Taken is a fast-paced, high-octane action movie that ... doesn't take very many detours into soul-searching melancholy.
CommentAug 30, 2009
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Taken (2008)
57
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:159
Fresh:91
Rotten:68
Average Rating:5.7/10
Consensus: Taken is undeniably fun with slick action, but is largely a brainless exercise.
Theatrical Release: Jan 30, 2009 Wide
Box Office: $144.9M
Synopsis: A former spy (Neeson) relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter (Grace), who has been forced into the slave trade. [More]
Starring: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Leland Orser
Director: Pierre Morel
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REVIEWS FOR TAKEN
I liked it, but don't expect the unexpected in this French action thriller -- especially in an ending that is about as predictable as a Pine Sol commercial.
Jun 10, 2009
It's got all the attributes of a guilty pleasure - excitement, some undeniably enjoyable scenes and the absence of what it needs to be more memorable and more substantial.
Jun 1, 2009
This heart-stopping revenge flick written by Luc Besson is easily Liam Neeson's most memorable performance since his Oscar-nominated outing in Schindler's List.
May 12, 2009
The action is engaging but rarely exciting; the drama heftier but still far from convincing.
May 11, 2009
In a lesser actor's hands, the powerful impact of the subject matter would not have been so ably delivered.
Apr 2, 2009
The script is more hard-hitting and realistic than [Besson's] Transporter films, which means youll only laugh out loud two or three times.
Mar 23, 2009
Taken is the best action thriller of 2009 thus far.
Mar 22, 2009
This briskly paced movie delivers a full payload of action and leaves you mentally exhausted. You immediately recall the famous line from "The Wizard of Oz" that "There is no place like home."
Mar 20, 2009
A morally specious but undeniably efficient brainstem-tickler -- the most effective action/revenge thriller in years.
Mar 6, 2009
Neeson delivers a typically compelling performance in (for him) an atypically muscle-bound role.
Mar 3, 2009
Fortunately, somewhat-sloppy storytelling never gets in the way of this briskly paced action adventure.
Mar 1, 2009
A bizarre mix of sentimentality and bone-cracking violence, this Hardcore/Not Without My Daughter hybrid pits a determined father against the thuggish Albanian sex traffickers who kidnapped daddy's little girl as she vacationed in Paris.<
Mar 1, 2009
This is a Neeson driven story and he doesn't disappoint for anyone who likes him or a good adventure/thriller.
Feb 27, 2009
Was Liam Neeson looking for a script with lousier dialogue than "The Phantom Menace"?
Feb 21, 2009
Neeson is a major reason Taken, a riveting, revenge thriller gets praiseworthy marks.
Feb 19, 2009
This is not a movie about moral dilemmas-it's about a father who will rip out your eyeballs if you don't give him his daughter back.
Feb 19, 2009
Single-minded and suitably rough around the edges.
Feb 17, 2009
Taken feels like an '80s action movie ... albeit a good one with a hero who fights with the ferocity of a dozen men.
Feb 16, 2009
Though plagued with the dumbest villains ever to grace the screen, Neeson shines...
Feb 15, 2009
LATEST NEWS FOR TAKEN
May 11, 2009:
RT on DVD: Taken Exclusive; Underworld 3, Trek Blu-ray Set!
This week on DVD, Liam Neeson (you know, the veteran Irish actor who your grandmother thinks looks nice) opens a can of whoop ass on unsuspecting kidnappers, much to our delight (Taken), while Michael...
More...
March 12, 2009:
Kamen, Besson Ready to Get Taken Again
After years spent in Hollywood's creative wilderness, "Taken" screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen is right where he wants to be: partnered with Luc Besson, responsible for a string of action hits, and...
More...
March 8, 2009:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Watchmen Scores $55.7 Million Opening
The adult-themed superhero film Watchmen seized control of the North American box office posting the biggest debut of the year with an estimated $55.7M in ticket sales over the Friday-to-Sunday...
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February 1, 2009:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Taken Seizes #1 Spot with Vengeful Launch
From Pittsburgh to Arizona and everywhere in between, moviegoers were in the mood for revenge as the Liam Neeson action thriller Taken shot past expectations debuting at number one over Super Bowl...
More...
January 29, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Taken Is A Near Miss
This week at the movies, we've got a kidnapping plot (Taken, starring Liam Neeson and Famke Janssen); haunted teens (The Uninvited, starring Emily Browning and Elizabeth Banks); and cold comfort (New...
More...
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| 67% | Shutter Island |
| 28% | Dear John |
| 51% | Alice in Wonderland |
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