Taken
Taken
A retired CIA agent travels across Europe and relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been kidnapped while on a trip to Paris.
M08Y reviewedOctober 9, 2025
Slick, Punchy and Brutal - Taken is one of the better action films out there, and among the top of those in the 00's.
Taken really is one of those simple action films that just works. It doesn't get bogged down by too much character work or world building. It knows exactly what it is and does not disappoint.
The standout element for me is the pacing, this 90 minute murder-fest doesn't waste a second, each scene bleeds so naturally into the next but knows when to slow down to give your brain (and your eyes) a break.
As much as I've gushed over the film thus far, it's not perfect. The fight scenes are a bit choppy (I imagine due to Neeson not being the worlds best brawler) and the violence seems a little tame at times, That guy got shot in the head, I would like to see some blood please. You have an 18 rating, you might as well use it.
Choppy, bloodless fights aside, Taken looks and sounds the part, Liam Neeson's famous phone call will forever be in my ears.