A former spy relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been forced into the slave trade.
Review
When Dave The Boy's initial review of Taken came out it stirred a fair bit of controversy.
His review seemed to be against the trend of most readers who seemed to be universally agreed that he was unjustly harsh to the film and it deserved more.
I was glad of this. It justified the case for readers of the site to submit their own reviews not just read that of mine. It opened up the plate for people to voice their own opinions on film and promote a platform for debate. Dave's view on film is not wrong, it is his view, and his alone, but it does invoke a response. A response that I can now give since having watched the film myself.
Do I agree with Dave's assessment of the film? No. Do I judge the film with the same open mindset and mythology as him? Again, no. I am a father myself and as such have different viewpoints and reactions to the proceedings that take place.
I view Liam Neeson's Bryan Mill's from a different standpoint. I relate more to him and can associate with both his apprehension and fear as a parent. This means that the film will automatically appeal to me and play on my heart strings more than a non-parent. This does not mean that it will appeal to parents only and others will dismiss it, I'm merely stating that different people will take something from a film than others. Its been said before, by people way more smarter and intelligent than me, that you take more into a film than you take out.
So, when Dave talks about the film, as purely a film, he's right, its something you've seen before and there's nothing really original about it. the fight scenes are reminiscent of Bourne and the father/revenge aspect is pure Bronson from Death Wish, but what did impress me is the brutality of Mill's and his relentlessness pursuit of those who took his daughter.
I've wrote this as kind of a comparison piece to Dave's review, to show how different people, with different priorities in life, can view the same film differently. Just because you read a review, be it this site or another, and it's slated don't take that as being the gospel truth and representative of what the film actually is. At the end of the day, you decide whether or not you like it, not reviewers, not magazines or TV, you. Everyone has an opinion about something, its about voicing that opinion and announcing your own thoughts that counts. That's what this blog is about, and what it will continue to be about.
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