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I’m not sure if “Taken” wanted to be a serious thriller
or an action film. There are moments where the stunts are
so overplayed that it seems intent on having at least some
fun. Part of this stems from co-writer Luc Besson, whose
name is attached to such outrageous, tongue-in-cheek films
as the “Transporter” trilogy and “The Fifth Element.” ***
There are other moments, however, when the story relies
solely on heavy drama; it’s about a retiring CIA agent from
Los Angeles named Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson), who goes to
extreme measures to rescue his teenage daughter after she
was kidnapped in France. We eventually learn that her captors
are part of an underground network of human traffickers,
specifically in the sex trade. This material hardly seems
appropriate for a film that includes improbable car chases
and ridiculously elaborate hand-to-hand combat scenes, the
kind you would see in a mindless summer blockbuster. ***
First, a little background info: After years of seeing
action all over the world, Mills is ready to turn in his
CIA badge to spend more time with his daughter, seventeen-year-old
Kim (Maggie Grace). She now lives in a sprawling mansion
with Mills’ ex-wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen), and her new
husband, who seems to be spoiling Kim. Then again, maybe
she was spoiled before she met her mother’s rich man; at
the start, the only time we ever see her say, “I love you,”
to Mills is when he gives her something or lets her have
her way. ***
This may or may not have something to do with the reason
he and Lenore got divorced in the first place, which is
that he spent more time at work than he did at home. Be
that as it may, Kim dreams of being a singer, so when Mills
is given the opportunity to guard a pop superstar during
one of her concerts, he asks if she has any advice for Kim.
***
Now a little about Mills: Experience has made him a
little paranoid, which is why he isn’t thrilled at the idea
of Kim taking a trip to Europe with her bouncy girlfriend,
Amanda (Katie Cassidy). He comes around, but only on the
condition that she follow a strict set of guidelines, such
as calling as soon as she gets off the plane. She ignores
her father, of course, even managing to meet a friendly
but unknown French boy, who just happens to speak English.
Ultimately, Mills is the one who has to get in touch with
Kim. ***
Unfortunately, it happens just as strange men break
into the penthouse suite Kim and her girlfriend are staying
in. Both girls are taken away screaming. Mills then has
a brief word with the man at the other end of the line:
“If you let my daughter go now,” he says calmly, “that’ll
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.” ***
After he gets an ominous, “Good luck,” as a reply,
he learns that the kidnapper is part of a deplorable ring
that kidnaps young foreign girls, gets them addicted to
drugs, and then forces them into prostitution. Those that
are virgins are auctioned off to Arab sheiks. Mills then
learns that he has no longer than ninety-six hours to rescue
his daughter. ***
Believe me when I say that this movie is a lot less
appealing than I’m making it sound. It would be too strong
to say that I disliked this movie, but the fact that it
couldn’t decide what it wanted to be really made things
difficult to accept at face value. There are some convincing
moments of drama, as when Mills, now in Europe, uses his
skills to penetrate a makeshift brothel at a construction
site. ***
And yes, there are also some convincing moments of
action, as when Mills sneaks onto a boat owned by a wealthy
Arab man. The problem is that neither scene belongs in the
same movie; certain scenes feel so different in tone, structure,
and pacing that they seem to have come from different screenplays.
There are moments when engaging material shows signs of
poking through, but they’re always pushed back down again,
usually as a result of an entertaining but ill-fitting action
scene. ***
And then there are the little details that push the
limits of suspension of disbelief. There’s a moment, for
example, when Mills rescues an enslaved girl and begins
treating her with an IV drip. I admit that I know zilch
about how CIA agents work, but doesn’t it seem really convenient
that he remembered to take along a first aid kit, and that
it included a medication that can combat the side effects
of the other drugs in the girl’s system? I might have overlooked
this had this girl been more than just a means of information;
the instant she tells Mills everything she can tell him,
we never see her again.
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