Taken

Sometimes there is pleasure to be had from the check-your-brain-at-the-door, testosterone fuelled action films aimed exclusively at those cinemagoers that carry a Y chromosome. Coming under the umbrella of guilty pleasure, its a film that knows it's pretty stupid, knows it wont win much favour from critics, but aspires to entertain the masses on a Friday night. Where women get their kicks (and $120 million at the UK box office is some serious kicks) from Pierce Brosnan singing ABBA songs, men get theirs from well choreographed fight scenes, death-defying stunts, elaborate car chases or, preferably, a combination of all 3. Plot is optional - it's probably better if there is one, but it's not completely necessary - just as long as we get some cool fights. Other qualities that most moviemakers see as essential, but which are considered non-obligatory in films marketed for the Grand Theft Auto generation include: good acting (see anything starring Paul Walker); character development (totaly unnecessary) or convincing dialogue (doesn't go down as well as lines like, "Okay cocksucker. Fuck with me, and we'll see who shits on the sidewalk.")

Of course some things can transcend the action genre and break out into something of genuine quality. The TV series 24 is sometimes, okay frequently, unrealistic but it also features high quality direction, cleverly layered plots and some absolutely first rate acting. Motion picture examples include Die Hard, Speed and, most recently, Philippe Morel's District B13 - a highly enjoyable, action heavy race against time set in the world of the French criminal underworld. The success of that French-dialogue film has seen Morel and his screenwriter Luc Besson graduate to the English language action film with Taken, a better than average sophomore effort starring Liam Neeson.

Neeson dominates the film's running time as an ex-secret agent whose daughter is kidnapped whilst in holiday in Paris. Cue a very unhappy Nesson, who is given a rather arbitrary 96 hours to save her life and restore order to the world. He manages to get to Paris, from the States within about 45 minutes and then proceeds to conduct his own investigation at the speed of lightening. In fact you perhaps wonder had he not had to make it across the Atlantic, whether they might have given Neeson a 90 minute deadline and had the film play out in real time a la 24. There's certainly no time to pause for breath - probably a good thing in films like this because it doesn't give you a moment to reflect on any inconsistencies or silliness - you just soak it all up as Neeson electrocutes one bad guy to a painful death before snapping the cervical vertebrae of another.

This is a film very much in the 24 mould. The body count is piled high as Neeson, as the Jack Bauer character, dispatches bad guys with efficient ease. Neeson is very capable in a role he has not ventured into before, although he certainly doesn't match the quiet gravitas of Kiefer Sutherland, who has perfected the part over the last 5 seasons. There is however enough to enjoy - on a kind of silly, mindless level - to get a pass from me. It's not bad. It's probably not exactly good either but it has enough energy to keep you entertained for a couple of hours. You'll forget everything about it within 4 seconds of leaving the theatre, but there are worse ways to pass the time.

C+