Taken

            This movie, displays a great deal of strength in its set up. The realities of contemporary Europe and some of the biggest problems in the world concerning human trafficking and international forced prostitution are addressed in a very relevant and scary way. The execution of the man on a mission and revenge/justice epic is sad and regrettable as it’s really a poor acting job by Liam Niesen (Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace) in the lead as a former CIA operative who is divorced and attempting to reconnect with his spoiled daughter much to the distress of his ex-wife, played wonderfully dislikeable by Fammke Johannson (X-Men).
 

            When the daughter takes a summer trip to France, she is almost immediately kidnapped along with her friend, by a nasty group of Albanian gangsters who specialize in human trafficking. Niesan flips into action, basically going into killer mode, and taking no prisoners in his pursuit of those who have wronged him and his daughter.

            It plays out very formulaically, a cross between Ransom and Payback (both Mel Gibson movies) with a healthy dose of Man on Fire. This is actually very close to the original Man on Fire which is set in Italy, where Taken is featured in France. So through various circumstances and contacts, he tracks her down and kills everyone, and it’s just so plain, and so not original, and really not much of a bad ass movie, although Niesen can't really do any wrong as a character actor. For all that it alleges to be, I wouldn't watch it again, though I will probably check out the sequel. Definitely a 1.