I always like films that break the stereotype. Too often in the film industry today there is a mold and all too often that mold is made out of adamantium, you dig? As a viewer, you get the feeling that nothing is ever new because, well, everything is derivative of something that came before it. That makes original work today more resonant. It's working against nearly a century worth of material.
Taken is the story of a retired CIA 'preventer' (i.e he prevents shizant from happening) who's daughter is kidnapped while on vacation. Naturally he gets pissed and using his old-school skills sets out to lay the smack down (I am using way too much slang in this entry....homes). Liam Neeson is great as Bryan Mills. He pulls off some serious Jason Bourne style ass whuppings as if he was a twenty-something. Which is refreshing to see. This movie takes it's time as well, also refreshing. It takes almost fourty minutes before the first action goes down. This time is used as it should: to introduce us to the characters and build their stories. This way we understand Bryan as he takes morally ambiguous means to find his daughter. We may not agree but we get it. If there is a criticism it is the action sequences are sometimes hard to follow. A poor combination of claustrophobic proximity, dark lighting, and quick editing.
Overall, not bad. I enjoyed it. It's a character story more than an action film. What would a father do for his daughter? If you had the means to an end, no matter the consequences of using these tools, would you use them? Big question.
No comments:
Post a Comment