monkeyblog.

a turd-blossom in the dead of winter..

Ah, January.. 

A time when all the christmas decorations have MERCIFULLY been taken down, resolutions are made only to be broken (you know it’s true!), and, with the awards eligibility date being Dec. 31st, movie studios use the month of January and early Feburary as a dumping ground for all the crap that is leftover from last year’s production line. 

So unless you want to catch up on all the Oscar pedigree movies, most of which are now in wide release, your choices at the multiplex are basically between crap and shit. You have PAUL BLART: MALL COP, BRIDE WARS, UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS, HOTEL FOR DOGS, etc. Movies so bad that i am not even gonna link them to their imdb profiles. There is, however, a movie opening this week that i can recommend with a clear conscience.. 

 

Opening today is TAKEN (2009, Pierre Morel), a kidnapping thriller starring Liam Neeson in full badass mode, which he wears surprisingly well. He plays Brian Mills, a former CIA secret agent who is trying like hell to stay close to his estranged daughter Kim (an overly screechy Maggie Grace). His resentful ex-wife (Famke Janssen) has allowed Kim to spend an unsupervised summer with a friend in Paris, much to Brian’s dismay. And wouldn’t you know it, his worse fears come true conveniently as he is on the phone with her shortly after arriving in Paris: she’s dragged away and put into sex-trafficking.. 

 

Now, whereas other run-of-the-mill thrillers released during this time are brainless bulk that are no fun at all, this is brainless bulk that’s ridiculous, over the top, and actually a lot of fun. And that’s probably because it was co-written by the great Luc Besson, creator of such action classics as Nikita (1990), Léon (1994) and The Transporter (2002). Running at a zippy 94 minutes, you get to tag along with Badass Liam as he bashes his way through Paris, determined to find his daughter. 

 

So, this weekend when you find yourself standing in front of the box office perplexed, just see this! It’s quick, it’s fun and you won’t leave the theater disappointed… And if you are disappointed, blame Liam Neeson! 

So, ’til next time, comrades.. 

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