Taken spoiler review

Taken spoiler review.

Luc Besson’s action thriller film, ‘Taken’, is fast paced and filled with fights and violence that keeps the audience engaged and on the edge of their seats. Starring Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills; a father who wishes for a closer relationship with his daughter, Grace; he earns money by working for a Central intelligence agency, which instigates his over protective attitude when concerning Grace. 

Grace wants to go abroad with her best friend but to persuade her father to agree, pretends that it is a school trip- however when he finds out, it is too late to stop her from boarding the plane. Grace is an innocent teenager that has not yet grasped the concept to not trust strangers- this is what spirals the world she is familiar with into the unknown that will change her life forever. 

Bryan Mills sets on a mission to rescue his daughter that has been kidnapped by slave traders; the road is long and viscous yet he overcomes every obstacle due to his motivation and love for his daughter. It also tells a message to the audience about what happens everyday around the world and that sometimes there is a wish for someone to rescue them just like what this film portrays; it is a hope many girls, women and children hold onto. 

The iconography used presents the film as a stereotypical thriller with the use of guns, explosions, fights, dark lighting and dramatic music that creates the ultimate effect to gage the right reaction from the audience. The mise-en-scene emphasises the genre by the dirty, grimy look to the towns and cities that the main settings include; east European countries are associated with danger and sex traders, which helps to convey the plot of the film as well as thriller genre. 

The characters are portrayed effectively through their clothes which can be used as representations: the slave traders are dressed in dirty, grimy looking clothes which represent what they do for a living; Bryan is dressed well in designer jeans and shirts at the beginning of the movie but when he sets off to find and rescue Grace he does not change his clothes, other than disguises he needs, which conveys how he will not stop for anything until he finds her; and Grace is dressed in young, bright colours which emphasises her innocence. 


In my opinion the film is 3 out of 5 stars as it has the correct iconography and mise en scene to associate with the thriller genre however it doesn't have a unique storyline; it conforms to the classic hollywood narrative.

this spoiler review made me realise how much I know about thriller films and how the storyline is either a classic hollywood narratuive or a with a new surprising twist. this film unfortunatley conforms to the simple classic hollywood narrative so is viewed as a 'safe' thriller film to watch if the audience in particular does not like change.