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Taken
Mixed or average reviews
Based on 31 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 197 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Action | Suspense/Thriller
Written by:
Luc Besson
Robert Mark Kamen
Directed by: Pierre Morel
Release Date:
Theatrical: January 30, 2009
DVD: May 12, 2009
Running Time: 94 minutes, Color
Origin: France
Language(s): English | French | Albanian | Arabic
Summary
RATING: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing thematic material, sexual content, some drug references and language
Starring Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace, Katie Cassidy, and Goran Kostic
When his estranged daughter is kidnapped in Paris, a former spy sets out to find her at any cost. Relying on his special skills, he tracks down the ruthless gang that abducted her and launches a one-man war to bring them to justice and rescue his daughter. (20th Century Fox)
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Premiere Patrick Parker
The beginning is a little slow, but after Neeson starts his hunt and does his best wrath-of-God impression, it doesn’t skip a beat.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Josh Rosenblatt
Taken moves so fast and with such single-minded, vindictive energy, there's no time for moral ambivalence.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle
I won't tell you Taken is great, but it's great fun.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Christopher Borrelli
There is no mythology, no irony, no real soul--just a Charles Bronson simplicity about the whole affair.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea
There's a xenophobic element to Taken's premise, to be sure - the idea that travel, even to Western Europe, isn't safe for Americans, and that foreigners (Albanians, Arabs) are by nature shifty and sinister.
Read Full Review >Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez
Taken is nonsense, but it's terrifically entertaining nonsense.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Dan Kois
A satisfying thriller as grimly professional as its efficient hero.
Read Full Review >Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek
The delirious and sometimes nasty little pleasures that Taken offers don't hinge as much on surprise as they do on the action (which is crisp and fast, with a minimum of computer enhancement) and on the story's unabashedly sentimental underpinnings.
Read Full Review >New York Magazine David Edelstein
Taken--in the hands of director Pierre Morel (District B13), with Neeson in nearly every shot--works like gangbusters. The Frenchies have made the filet mignon of meathead vigilante movies.
Read Full Review >Portland Oregonian M. E. Russell
If you find the film's xenophobic undercurrents distasteful, take solace in this: Taken was co-written and directed by the Frenchmen responsible for "District B13," so at least the xenophobia is imported.
Read Full Review >USA Today Claudia Puig
Taken does have a few things going for it. At the top of that short list is Liam Neeson in the starring role.
Read Full Review >Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
Taken shows Mills as a one-man rescue squad, a master of every skill, a laser-eyed, sharpshooting, pursuit-driving, pocket-picking, impersonating, knife-fighting, torturing, karate-fighting killing machine who can cleverly turn over a petrol tank with one pass in his car and strategically ignite it with another.
Read Full Review >ReelViews James Berardinelli
If there are any "24" fans who have wondered what the TV series might be like if Liam Neeson replaced Kiefer Sutherland, Taken provides an opportunity to have that question answered.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Jeremy Wheeler
Not one to overstay its welcome, this suspenseful tale is an economic exercise in delivering the goods for those who are interested in a two-fisted Liam Neeson vehicle to soak up, bask in, and then leave behind as soon as it's over.
Read Full Review >Film Threat Scott Mendelson
In the post-Columbine age, far too many cops' partners have gone un-murdered. And too many unsuspecting daughters have freely traveled abroad, unmolested by foreign fiends. Leave it to the French to give Americans what we didn't realize we were missing.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan
A brisk and violent action programmer that can't help being unintentionally silly at times.
Read Full Review >Variety Derek Elley
Neeson growls his way through the functional dialogue as an unstoppable killing machine in impressive, cold-eyed style.
Read Full Review >LA Weekly Tim Grierson
Neeson's tormented weariness lends an air of dignity to the film's pulpy, grubby nastiness, but as striking as he is in action-hero mode, the truth is that Taken doesn't need dignity.
Read Full Review >The Hollywood Reporter Bernard Besserglik
Might do good business at home and abroad among audiences unconcerned with the finer points of characterization or psychological insight.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias
Taken's subject matter is too serious for an escapist chop-socky movie, and the sleazy, exploitative tone undercuts the thrills.
Read Full Review >The New Yorker Anthony Lane
You do wonder how this commanding actor (Neeson)--who carries so much more conviction than the plot--felt about delivering the line "I'll tear down the Eiffel Tower if I have to."
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Joe Neumaier
Neeson's better than this. You can't watch him here without thinking, Geez, every fight-choreography session could have funded "Love, Actually." This bash-the-door-down action scene likely took as long to film as "Kinsey." That gunfight required more stunts than all of "Schindler's List."
Read Full Review >Time Richard Corliss
The film promises so much more than it delivers that, by the end, I felt like registering a complaint with the Obama Administration's Consumer Protection squad.
Read Full Review >Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow
This film isn't an enjoyable martial-arts extravaganza like "District B-13" or the "Transporter" films.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader Andrea Gronvall
Cowriters Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen (Gladiator) saddle Neeson with indigestible dialogue and preposterous situations.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Manohla Dargis
Taken starts in low gear and almost immediately stalls out.
Read Full Review >New York Post Kyle Smith
A Liam Neeson thriller so lacking in ambition they should have called it "Paycheck."
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 7.7 (out of 10) based on 197 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Garrett S. gave it a10:
For everybody out there reading this, Taken deserves MUCH better than a 50%. While at times, i will admit the story-line is a bit unbelievable, it is definitely not as bad as the movie critics are saying. The action is fast paced and intense, Liam Neeson playing superbly well as the loving father, that if need be, can become a complete bad ass ready to crack some heads. The story is not terrible either. Unbelievable at times? Maybe. But good none the less. I definitely recommend this movie to any Liam Neeson fans, or anyone who likes action movies.
Firstian A gave it a9:
Very good plot, good paced, make me think what will be happen in the next minute. Good combination of action scene and drama. I didn't realize I had been sitting for 94 minutes when the movie is over. See this movie, You will like it.
J S gave it an8:
Taken is kind of a teen slasher flick, mixed with a James Bond spy movie, and a Morgan Freeman suspense thriller. It starts us out being introduced to his family; his loud mouth, unthankful ex-wife and chipper young daughter, both of whom he can never seem to get close to or please. His desire to win their affections causes the former black ops spy to allow his daughter to go alone to Europe where she happens to fall into the trap of an Albanian sex trafficing ring. Its all pretty good at this point, the acting is very good and dialogue; very realistic, if not mundane. But then when he starts investigating her kidnapping, things just get out of control. Some of the action scenes are both very unrealistic, and go on way too long. The main character often aggravates whole armies after himself, stands infront of them guns blaring, and never gets shot. The chase scenes are terribly illogical, every other scene is a jump cut. One particular chase scene is simply an Audi commercial. A whole 5 minutes of watching a new Audi drive, with dramatic camera angels and lighting only otherwise found in a car commercial. The main character starts out as a knight in shining armor, talks about how he hates killing. After awhile the line become blurred; he is vindictive, spiteful, merciless. Harming innocent people. You hardly even realise the point where he turns and starts abusing his abilities. Find yourself rooting for him as he beats people senseless. "Taken" is a bit of wishful thinking in my opinion. What if all those girls who were kidnapped, forced into sex slavery, had fathers that could single handedly dismantle a criminal organization? What if I could show my family I'm really worth something? What if I could put an end to the world's injustice, where the law would have stopped out of selfishness?
Michael M gave it a9:
I must admit stories with little depth don't really attract me, but this story reminds me of the good ole shoot em ups (Story point is of little importance). The destination, or in this case the rescue, is the focal point, but the journey itself is intense and keeps you flinching on your seat. I actually found myself muttering under my breath: "Kill them", "No mercy", "kill the sons of..." etc I'm giving it a 9/10 because the last time I remember muttering all that, was when I saw Charles Bronson in Death Wish 3 mow down all the gang members with his M1919 Browning machine gun out in the street.
Iman M gave it a6:
He is like Max Payne face to face with Mafia just with one pistol in the end his ex-wife said just thank you.
daniel b gave it a10:
This film is superb. The plot is outrageous and occasionally indulges it's self but its just so so so satisfying to watch a retired Jason Bourne go on a truly brutal rampage of heroic revenge. Its Bourne Supremacy + history of violence - the boring aspects of reality. what more could you want!!!
Tony B. gave it a4:
You won't be bored for a minute, but you won't believe a minute of it.
