Liam Neeson and Famke Janssen in "Taken"
courtesy of Fox Home Entertainment
“Liam Saves the Day”

Liam Neeson has had a rough year due to the tragic death of his wife Natasha Richardson. Still on the career front this has been one of his best years as he has had one of his biggest movie hits ever. “Taken” was a surprise box office smash and it is now available on DVD.

“Taken” is a pulse pounding action adventure that is long on thrills but short on believability. The story concerns a father’s hunt for his daughter who has been kidnapped and is being forced into slavery by an evil group of men. As such it is full of emotion as well as action. Neeson plays the role of avenger with gusto.

Bryan Mills (Neeson) is a retired “agent” for the government. He has taken early retirement to be close to his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace). She lives in LA with his ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen) and her new husband Stuart (Xander Berkeley). 

One day Kim asks her father to have lunch with her. She shows up with her mother in tow to plead her case to go to Paris with a friend. They are to be staying with relatives of the friend. Bryan’s first reaction is absolutely not as Kim is only seventeen, but her pleas and her mother’s insistence that he is being overprotective wears him down. He reluctantly agrees.

The night Kim arrives in Paris she is abducted while talking on the phone with her father. He hears the men talking while they are abducting her. He uses this conversation as a lead while he begins his hunt to find Kim.

The rest of the movie concerns his efforts and methods of finding his daughter. Unfortunately some of the aspects of his investigation don’t ring true. Plus he becomes too much of a superman as he battles the bad guys. They are all lousy shots and no one can touch him. He never seems to break a sweat or get a bruise throughout the film.

Neeson is better at portraying the emotions required by the role than in being the superman guy. You feel his agony when his daughter is abducted and you feel his anger when he thinks of what might be happening to her.

Maggie Grace was one of the original survivors on “Lost.” Once she left that show I lost track of her so it was good to see her in a good role in a popular movie. It was also enjoyable to see Famke Janssen back on the screen in a solid role. She hasn’t been seen much since her “X-Men” days.

“Taken” is a movie you can enjoy as long as you don’t ask too many questions, like (1) how can so many people shoot at him and never even scratch him? (2) how does he come up with all the badges and equipment he needs when he is in a foreign country? and (3) how much adrenaline does it take to keep a person up and running day after day? The answers to these questions are not forthcoming and the movie veers into the unbelievable because of it.

Still audiences seemed to love every aspect of it and so might you. Get the DVD and see what your reaction is.

The best movie out on DVD this week is a film starring Kevin Bacon titled “Taking Chance.” This was an original movie for HBO so a lot of you have not seen it, but you should. It is a true story dealing with a military Colonel (Bacon) escorting the body of an enlisted man, killed in Iraq, back to his hometown for burial.

As he takes the body cross country he is impressed by the manner in which people treat him and the way they react to the coffin he is escorting. The reactions he encounters will surprise you since they are so different from those which the media publicizes.

Bacon is amazing in the lead role of this movie. He is dignified and compassionate while always being human. Come Emmy time this performance should be remembered.

So get “Taking Chance” and spend an evening with a film that is supportive of the military and respectful of the sacrifices they have made for us.

There is a magic quality about “Enchanted April” that makes the film totally engrossing. The four women who lead the cast – Josie Lawrence, Miranda Richardson, Joan Plowright and Polly Walker – bring the story of love resparked and redefined, to glorious life.

The lush beauty of the scenery in this film is also impressive. It makes anyone who views it want to take a slow journey to Italy and spend some time there. So you have a beautiful story and a beautiful setting in “Enchanted April,” a very special movie that is now
out on DVD.

The TV series “October Road” had some strong supporters, just not enough. There was an outcry when it was cancelled but not enough of one to get it brought back. Now for those fans there is the DVD, “October Road: The Complete Second Season.”

On this DVD you get all thirteen episodes from the second season plus some “extras” that promise to give some finality to questions raised in the plot. There is also a “blooper” reel. If you were an “October Road” fan then this is a DVD you must have.

Ted McGinley and Genie Francis return in the sequel to their very popular movie “The Note.” In “The Note II” they once again play King and Peyton. If you thought they got all their problems solved in “The Note” then think again. In “The Note II” there are still stumbling blocks in their relationship that have to be removed.

Francis and McGinley are perfect in their roles and the story is just as romantic this time out. So make sure you get “The Note II” and get the rest of the story. Plus there are “extras” on the DVD you are going to love!

Finally there is a powerfully dramatic film titled “Incendiary” which is out on DVD this week. Michelle Williams and Ewan McGregor star in this story about a woman who is tragically affected by a terrorist attack in London. Her husband and her son are killed.

As she tries to rebuild her life she gets involved in the investigation and possible “cover up.” All this makes for fantastically intense viewing and an emotional connection with the film. Make sure you watch it!
 

 

 

 

 

©2009 Jackie K. Cooper

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