Taken

The slickness of "Bourne films" and the conciseness of "Seagal films" met under the direction of one of the most talented craftsmen in Besson's film stable, resulting in the type of uncompromising action flick that has been missing from movie theaters for a while. Yet the main driving force is not so much the solid action, but rather the pissed-off Liam Neeson, whose position as a god of vengeance and protector of his daughter's virginity suits him damn fine. He sends the Albanian scum under the ground using clever moves, or the makeshift energy consumer of French power stations, all without the blink of an eye or any particularly robust emotions. With a denser plot and even more emphasis on physical (by that I mean calmer editing) action, I would have given it 5 stars. (19/10/2008)

A bitter tale about a paranoid dad who kills a couple of ugly Arabs and Albanians on a trip to Paris, so that his princess’s luck doesn't run out and she doesn't end up on the gerontophile stick of a wicked rich man. From a rather illogical and sometimes sentimental spectacle, Morel and Neeson create an incredible adrenaline rush full of brilliant action and rough one-liners. I haven't seen such perfectly edited and frantic action for a long time, and they use almost exclusively very economical choreographies. One then forgets that the story doesn't really make sense at all and is only there as decoration. (06/10/2009)

Perhaps the best European action flick I know. What Pierre Morel does here is unmatched. Liam Neeson is flawless, the setting is as raw and authentic as it can be, and the action is so fast, raw, and dynamic that it takes your breath away. The atmosphere is wonderfully, with captivatingly cold characters, and one of the few action films where the “toughness” is truly tangible and completely believable (phone call, dens, party, auction, boat). A masterful gem of pure action and a future classic in a few years. (15/11/2008)

About the movie "96 Hours", I heard only good things, but still I thought that there couldn't be anything that unique about an action thriller. But there is. And two words are enough to describe it - Liam Neeson. Liam Neeson has become an incredible action hero in his old age. Thanks to his charisma, we watch a man who we can fall in love with, but we still don't know what this sixty-year-old can do when it comes to action. He is incredibly good and believable. You are watching someone who could really be the action hero of the new age. A family man who has secrets, not equipped with muscles, but with abilities that make him the most dangerous killer. So what if he's a veteran? When a person has it in them, they simply have it. You believe everything Liam says. His calmness when he listens to his daughter being kidnapped in a live broadcast shows that you are simply watching someone who is a total professional. You are with him and you cheer for him. This is a great positive aspect of the movie, which surprisingly doesn't rely on a complicated plot. But Liam makes it a completely different spectacle. His actions are logical, and even though you know how it will probably end, you still wait to see what will happen and how he will actually reach his daughter. The fact that the authors chose Paris for the film helped a bit (it's not surprising since the script was written by Luc Besson), but the location is not decisive in this case. It could easily be Prague, since we're at it. "96 Hours" doesn't bring a plot that will amaze you, but you will meet a hero who will keep you in suspense and hope throughout the whole time, hoping that he will find his daughter and that everything will turn out as well as it can. He just has to kick all the scumbags' asses. Unfortunately, I missed the sequel in the cinema - I didn't want to see it until I saw the first one - but I'm afraid that Besson sat down at the table again just to squeeze a little more out of the successful franchise. However, I don't believe in its quality much, and as I find out from the opinions of critics and viewers, my concerns are justified. But the first one is a masterpiece of modern (meaning contemporary) action film. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/11/sahara-stormbreaker-syriana-andelsky.html (02/03/2013)

A Macho version of Not Without My Daughter. This movie reeks of classic tough French guys’ movies “one man against hundreds" with Belmondo or Delon (it reminds me most -maybe too much - of Cop’s Honor). But the reek is a bit stale. The uninteresting prolog (twenty-five minutes) and the epilog chip away at any positive impression you may have had. In reality this is good, but not outstanding; it begins to be so only after it moves to Paris. And there’s far too much talking, when the characters don’t have anything to say. If only they would take action instead. Another negative aspect is Maggie Grace, or rather her role. She is so unlikeable that I am surprised that anybody would think it worth letting loose such hell in the peaceful city on the Seine. But there are positive sides as well. I haven’t counted them, but one is worth mentioning. Liam Neeson. Who would have said that at 56 years old he would turn into such a tough guy. After today’s viewing I know that if there’s one person whose daughter would be inadvisable to kidnap, it’s Liam’s. Everybody else is just a band of brewed tea drinkers. If he had just a little more style, I would have nothing to fault him for. Morel almost too obviously relies on the fact that almost nobody makes movies like this nowadays, and so in the end the viewer forgives him for a lot. (25/07/2008)