# Anyone seen Taken? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 8, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854 "2009-02-08T00:06:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854/1 "2009-02-08T00:06:09Z")
I thought there was another thread about this movie somewhere but I couldn’t find it. I went and saw this today for $5 at a little theater while my wife shopped. God awful. Just terrible. Apparently a chop to the shoulder is enough to kill just about anyone. At least that’s how Liam Neisson kills about 50 people in this movie. His ex-wife (played by the Jean Grey of X-Men) was WAY over the top in “ex-wife bitchiness”. I realize she was supposed to be a villianish character but she so far over the top with her bitchyness towards LN it was comical. LN never chopped his X. He should have. He just doesn’t pull off the Bourne type of character. Just doesn’t work. There were hardly any fights with more than 2 punches per cut that they were hard to follow. His daughter, who I think is from Lost, will be known as Mandible from here forward for her huge jaw. Speaking of his daughter, both her and her friend are supposed to be 17 and 19 yet they both look 30. The whole thing with the horse for her birthday was WAY over the top. These girls acted like 4 year olds. This movie would have been released straight to DVD with any other actor in the lead role. Don’t see it. Ignore the fair reviews it’s gotten. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854/2 "2009-02-08T01:54:55Z")
Yup yup yup, everything you said. I ranted about this movie in a couple of posts in the “Stupid movie” thread. Dumb and dumb and way dumber. Liam Neeson was great at kicking ass, but, to what end? To get back that lying bitch of a daughter? She’s on Lost? I’ve never watched that. My god she’s a horrible actress! She and Neeson had zero chemisty and everything that went on between them and his single-minded zeal to track her down and kill as many motherfuckers in the way as possible to get her back, just looked like things that were said and done just because they were in the script. Neeson tried really hard to show emotion. A lesser actor would have not have been able to pull it off. It being, I don’t know, the ability to at least try and pretend he was devoted to this idiot. And yeah about his ex-wife. She was a real bitch on wheels. You get that she left him and still held grudges because he was off doing his job for most of their marriage. Well, ok. It was HIS JOB! I really, really, REALLY hate when movies have a bitchy girlfriend/wife who lays on guilt trips and nags because her husband does his job. What, he’s supposed to quit being a special agent who has assignments all over the world, and get a job at an insurance company? That’s like Annette O’Toole’s girlfriend character in 48 Hours, always bitching/nagging because Nick Nolte has to work odd hours. He’s got a job lady. You knew that when you started dating him. What, he’s supposed to quit being a cop and open a bakery? So, I already didn’t like her because that seemed to be the sole reason she left him and was still mad at him, then she gets all bitchy because he’s concerned about his beloved (barf) daughter going off to Paris at 17. Uh, he’s her father, he’s supposed to be concerned. Would it be better if he didn’t give a shit? And look, he was right to be concerned after all! Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854/3 "2009-02-08T03:16:37Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > Apparently a chop to the shoulder is enough to kill just about anyone. At least that’s how Liam Neisson kills about 50 people in this movie. Actually, it’s a chop to the windpipe which tends to be _very_ effective. Eh, I enjoyed it for what it was- Jason Bourne’s grandpa kicking some ass. I was munching the popcorn like Eddie Izzard… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854/4 "2009-02-08T03:49:44Z")
OK, so it was over the top, but hey, it is not Shakespeare’s Taken, it is just a popcorn film with the typical ex-super-agent taking on the world by himself. Sure, there were holes in the script big enough to drive a truck through, but we knew that going in. Nitpicking films like this are like nitpicking Road Runner cartoons (How could Wile E. Coyote survive that blast?!)…either you buy into the premise or you don’t bother watching. We liked it. ---
**Author:** ![Euryphaessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Euryphaessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euryphaessa)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854/5 "2009-02-08T04:08:06Z")
I enjoyed it for what it was: a plotless action movie. His daughter was an infantile spoiled little bitch and he was kind of a sad sack at the beginning, but I really liked watching him kick ass when he went on his rampage. It was How Bryan Got His Groove Back and Killed Many Europeans With His Bare Hands. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854/6 "2009-02-08T04:19:03Z")
Saw it today. Yes, the ex pegged the needle on the Bitchometer, and the 17 year old daughter was a lying sack of shit - which only means the writer has an ex wife and a teenage daughter (every teenage girl I’ve ever known lied to their parents - doubly so if the parents were divorced). It was a giant bag of stupid, but enjoyable enough in a turn your brain off way. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854/7 "2009-02-08T15:20:30Z")
> [@Queen of Town](#): > > It was How Bryan Got His Groove Back and Killed Many Europeans With His Bare Hands. Beautiful! ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854/8 "2009-02-08T15:59:59Z")
As mentioned in our [movie thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=504506), I liked it well enough. I don’t require too much from action films. If I wanted reality, I wouldn’t \*be \*at an action film. I thought the fight scenes were more realistic than most - although we are seeing it more and more. In real life, a fight is over pretty quickly. (Although it has been decades since I was in a fight, thank god.) ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854/9 "2009-02-17T10:05:42Z")
I liked it. I didn’t expect art. I tend to like movies from the You Messed With The Wrong Badass genre. Definitely annoying kid though - a 26 year old playing a 17 year old who acted 12. I agree that the action scenes were too quick cut - but what action movie made in the last 5 years has had reasonable cut lengths? The only thing I can think of is Children of Men, which is awesome in part because it has ridiculously long takes. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854/10 "2009-02-17T14:41:51Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > I agree that the action scenes were too quick cut - but what action movie made in the last 5 years has had reasonable cut lengths? The only thing I can think of is Children of Men, which is awesome in part because it has ridiculously long takes. Any of the Bourne movies and No Country For Old Men immediately came to mind as having long action takes. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854/11 "2009-02-17T16:23:44Z")
Really? My biggest complaint about the Bourne movies are that they have an average take time during fight scenes of like .4 seconds. Especially the second one. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854/12 "2009-02-17T18:49:20Z")
I thought the Bourne movies were some of the biggest offenders of the ridiculously short action cuts. I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who said “huh?” at **Swords** ’s post. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854/13 "2009-02-18T00:37:15Z")
I saw this movie because in my opinion the penultimate action movie is _Commando_ and _Taken_ had a pretty similar idea going in: ex-government bad ass needs to save kidnapped daughter, ridiculously over the top shenanigans ensue. The joy of _Commando_ is entirely based on how ludicrous it is, at least for me. I love action movies but I’m the sort of guy that judges how good an action movie is based on how much I laugh at it. The bad action movies to me, are the ones that just take themselves too seriously. _Commando_ was great because either intentionally or because Arnold just can’t act the movie was clearly an over-the-top romp from the get go. _Taken_ isn’t in the same league as _Command_ but I didn’t feel that it wasn’t worth my money, definitely won’t buy it on DVD. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854/14 "2009-02-18T02:01:41Z")
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > I saw this movie because in my opinion the penultimate action movie is _Commando_… I am fairly sure that Arnold made more than one action movie after this (I am just saying). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854/15 "2009-02-18T02:13:31Z")
> [@Euryphaessa](#): > > It was How Bryan Got His Groove Back and Killed Many Europeans With His Bare Hands. He was more multicultural than that. Arabs too. ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854/16 "2009-02-18T05:22:14Z")
I just saw this, and I was fairly underwhelmed. But I do have a question for those who saw it UNBOXED SPOILER WARNING I missed something (and don’t feel like seeing it again to try to fill in the gap). When Liam learns of the “red door” and the address, how does he know the bad guys are on the take ? That is, how does he know to impersonate a police officer to start yanking their chains ? Or was it just a hunch and Liam has big cajones ? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854/17 "2009-02-18T06:27:39Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > The whole thing with the horse for her birthday was WAY over the top. These girls acted like 4 year olds. You left out the scene where they get to Paris, immediately accept an invatiation from a stranger and then go up to their appartment where one of them turns the stereo on loud and jumps on the couch like a beach scene from a 1960’s bikini movie. When I walked out of the theater to meet some other friends they asked me to describe the movie. Plot: Ex CIA agent shoots Paris to rescue his kidnapped 17 year old virgin daughter who just got a horse for her birthday. Oh, I left out the Jabba the Hut Arab Sheik who snacks on overpriced virgins. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854/18 "2009-02-18T06:51:33Z")
> [@cormac262](#): > > I just saw this, and I was fairly underwhelmed. > > But I do have a question for those who saw it > > UNBOXED SPOILER WARNING > > I missed something (and don’t feel like seeing it again to try to fill in the gap). When Liam learns of the “red door” and the address, how does he know the bad guys are on the take ? That is, how does he know to impersonate a police officer to start yanking their chains ? Or was it just a hunch and Liam has big cajones ? He didn’t know going into it, since they revealed it by revealing the name of the guy they’ve been bribing. I think he wasn’t sure exactly what he would do, but that the badge would have a chance of at least getting him inside, where he could think on his feet and figure out where to go from there. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-seen-taken/484854/19 "2009-02-18T07:06:02Z")
And how did Liam Neeson pass as a French policeman while speaking English?