Taken (2008)

For those of you waiting for the next installment in the Bourne series might I suggest fulfilling your hunger for outstanding action thrillers with Taken, a film that not only matches the style and feel of the Bourne series but in some aspects tops it.

Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) is a retired spy looking to recapture what his career took away from him, his daughter. But such a feat seems near impossible when you have a bitter ex-wife whose now married to a multi-millionaire who fights you at every turn, and a daughter who lies to you to get whatever she wants. But Bryan understands he's created his own problems, now he only hopes he can find a way to mend them. When his daughter comes to him for signed permission to go to Paris with a friend Bryan reluctantly agrees after realizing saying no will only give both his ex-wife and daughter further reason to hate him, but it's a decision they will all soon regret.

Sticking out like sore thumbs Kim (Maggie Grace) and her ditsy friend immediately strike up a conservation with an attractive French guy and quickly spill the beans that they're in Paris alone. To no ones surprise but their own they're soon kidnapped by a group of Albanians who have set up a nice female trade market in the streets of Paris luring young traveling girls into their clutches. It's a business Bryan quickly discovers is being facilitated by a corrupt police system. So the only chance Bryan has of ever seeing his daughter again is to go to Paris and find her himself, and he will stop at nothing to do so.

For those of you looking for a great action film, Taken is among the best I've ever seen. With nary a slow moment after Bryan's daughter is kidnapped Taken roles straight through with speed, grit and style. This is not your typical action film, there are no fancy martial arts that take five minutes to incapacitate a villain, Neeson takes enemies down with pure force and rage, making the film that more realistic and gritty. The story is well written and the acting is suburb to the point your genuinely begin to feel as enraged as the lead character and are with him every step of the way rooting for him to enact his vengeance. I hardly can remember the last time I truly got sucked into an action film, Taken just hits a chord I believe we can all relate to and really does a fine job executing it in a small amount of time. Overall, Taken proves middle age actors can still make kick butt action films, I never thought of Neeson as much of an action star but he proves himself here, and I never thought I'd see another action film as good if not better than the Bourne franchise.

9/10