Gripping Thriller With James Bond Flair
"Taken" combines elements of the James Bond films with the tale of a father's attempt to build a relationship with a daughter for whom he was never there in her younger years.  It is a fast-paced, exciting action thriller made with style and polish.  If analyzed too closely, its preposterous and coincidental events would strain any reasonable credibility.  But never mind.  "Taken" is a neat, roller-coaster ride of a flick.<br /><br /> Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) has retired from his CIA job and relocated in order to be closer to his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), who lives a life of wealth and privilege with her mother (Famke Janssen) and stepfather (Xander Berkeley).  Bryan reluctantly gives his consent for Kim to spend the summer in Paris, on condition she call him every day.<br /><br />At the Paris airport, Kim falls under the charms of a handsome young Frenchman who is actually part of a ring designed to kidnap young, foreign women for sale to Arab sheiks.  Kim is conveniently on the phone with Bryan when the kidnappers arrive.  Bryan immediately contacts his former friends in the CIA to piece together evidence he has culled from the brief phone call, which he had the foresight to record.<br /><br />The balance of the movie follows Bryan as he attempts to track down Kim in Paris.  During his quest, we see that this quiet, soft-spoken man has an entirely different side; he is a highly trained field agent who knows his way around self-defense, weapons, bribery, interrogation, torture, and forgery.  Working mostly alone, he takes on a bevy of bad guys and scurrilous types as he follows the trail to his daughter, dispensing with a good deal of civility along the way.<br /><br />"Taken" is not a great film, but the kind that draws you in and holds tight for ninety minutes.  Director Pierre Morel has staged some exciting set pieces, a nifty car chase, and explosions, and tossed in a collection of surly thugs and rich, well-dressed villains to spice things up.  We root for Bryan because his use of violence is directed only against those who deserve it.  He is ruthless and doesn't subscribe to the unwritten cinema rule that the good guy must be fair, upright, law-abiding, and moral at every turn no matter how difficult the going gets.  Bryan has no compunctions against knocking off anyone who might have had any part in his daughter's abduction.<br /><br />Neeson is an interesting choice for an action hero.  He looks more like a college professor, and that's the point.  When he springs into action, it is unexpected and his proficiency is startling.  He refers to his former occupation with the government as a "preventer," but it soon becomes clear that his job involved more than polite roundtable diplomacy.  Like Jason Bourne, Bryan thinks in nanoseconds, sizing up his immediate surroundings, assessing the degree of danger he's up against, and determining his offense or defense.  We, the viewers, are often surprised by his swift, efficient moves.<br /><br />Michel Abramowicz's photography enhances the film's action sequences and Frederic Thoraval's editing makes scenes shot piece by piece look seamless.  This is especially evident in fight scenes, which are abundant.<br /><br />It's surprising that "Taken" is rated PG-13.  Its violence, sexual content, plot references to drug use, and strong language would seem to justify an R, but strange are the ways of the MPAA.
The movie title "Taken (Two-Disc Extended Edition)," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.7 from 16235 reviewers. 
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This title falls under the categories of Movies & TV, Studio Specials, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Action and General. 
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 {"Format": "Multiple Formats, AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen", "Contributor": "Marc Amyot, Jon Gries, Olivier Rabourdin, Liam Neeson, David Warshofsky, Xander Berkeley, Gerard Watkins, Rasha Bukvic, Katie Cassidy, Holly Valance, Arben Bajraktaraj, Mathieu Busson, Leland Orser, Pierre Morel, Maggie Grace, Famke JanssenMarc Amyot, Jon Gries, Olivier Rabourdin, Liam Neeson, David Warshofsky, Xander Berkeley, Gerard Watkins, Rasha Bukvic, Katie Cassidy, Holly Valance, Arben Bajraktaraj, Mathieu Busson, Leland Orser, Pierre Morel, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen   See more", "Language": "English", "Runtime": "1 hour and 31 minutes", "Aspect Ratio": "2.40:1", "MPAA rating": "PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)", "Product Dimensions": "5.35 x 0.57 x 7.45 inches; 4 Ounces", "Director": "Pierre Morel", "Media Format": "Multiple Formats, AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen", "Run time": "1 hour and 31 minutes", "Release date": "May 12, 2009", "Actors": "Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Leland Orser, Jon Gries, David Warshofsky", "Dubbed": "French, Spanish", "Subtitles": "English, French, Spanish", "Studio": "Twentieth Century Fox", "Number of discs": "2"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : I don't know you who you are. I don't know what you want. If you're looking for a ransom, I can tell you, I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills acquired over a very long career in the shadows, skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that will be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you. And I will kill you."With these chilling words to a member of a band of kidnappers, former government operative Bryan Mills begins the longest 96-hours of his life - and the hunt for the fearsome organization that has taken his daughter Kim.Mills had only recently given up his government career as what he calls, a "preventer" - "I prevented bad things from happenings," he says - to be near Kim, who lives with Bryan's ex-wife Lenore and her new husband. To make ends meet, Bryan joins some former colleagues for special security details (like guarding a pop diva), but most of his time and energy are spent re-connecting with Kim.Bryan's familial goal is nearly derailed when Kim requests his permission to spend time in Paris with a friend. All too aware of the dangers that could lie ahead for Kim in a foreign land, Bryan says no, but Kim's disappointment leads him to very reluctantly relent.Bryan's worst fears are realized when Kim and her friend Amanda are suddenly abducted - in broad daylight - from the Paris apartment at which they've just arrived. Moments before Kim is dragged away by the as yet unseen and unknown assailants, she manages to phone Bryan, who begins to expertly piece together clues that will take him to the darkness of Paris's underworld, and to the City of Light's plushest mansions. He will face nightmares worse than anything he experienced in black ops - and let nothing and no one stop him from saving his daughter..