Liam Neeson as a dad turned action hero
If "Gran Torino" proves there is a market for politically incorrect action heroes, that bodes well for "Taken." This nasty little revenge flick stars Liam Neeson as a retired CIA man whose legendary butt-kicking skills are deployed when Albanian mobsters, working in Paris, kidnap his vacationing daughter and sell her into prostitution.
If "Gran Torino" proves there is a market for politically incorrect action heroes, that bodes well for "Taken."
This nasty little revenge flick stars Liam Neeson as a retired CIA man whose legendary butt-kicking skills are deployed when Albanian mobsters, working in Paris, kidnap his vacationing daughter and sell her into prostitution.
"Taken" is directed by Pierre Morel, who a few years ago made the cult favorite "District B13," a movie that won praise for its spectacular action and for its denunciation of the way official Paris treated immigrant populations.
"Taken" is not so sympathetic to swarthy foreigners - Neeson's character kills a couple of dozen Albanians before getting to the culprits who captured his daughter, only to find they've sold her to an auction house where high prices are paid for California virgins (no snide jokes, please). The auction house is frequented by wealthy Arabs, who pay half a million for "fresh meat."
Morel indulges his talent for action - the movie is lean, coherent and violent in an old-school, stunt-man kind of way. Fans of "District B13" should know, though, that Morel is not going for eye-popping acrobatics here. He builds the visual flow around Neeson's stoic persona, economy of movement and ruthlessly single-minded dedication to the task at hand.
This dedication, it should be noted, does not spare innocent bystanders. "Taken" is not interested in putting Neeson's ex-CIA rogue in a heroic light - while brutally interrogating one Albanian, he casually remarks that the U.S. sacrificed quality control when it started outsourcing torture.
He's a little bit Jack Bauer, a little bit Denzel Washington in "Man on Fire," probably a little bit nuts.
Not for all tastes, certainly, but there's enough here to keep the hard-core action fan warm on a cold winter day. *
Produced by Luc Besson, Pierre-ange le Pogam, India Osborne, directed by Pierre Morel, written by Robert Mark Kamen, Luc Besson, music by Nathaniel Mechaly, distributed by 20th Century Fox.