- Actors: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Xander Berkeley, Katie Cassidy
- Directors: Pierre Morel
- Producers: Didier Hoarau, Franck Lebreton, Luc Besson, Michael Mandaville
- Format: Anamorphic, PAL
- Subtitles: English
- Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: 18
- Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (286 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B004RCHZUA
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 90,265 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Reviews
Liam Neeson is an unstoppable force in this adrenaline-fuelled thriller from director Pierre Morel. Bryan (Neeson) has taken early retirement from the CIA in order to live closer to his teenage daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace). Bryan's government work kept him away from Kim for much of her childhood, and he's now trying to make up for lost time. When Kim announces that she's taking a trip to Paris with her friend Amanda (Katie Cassidy), Bryan is apprehensive about her travelling on her own. His worst fear is soon realized, as Kim and Amanda are abducted upon their arrival in France. Bryan immediately springs into action, using his well-honed CIA skills to piece together clues from a single, frantic phone call he received from Kim. He hops a plane to Paris, determined to rescue his daughter before she falls off the grid completely. With some help from his old CIA buddies, he tracks down the kidnappers--an Albanian crime ring known for selling young girls into the sex trade. He quickly takes matters into his own hands, plowing his way through Paris's underworld as the clock ticks down and the bullets fly. His search propels him into the upper echelons of a massive crime ring, putting him closer and closer to his beloved daughter.
Neeson is known for tackling extremely cerebral roles, so it is interesting to see him in full-on action-hero mode. In TAKEN he is no less than a crime-fighting machine--a Bourne/Bond hybrid with a deathly serious baritone. And while he spends most of the film firing Uzis and snapping necks, he still manages to deliver a moving performance as an estranged father fighting for what he loves most in the world. The film undeniably owes a lot to Neeson's acting chops. He manages to raise this rather thinly plotted, deeply violent film a bar above your typical action fare.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
On paper, Liam Neeson would appear to be an unusual choice to play the heatseeking missile of a man locked onto rescuing his daughter from sex trafficking Albanian hoodlums in Paris. He soon dispels any doubts with a masterful display of pent up vengeance and calmly brutal expertise with cars, guns, knives and fists. Once the kidnap has taken place it's non-stop action as he uses his CIA field skills to track down the baddies and start terminating them with extreme prejudice. Whilst the villains are crudely drawn, the violence is never cartoonish, being from the Bourne school of realism. Okay, it's not the most densely plotted or sophisticated of films, but the pace is relentless and Neeson dominates the screen without ever trying too hard. Highly recommended.
78 of 89 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
There are two sides to this movie - the serious one and the fun one.
The serious is that it tells a story based on things that really happen (the women's fate in this movie). My wife just watching these scenes was so horrified and pissed off in the same time that I haven't seen her like that. The bad characters are 100% bad and you feel great when they are taken care of by the enraged father.
The fun part is that the story is very fluent (not believable but you wish you were this guy with his set of skills to do the job that he is doing).
Another idea of Luc Besson - and a brilliant one.
Liam Neeson - I was disappointed when I saw his name in the leading role. But when I saw him in action...he is 100% convincing and excellent in this role.
Looking for a good action movie that will keep you glued to the screen for 1.5h?! - This is your 100% guaranteed pick.
The serious is that it tells a story based on things that really happen (the women's fate in this movie). My wife just watching these scenes was so horrified and pissed off in the same time that I haven't seen her like that. The bad characters are 100% bad and you feel great when they are taken care of by the enraged father.
The fun part is that the story is very fluent (not believable but you wish you were this guy with his set of skills to do the job that he is doing).
Another idea of Luc Besson - and a brilliant one.
Liam Neeson - I was disappointed when I saw his name in the leading role. But when I saw him in action...he is 100% convincing and excellent in this role.
Looking for a good action movie that will keep you glued to the screen for 1.5h?! - This is your 100% guaranteed pick.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Most people love it and a few hate it and both sides have valid reasons. Viewed purely as an action movie it does what it says on the tin! If you want to start analysing it as if it was an art house film then, of course, you can find fault because clichés do abound. First off there's the air-headed 17 year old daughter, Kim, doted on by the ex-CIA specialist killing machine played efficiently by Neeson, who's been cast aside by the blinkered, indulgent mother, played by Janssen, for the safer and much richer second husband, Xander Berkeley. Next, Kim decides she wants to do the groupie thing with her equally air-headed mate and troll around Europe after a rock group. Naturally, doting father, who knows the ways of the world, fiercely objects but dumb mum sees no problem with this - after all, you're only young once!
The girls reach Paris safely, the first stop on their tour, but fall foul of the most horrible of scams. Enter the East European nasties! This is the bit, of course, that plays in to the most profound of our prejudices about the yellow peril, going back to such pernicious heavies as Dracula himself; the peril from the east! This time, though, it's not Transylvania getting the bad press but the Albanian mafia, trafficking young white women for prostitution, and Kim and her mate fit the bill nicely. Dad duly brushes the dust from his skill set and proceeds to track down the kidnappers killing, with apparent impunity, anything and everything in his way.
So what's the problem? The action is handled brilliantly and, whilst the inevitable fight scenes do stretch the boundaries of probability, the baddies well and truly get their just deserts. Just think about this: if your daughter was snatched and sold into slavery to be the sex toy for some rich sheik and you were a CIA trained killing machine with powerful financial resources available to you would you let anything stand in your way to rescue her? Of course not! So the premise is fine: the baddies have to come from somewhere so why not let Albania have its turn; there have been plenty of nasty Brits - think, Die hard? And as for the many improbabilities - it's fiction for crying out loud: albeit fiction, which has, unfortunately, echoes of the sometimes, very, very unpleasant real world. Perhaps some people need reminding of this.
The girls reach Paris safely, the first stop on their tour, but fall foul of the most horrible of scams. Enter the East European nasties! This is the bit, of course, that plays in to the most profound of our prejudices about the yellow peril, going back to such pernicious heavies as Dracula himself; the peril from the east! This time, though, it's not Transylvania getting the bad press but the Albanian mafia, trafficking young white women for prostitution, and Kim and her mate fit the bill nicely. Dad duly brushes the dust from his skill set and proceeds to track down the kidnappers killing, with apparent impunity, anything and everything in his way.
So what's the problem? The action is handled brilliantly and, whilst the inevitable fight scenes do stretch the boundaries of probability, the baddies well and truly get their just deserts. Just think about this: if your daughter was snatched and sold into slavery to be the sex toy for some rich sheik and you were a CIA trained killing machine with powerful financial resources available to you would you let anything stand in your way to rescue her? Of course not! So the premise is fine: the baddies have to come from somewhere so why not let Albania have its turn; there have been plenty of nasty Brits - think, Die hard? And as for the many improbabilities - it's fiction for crying out loud: albeit fiction, which has, unfortunately, echoes of the sometimes, very, very unpleasant real world. Perhaps some people need reminding of this.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
cynical rubbish
All foreigners are corrupt / bestial predators . Young women travelling abroad alone are just asking to be kidnapped , drugged , raped , & murdered ( no doubt this is why the '... Read more
Published 6 days ago by quoggenzocker
Better than some of the Bond films
One of the paciest, most violent and exciting thrillers you're ever likely to see, Liam Neeson is an estranged father obsessively driven to rescue his daughter from the evil... Read more
Published 14 days ago by christopher grant
"..TOP THRILLER.."
taken is the best movie of its kind ever made, a first class action thriller that is fantastic from start to finish, Liam Neeson gives his best performance ever, no one has made... Read more
Published 1 month ago by S. Drury
Lame
Lame is a good work for Taken. This is a bizarre film full of violent acts without consequences. Like if you shoot someone they will just fall over (or do a stunt). Read more
Published 1 month ago by C. Pendlebury
great movies
this movie is great. from the begining to the end. action packed and has you glued to the screen. would recommend this movie.
Published 1 month ago by D. matthews
exciting thriller
A great thriller, a brilliant one for Liam Neeson fans. A little violent but not uneccessarily so. I think you would all like a father like this one.
Published 1 month ago by devarro
Brilliant
One of the best films in years in my opinion.
Liam Neeson plays the main character; a man enraged by the love he has for his daughter and the determination to find her... Read more
Liam Neeson plays the main character; a man enraged by the love he has for his daughter and the determination to find her... Read more
Published 1 month ago by A Customer
TAKEN
THIS IS A REALLY GOOD TENSE FILM. IT HAS PLENTY OF MARTIAL ARTS IN IT WHICH ADDS TO THE TENSION. SUPERB ACTION FROM LIAM NEESON. NIC YACHTS TOO LOL. A GOOD NIGHT IN MOVIE ****
Published 2 months ago by yomama
Your arrogance offends me.
Have to say I'm personally surprised at the real high rating here for this one, having read mainly positive reviews, and noting some trust worthy comments from on line friends, I... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Spike Owen
Fantastic Movie
Having bought this dvd i must say its fantastic i watch it all the time, worth watching if your into hard action tho, pritty shocked when i first watched this MOVIE,, BEST MOVIE... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Kim Young
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