TAKEN 4 (2024)
Taken (also titled 96 Hours and The Hostage) is a 2008 French English-language action-thriller film written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, directed by Pierre Morel. Starring Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Katie Cassidy, Leland Orser, and Holly Valance, the film revolves around Bryan Mills (Neeson), a former CIA operative on a high-stakes mission to rescue his daughter Kim (Grace) and her friend Amanda (Cassidy), who have been kidnapped by a ruthless Albanian human trafficking ring while vacationing in Paris.
The action begins when Kim and Amanda arrive in Paris and are lured into a trap by a charming stranger. Shortly after, they are abducted from their apartment in broad daylight. Bryan, thousands of miles away, receives a frantic phone call from Kim as she’s taken. In a heart-pounding sequence, he calmly instructs her to give him details of her surroundings and then delivers the chilling line to her captor, “I will find you, and I will kill you.”
Bryan immediately springs into action, using his former CIA training and unparalleled combat skills to track down the traffickers. With time running out, he follows a dangerous path through the criminal underworld of Paris. The film escalates with high-octane chase scenes, including a thrilling car pursuit through the narrow streets of Paris, as well as brutal hand-to-hand combat in which Bryan fights off heavily armed opponents with expert precision.
As Bryan uncovers the network behind his daughter’s abduction, he takes out multiple key figures, leaving no stone unturned. He infiltrates an underground auction where women are sold to the highest bidder, leading to a climactic confrontation on a yacht, where Bryan takes on the heavily guarded traffickers. Despite being outnumbered and outgunned, his determination and lethal efficiency shine through, culminating in a fierce battle to save his daughter from a horrific fate.
Released in France on 27 February 2008 by EuropaCorp and in the United States on 30 January 2009 by 20th Century Fox, Taken grossed over $226 million worldwide. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the film is credited with redefining Neeson’s career, establishing him as a modern action star. The film’s success led to two sequels, Taken 2 and Taken 3, in 2012 and 2014, respectively, as well as a 2017 television series on NBC, with Clive Standen portraying a younger Bryan Mills.
At its core, Taken is an intense action thriller with non-stop combat sequences, heart-pounding chases, and Bryan Mills’ relentless pursuit to reunite with his daughter—showcasing the depth of a father’s love and the lengths he will go to protect his family.
