watch it NOW!
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- phil said...
- Posted on May 21 2009 13:33 AWSOME FILM. after beong told by a freind we rented it, although it wouldnt have been my first choice im really pleased that we rented it. I like it so much i would actually buy it. The action is beleiveable and impressive and the story is realistic also. Good acting and a great story make this a top film, watch it NOW!
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- Jamie Smith said...
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Posted on Mar 12 2009 11:44
Racist?
No, no it isn't.
The cut and thrust of American espionage is portrayed in it's darkest (yet slightly over zelous in parts) and goriest fashion. A edge of your seat film guarunteed to thrust you back and forth throughout the duration.
Brilliant film. Another predictably poor review from Timeout. - Report as inappropriate
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- jonathan said...
- Posted on Feb 25 2009 23:05 i agree with the guy bellow. as i said in previouse comment. its stupid, someone thats not white is a bad guy and all hell breaks loose. grow up!
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- jonathan said...
- Posted on Feb 25 2009 23:05 i agree with the guy bellow. as i said in previouse comment. its stupid, someone thats not white is a bad guy and all hell breaks loose. grow up!
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- R.Rubio (phil) said...
- Posted on Feb 24 2009 06:33 Bourne Identity come back, They should make more films like this. Best movie ever, Good story.
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- Jemima Billybob said...
- Posted on Feb 18 2009 15:21 This movie is very good.
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- Kevin said...
- Posted on Feb 16 2009 14:09 Well the wife suggested we get this film. Good choice! thought it was the best action movie I've seen in a while. After watching we had to watch a normal bit of TV, Grey's anatomy Just so we could relax. Definately a must see film.
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- jonathan said...
- Posted on Feb 09 2009 00:10 ha how predictable. as the hero in this film is not morgan freemon and is in fact white then naturally its a racist film. grow up you politically correct morons and get a life, the film was about an arab flesh trafficing ring who steals a mans daughter and pays for it. did anyone cry racism when arnold beat a black man to death in his room because he knew there wherabouts ok his sprog... no... suppose it shows how much times have changed. the film is fab, the action is good, and the acting is good very edge of your seat and ou really feel a fathers rage. after all who wouldnt be that brutal for the safety of there own flesh and blood. its a classic comando, kiss of the dragon which again are two ace films. i suppose me liking jet li (who is chinese) gets me off the racist hook does it???
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- bob lee said...
- Posted on Jan 28 2009 05:36 one of the best action movie of 2008, will go to see it again this friday.
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Cast & crew
Director: Pierre Morel
Cast: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Xander Berkeley
Rated: 15
Duration: 94 mins
UK Release: Sep 26 2008
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