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Derek Malcolm's rating
Neeson is too nice to be Taken the wrong way
By
Derek Malcolm
25 Sep 2008
Liam Neeson, an actor who is incapable of portraying villainy, kills about 50 people in Pierre Morel’s movie about a divorced government agent whose daughter (Maggie Grace) is kidnapped while on her first European trip.
She has told him she’s going to spend her time looking round the museums in Paris. But in fact she intends to follow her favourite pop group across the continent. He is anxious and suspicious and soon has every right to be since her kidnappers are Albanian thugs who sell drugged young girls to rich Arab bidders for God knows what perversions.
Fortunately, he’s an expert at giving nasties the heave-ho and soon blood is spattered all over the place. But, being Neeson, our hero manages to elicit a little sympathy as he slays. Which is more than one can say for his silly daughter, who seems hardly worth the trouble.
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Reader views (4)
This film is beautiful. While the plot is simplistic, formulaic and jingoistic, the ruthless determination and brutality of Neeson's protagonist is perfect. Maggie Grace plays a MacGuffin rather than a character, but to criticize the movie on such grounds is missing the point.
Part of this movie's beauty lies in how much of his soul Bryan gives up searching for his daughter. Committing murder, vicious torture and maiming of the innocent constitute a heavy moral price. Bryan pays it gladly.
- Alex Robertson, Boston, USA, 22/01/2009 06:24
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I haven't seen the movie, but do have an objection to the claim that Neeson is "incapable of portraying villainy." What about Batman Begins? He was a pretty convincing bad guy in that one.
- Dan, Charlotte, USA, 19/01/2009 07:50
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Since 9-11 it seems all bad guys in American movies are foreign. Here the corrupt cops in on the caper are French. The swarthy human traffickers are Albanian and the ultimate bad guys, those who buy human sex slaves are.......you guessed it those horrible Arabs. Our hero of course is a good old fashioned American CIA agent.
It is a shame that this movies plays to and encourages American xenophobia.
The daughter in this movie is a princess and a spoiled brat who is hardly worth saving. Well at least that part is realistic.
- Andy H, Toronto, Canada, 08/11/2008 04:39
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Back from seeing the film and wow, does it not do marvels at releasing some adrenaline if only vicariously! Forget the silly 'details' like one man taking on full gangs of armed Albanians and still winning the fight like a piece of cake. What matters is the enjoyment of the fight, the chase, the reckless killing of all the baddies. But now, should I recommend it to my friends, that's rather more tricky...
- Thalbach, Josephine, London, 13/10/2008 18:58
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