8 Utterly Boring Openings That Spoiled Great Movies
3. Taken
Taken has a fair bit going for it. The action is creative, theres no pandering for a family friendly rating (thats what sequels are for) and Liam Neeson brings a gruff but knowing seriousness that changed his career. But all that only applies to what happen after the first twenty minutes. The first twenty minutes of Taken could easily be from a light drama-comedy, presenting Neeson as a regular retired shmo (albeit with a cool job) trying to connect with his daughter but hampered by his protectiveness and overshadowed by her rich stepfather. While delivered with conviction (if not nuance) by the actors, you cant skirt away from the fact this is all box ticking so the plot can be said to have emotional heft. I guess you could argue where the opening's coming from fits the film's overarching theme of parental protection, but we dont need to spend this long on it. These family issues make Taken feel closer to Die Hard than it really should and its likely there where director Pierre Morel and producer Luc Besson took inspiration. Taken, however, isnt Die Hard and Neeson is a strong enough actor to be able to convey emotion without it needed to be said out loud.
