Mobster and hit man Jimmy Conlon has one night to figure out where his loyalties lie: with his estranged son, Mike, whose life is in danger, or his longtime best friend, mob boss Shawn Maguire, who wants Mike to pay for the death of his own son.
An air marshal springs into action during a transatlantic flight after receiving a series of text messages demanding $150 million into an off-shore account, or someone will die every 20 minutes.
A man awakens from a coma, only to discover that someone has taken on his identity and that no one, (not even his wife), believes him. With the help of a young woman, he sets out to prove who he is.
Ex-government operative Bryan Mills is accused of a ruthless murder he never committed or witnessed. As he is tracked and pursued, Mills brings out his particular set of skills to find the true killer and clear his name.
After their plane crashes in Alaska, six oil workers are led by a skilled huntsman to survival, but a pack of merciless wolves haunts their every step.
A retired CIA agent travels across Europe and relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been kidnapped while on a trip to Paris.
A group of Iraq War veterans look to clear their name with the U.S. Military, who suspect the four men of committing a crime for which they were framed.
Matt Scudder is a former cop now a private eye. He is asked by a drug dealer to find the men who kidnapped his wife. It seems like they killed her even after he paid them. Scudder refuses. But the man later goes to see him and tells him how his wife was killed. Scudder takes the job. He does some research and thinks the men he is looking for have done this more than once. And that everyone they grabbed is connected to a drug dealer. He was about to give up when they grab another girl and Scudder tries make sure she's returned alive.Written by
rcs0411@yahoo.com
During the chase, the left tail light of the truck is shot. In a subsequent scene, it is repaired. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Danny Ortiz:
You need some help, man.
Matt Scudder:
Oh, God.
Danny Ortiz:
I don't care. You want to mess up your own shit - but you're going to mess up mine, too. I need to know you got my back. Not that you're going to come falling through the door behind me...
Matt Scudder:
Don't worry your pretty little spic head off.
Danny Ortiz:
Anyway. That was all I wanted to say.
Matt Scudder:
Is that it? Fuck you!
[gets out of the car]
See more »
Alternate Versions
The offending scene cut from the film (so it could be rated 15 instead of 18) features the two villains tormenting and sexually threatening a restrained woman in the back of a van. The British censors felt this scene lingered on the nastiness and detail, and was disturbing. The UK distributor removed the small scene and got their desired 15 rating. See more »
Greetings again from the darkness. Welcome to the annual off-season gift from Liam Neeson. Seemingly every year, he provides us with a February or September release that requires his particular set of tough guy skills. This time, he plays Matthew Scudder - of the popular Lawrence Block crime novel series (17 books).
Director Scott Frank (The Lookout) works to create a 1970's feel, although the film opens up as a flashback to 1991, and quickly fast forwards to 1999 NYC. There are no shortage of clichés here, but nothing is over the top; and the bleak, somber, usually rainy setting establishes the tone that fits with "unlicensed" private detective Scudder's preferred method of living and detecting.
Of course, Scudder is a recovering alcoholic and former cop, with a tragic, careless incident on his record and conscience. The film is so ever-bleak, that the moments of humor ... though often awkward and out of place ... are quite welcome. The only shining light of innocence comes courtesy of a sharp homeless kid named TJ, played by Brian "Astro" Bradley. TJ is a Philip Marlowe wannabe, and quickly assumes the role of Scudder's partner/intern/IT Department.
Bad guys are everywhere. Even the serial killers (David Harbour, Adam David Thompson) target the family members of criminals, so as to minimize the involvement of the proper authorities. As an improper authority, we can't ask for better than Liam Neeson. He works for "favors", not a paycheck.
Other support work comes courtesy of Dan Stephens ("Downton Abbey"), Boyd Holbrook, and creepy cemetery groundskeeper (is there another type?) Olafur Darri Olafsson, who creates yet another memorable character with limited screen time (see "True Detective").
Mr. Neeson gets plenty of telephone action, which plays right into the strength of Taken, and it's pretty amazing how much WALKING he does throughout the story. He looks great walking in his duster, but it seems a bicycle would be more efficient ... though admittedly, much less daunting. As a whole, though the movie is probably a bit familiar, it's the little details and the powerful Liam Neeson that makes it a welcome late summer release.
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Greetings again from the darkness. Welcome to the annual off-season gift from Liam Neeson. Seemingly every year, he provides us with a February or September release that requires his particular set of tough guy skills. This time, he plays Matthew Scudder - of the popular Lawrence Block crime novel series (17 books).
Director Scott Frank (The Lookout) works to create a 1970's feel, although the film opens up as a flashback to 1991, and quickly fast forwards to 1999 NYC. There are no shortage of clichés here, but nothing is over the top; and the bleak, somber, usually rainy setting establishes the tone that fits with "unlicensed" private detective Scudder's preferred method of living and detecting.
Of course, Scudder is a recovering alcoholic and former cop, with a tragic, careless incident on his record and conscience. The film is so ever-bleak, that the moments of humor ... though often awkward and out of place ... are quite welcome. The only shining light of innocence comes courtesy of a sharp homeless kid named TJ, played by Brian "Astro" Bradley. TJ is a Philip Marlowe wannabe, and quickly assumes the role of Scudder's partner/intern/IT Department.
Bad guys are everywhere. Even the serial killers (David Harbour, Adam David Thompson) target the family members of criminals, so as to minimize the involvement of the proper authorities. As an improper authority, we can't ask for better than Liam Neeson. He works for "favors", not a paycheck.
Other support work comes courtesy of Dan Stephens ("Downton Abbey"), Boyd Holbrook, and creepy cemetery groundskeeper (is there another type?) Olafur Darri Olafsson, who creates yet another memorable character with limited screen time (see "True Detective").
Mr. Neeson gets plenty of telephone action, which plays right into the strength of Taken, and it's pretty amazing how much WALKING he does throughout the story. He looks great walking in his duster, but it seems a bicycle would be more efficient ... though admittedly, much less daunting. As a whole, though the movie is probably a bit familiar, it's the little details and the powerful Liam Neeson that makes it a welcome late summer release.