Taken

Watched Taken with Edwin at The Cathay earlier. The review and synopsis are as follows.

Bryan (Liam Neeson), a former secret agent living in the US, reluctantly lets his 17-year-old daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) go on holiday to Paris with a friend. Upon arrival in Paris, the two girls meet a seemingly nice young man who turns out to be a member of an Albanian crime syndicate, promptly kidnapping and forcing them into prostitution. Bryan must rely on his old skills in order to rescue his daughter from the slave trade.

Taken is a straightforward, wham-jam and humorless action thriller that boosts quite a strong performance from Liam Neeson as the over-controlling father who overcomes insurmountable odds to defeat his opponents. Sounds incredible? Yes, it is definitely unbelievable but the quick action tries to compensate for the incredulity.

The action and numerous pursuits keep the adrenaline pumping but it is ultimately a shallow exercise in moviemaking. What is lacking is the emotional core which derives from the rapport audiences build with the characters. However, this movie is rather compelling and exciting and there is one lesson to be learnt; attractive young females should not let their guards down in foreign countries.

***