Taken Starring Liam Neeson Maggie Grace 2009 Movie Review by Peter Tosto

Taken Starring Liam Neeson Maggie Grace and Famke Janssen deliver a fast action paced thriller written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen and Directed by Pierre Morel. Besson known for his action films the Transporter trilogy and The Professional aka Leon delivers again with Taken.

Taken opens today January 30. Taken delivers viewers with a direct story line and a wonderful performance by Liam Neeson.

Luc Besson the writer of Leon aka The Professional brings the same look and feel to Taken. Liam Nesson who plays Bryan Mills a retired U.S. Government worker specializing in preventing bad things from happening, takes on an Albanian organized crime group in Paris France after his daughter Kim played by Maggie Grace is kidnapped.

Besson delivers with a clear script that allows the actors to provide a storyline that makes this film more than enjoyable to watch from beginning to end. The film comes in at a little over 90 minutes and covers a lot of ground in enjoyable adrenaline like fashion.

Neeson like the character in The Professional played by Jean Reno is a one man wrecking crew. His talents include torture, killing, driving, and being a caring loving man to his daughter. Like Leon aka The Professional Besson provides us with good and evil. Sometimes what we think may be good turns out to be corrupt. Gary Oldman who played Stansfield was the corrupt police officer in The Professional while Besson provides us with a similar character in Taken with the exception of he appears to be somewhat sane unlike Stan field.

Taken is for the action junkie along with the filmgoer that wants a good storyline with action. Taken delivers with a good script along with a performance from Liam Neeson that is so convincing at 56 that he could be the only man who could take down Jack Bauer.

Taken 3 out of 4 stars, this one is a keeper for year to come.

We can only wish The Jason Bourne series if it continues will appraoch Besson to write its next script so it flows with the same throughline that Taken does.