Taken (2008)

Taken is probably the best spy thriller I've ever seen. I was so impressed with it that I'm immediately writing a post after I watched it. I'm really overwhelmed with what I want to talk about, so I'll just give a quick synopsis first. Liam Neeson plays Bryan Mills. He's a retired CIA operative, but more importantly he's a father. Being a spy has taken a toll on Bryan's family life. Years of being only a ghost to his family has led his wife(Famke Jannsen) to divorce him and remarry. He realizes his ex-wife has moved on, and he now only truly cares about his daughter Kim(Maggie Grace). He has given up the dangerous life of being a spook, and moved to LA to be close to his daughter. He may keep close contact with his old CIA buddies, but his first priority is his daughter. It is understandable then when he is overprotective and skeptical when Kim wants to go France for the summer with her friend. While his knowledge of the true nature of the world initially keeps him from letting her go, his need for her approval eventually wins out.

Bryan almost immediately regrets his decision. While talking with his daughter on the phone, Bryan hears Kim and her friend get kidnapped by human sex trafficers. This sets his off quest to get back his daughter through any means necessary. He systematically follows each clue to the next criminal in the chain, all while avoiding the French government who want nothing more than for him to stop causing trouble in their country. While the plot maybe not have any twists or turns, the whole concept is gripping and personal enough to keep things interesting.

While the marketing for the US release of this movie is still months off, I predict now that it will not do the movie justice. It has just as intense, gripping, and realistic as the Bourne films. The fighting scenes are just as intense. The driving is just as fast paced. If you were just to see out-of-context clips of the action scenes, it'd be easy to think this was a fourth Bourne movie. Anyone looking for that same kind of action will not be disappointed here. This is no surprise really, coming from the director of District 13(which will definitely warrant a post in the future). Bryan quickly, efficiently, and brutally takes out all his foes. That is not to say that all he does is go around punching people and breaking their arms. This movie has all the awesome social engineering you'd expect a real spy would do. It actually reminded me of some of the things Michael Westen(Jeffrey Donovan) does in Burn Notice. His interactions not only with his allies, but also with his enemies, are completely convincing.

While I may have compared Bryan to Jason Bourne, he is anything but. In my opinion, Bourne was portrayed as this super-agent, and not really as human. Sure you sympathized with his memory loss, but you really just wanted to see him beat the shit out of people. In Taken, you actually believe Bryan is a real person. You really understand he is a father willing to do anything to find his daughter. It's a more real experience, and I believe it's a more interesting plot. Not only do you get to see that awesome violence, you get amazing context. And what awesome violence it is. While Jason Bourne or Michael Westen may have qualms about killing, there is no hesitation here. Bryan leaves a trail of bodies and mayhem that actually left me speechless in some parts. As Brian gets ever closer to finding his daughter, you are glad that he is doing such horrible things to such horrible people.

If you're looking for something to watch since the Bourne franchise is over, watch Taken. If you didn't like the Bourne franchise for being mindless action, watch Taken. If you want to see Liam Neeson in perhaps the best performance of his life, watch Taken. Watch Taken.