Liam Neeson is a fine actor and in the new release - TAKEN - he doesn't disappoint.
In the super-charged testosterone-packed thriller, Mr. Neeson rises above what is - for the most part an implausible piece of cliched fluff - and turns in a riveting performance that is worth catching.
Plot lines about foreign mobsters (in this instance, from Albania) trafficking in drugs and the "slave trade" (prostitution) have been amply mined in the past by a posse of filmmakers, some capable - others not.
Here, the high-budget pot-boiler amounts to the "same old same old" in that regard, basically speaking.
But, a few interesting twists have been woven in, and strike gold, making for a solid two hours or so of high voltage suspense.
Indeed, by the time Neeson has completed his mission, the body count stands at about thirty, half of Paris appears to have been demolished, and the adrenalin-rush has just about taxed everyone in the captivated audience.
When Neeson's daughter travels overseas with a friend to the romantic City Of Lights, the innocent two-some are kidnapped and offered up to the highest bidder by a nefarious call-girl ring of International proportions.
Uh-huh, preposterous!
Fortunately, Neeson's character was a former Government "employee".
"I was a preventer," he explains to his naive 19-year old daughter in the opening scenes of the celluloid offering just released around the country by studio biggie, 20th Century Fox.
Once his daughter has been snatched, he draws on his espionage - and me-thinks - anti-terrorist skills to track the thugs down, rescue his precious, and exact a little cowboy justice.
If you're into cars squealing rubber and careening around hair-spin turns, awesome multi-vehicle crash-ups, heart-pounding chases, and keen on rooting for professional killers engaged in no-holds-barred body combat, then this gem is for you.
Although there is a bit of picturesque scenery tossed in for good measure - chances are - filmgoers will be so intensely focused on Liam's character and the fast-paced storyline - that it will end up a pretty blur in the background.
Budget-minded folks can screen "Taken" for six bucks at a matinee at 12 noon at AMC Theatres.
That leaves enough cash left over to splurge on some popcorn and soft drinks to munch on as Liam chews up the screen in front of you non-stop.
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