Saturday, June 5, 2010

Taken (2008)


I don't want to read too much into what is obviously an utterly ridiculous B-movie. But I have to admit, in some sense, it did leave a bad taste in my mouth. On the one hand, its undeniably thrilling to watch Liam Neeson play an ex-C.I.A. operative plowing through a sex ring to save his captured daughter. And, yeah, I get it. But this is way too soon, too close to the Bush administration, and it plays to me like Dick Cheney's favorite movie. Much like 24 is probably his favorite show. Right up to being frightened about what would happen to a pure, white , American in Europe, to the torture. Like I said, I very well could be being way too sensitive, but its just the way it felt to me. Everything else was just sort of funny, I mean, Neeson cuts a large swathe through Paris, there was a time when when he was just beating the crap out of waiters, chauffeurs, and elevator operators. The ass-kicking was impressive though.

2 comments:

  1. Yeah, I think you're being too sensitive (I really enjoyed this movie) but on the flip side, a bad taste in the mouth is a bad taste in the mouth.

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  2. My goodness, I just reread what I wrote, that was written terribly. And that was before I was even drinking which is sad. Yeah, people loved this movie, and like I said, I get it, its certainly satisfying to see Liam Neeson beat up people involved with a sex slave and rescuing prostitutes. I get that. But it has these weird jingoistic undertones that bugged me.

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