Dad Fiction and the Legacy of Taken

I remember taking a chance on a low-budget revenge-thriller film called Taken in January of 2009. I was at the movies most likely because I was working very hard on my Masters at the time and needed a momentary escape from that mayhem. I just wanted a few hours of mindless entertainment to separate myself from the real world. I was already a Liam Neeson fan and I have enjoyed some of Luc Besson’s work in the past (particularly The Professional), but I had no idea that I would become such a big fan of Taken, a would-be generic genre film that went on to become a huge hit and spawn a massively successful franchise. I also had no idea how big of an impact Taken would have on Hollywood.

In case you doubt its legacy, here is a list of Taken-esque films that came in Taken’s wake:

The November Man

Edge of Darkness

Lock Down

Bullet to the Head

Taken 2 (aka Taken in Turkey)

Safe

From Paris With Love (which shares a director with Taken)

Unknown (aka Taken 1.5)

A Man Apart

Ninja 2: Shadow of a Tear

John Wick

Non-Stop (More Liam Neeson!)

Sabotage

Three Days to Kill

A Walk Among the Tombstones (He just keeps getting these roles!)

There are certainly others that I am forgetting as well. Of course these films vary wildly in quality (I loved John Wick and hated Sabotage – I like Unknown quite a bit as well). The point is, Taken had a huge impact on filmmaking, such that basically any male actor in the 40-to-60 age range almost certainly has their own version of Taken at this point. I’m guessing the Red Box machine is just littered with direct-to-DVD Taken rip-offs starring guys like Michael Dudikoff and Randy Couture. Most people have almost certainly seen between one and three of these films more than likely. The point, however, is that revenge/thriller, or “dad fiction” as they’ve become popularly known, is certainly huge now.

What I love about films in this genre (and remember, I don’t like all of the films I’ve listed here) is that they appeal to me on a primal level. A troubled, beaten man loses something, and either wants revenge, wants to take what he lost back, or both. Taken was a huge hit because it built off of the primal fear of losing a loved one and then jumped into a lone wolf fantasy about getting that loved one back. The fact that Taken is, especially in its uncut version, pretty violent and visceral, is just a plus. I remember my first viewing of the film, and the scene that stuck with me then (and still sticks with me now) is when Neeson’s Bryan Mills executes a rich scumbag in an elevator in Paris. Before dying, the scumbag mutters, “It’s not personal.” Neeson retorts, “It is to me,” before gunning him down in cold blood. Not only did I find this incredibly shocking at the time, I also found it satisfying and bad-ass.

The big obvious thing is that Taken didn’t invent this genre – not at all. In the 70s and 80s, Charles Bronson starred in a series of films, beginning with 1974’s Death Wish, that essentially covered the same territory (ironically, Neeson was set to star in a proposed remake of Death Wish that would have been directed by his A-Team director Joe Carnahan). Death Wish was incredibly controversial at the time, trumpeted by conservatives and scorned by liberals. I imagine that even today, Taken is more than likely most popular with conservative males in their 50s. Even though the Death Wish films became increasingly cartoonish, they still essentially featured one man on a mission to either save his family, save his woman, or clean up the streets, thus saving New York City or whatever from the drug dealers and hippies that want to destroy our youths and ruin our great cities.

Other than appealing to some of our baser instincts (Revenge! Action! Drama!), films in the dad fiction genre tend to be much cheaper than typical Hollywood tentpoles, allowing them to be incredibly profitable. Taken 2, for example, grossed nearly 400 million dollars worldwide on a budget of only about 45 million – a huge hit. By contrasts, Russell Crowe’s Biblical epic Noah scored 260 million dollars worldwide, but cost about 125 million to produce. Neeson’s Non-Stop cost a relatively low 50 million dollars and grossed over 200 million worldwide. Similarly, Taken 3’s budget is an extremely thrifty 48 million dollars. Even if it only grosses half of it’s predecessor worldwide, it will still be a moneymaker for 20^th Century Fox. I have to imagine that if it overperforms, there will either be a Taken 4 or a Maggie Grace-starring spin-off (which would be really interesting).

These films are really the type of films we should be pressing Hollywood for. They don’t require an advanced degree in Marvel or DC, they tend to eschew the typical 90-minute love story format, they are violent and often R-rated, they are incredibly cheap to make, and are largely profitable and popular. Too often it seems as if movie studios invest in two or three 250 million dollar films a year rather than a series of low-budget films designed to appeal to an underserved or neglected audience (this is exactly why I have never minded Tyler Perry’s movies – they fill a purpose and their success gets Jason Statham movies funded!). I, quite frankly, don’t give a shit about superhero movies, movies based on young adult book franchises, or whatever shared-universe bullshit Hollywood foists upon us every year. I get that they are popular – I have just largely outgrown them (and can we be honest for a moment? Catching Fire Part 1 was awful).

Hollywood is far too afraid to step outside of the traditional four-quadrant movies all too often these days, and dad fiction is about as close as we get to good old-fashioned one-quadrant filmmaking. There is absolutely nothing wrong with making a movie designed solely to appeal to one or two specific groups of people, particularly when these films cost relative peanuts compared to your Avengers and Batmans. These films are violent, visceral, primal, and entertaining. The good guy wins and the bad guy gets his in the most satisfying of ways. So give me three or four of these things a year – I promise I will go see most of them in theaters (I would see Maggie Grace in Taken 4: Daughter of Taken twice in theaters!). I might be the only one watching John Wick 2 (please!), but at least it won’t have to gross a billion dollars worldwide just to break even. Dad fiction has, over the past half decade, been a triumph of cinema for me. Keep ‘em coming, boys.

-Z-

The Taken 2 Podcast

This week, Zack and Nick take a look at the 2012 action sequel Taken 2, starring Liam Neeson. Check it out!

Click here to listen to the podcast. As always click here to subscribe to us on iTunes (best on Firefox browser).

Check out our reviews of Taken 2 here and here.

I also saw Taken 2

It’s hard to believe that a short four years ago one might have drawn a mixture of skepticism and suspicion for suggesting that Liam Neeson, he of Schindler’s List, Kinsey, and Michael Collins critical acclaim and fame, could ever be the number worldwide action hero. True, Neeson has played in a Star Wars movie and a couple of Batman flicks, but Neeson, prior to about 2009, was primarily known and celebrated for his cerebral, passionate portrayals of real life historical figures. After the runaway success of Taken in early 2009, however, Neeson has primarily, rightly or wrongly, been tapped as an action star, and roles in films like Unknown, The Grey, and now Taken 2 have solidified that perception. Neeson may go down in history for being the most unlikely film bad ass of all time, and I am more than ok with that. Neeson’s latest collaboration with Luc Besson, Taken 2, is the definition of a no-nonsense sequel; we don’t dispense with the niceties in Taken 2. This may ultimately be the film’s greatest strength, and perhaps its greatest weakness as well.

In Taken 2, Bryan Mills (Neeson) is back. After a brief working vacation in Istanbul, Bryan is surprised by the sudden arrival of his daughter Kim (a likable Maggie Grace) and his ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen, in a bit of a thankless role), who join him for a few days of relaxation and sight-seeing. Lenore is going through a divorce, and Kim is struggling as well, balancing a few items in her personal life. When Bryan and Lenore are suddenly abducted by the Albanian mafia (in retaliation for the events of the first film), Kim must help rescue her father and mother, and Bryan must get back to doing what he’s best at. Yes, the plot is paper thin and the movie itself isn’t terribly deep, but I don’t really care. Taken 2 knows exactly what it wants to do and sets out to do it with gusto. Nick noted in his review that it takes a good half hour or so for the action to get going. Once things do get moving, they move at the speed of light, and like the first film, Taken 2 rarely lets up when the action is on.

The biggest criticism levied against Taken 2 is that it is derivative of the first film. So what? Viewing this movie is hardly mandatory. Taken 2 is for fans like me who want exactly more of what the first movie offered. In many ways, Taken 2 is far different in style from the original anyway. The big change here is in director. Olivier Megaton takes over for Pierre Morel, and Megaton’s style is far different. There are scenes in the film that move with a frenetic pace, particularly the scenes of Bryan, handcuffed and hooded in a van, counting to himself, making note of what he hears around him. These few scenes, as well as another moment involving Bryan, Kim, and a map are well filmed, fast-paced, and fairly intense. Megaton’s style is often frenetic, but the quick-paced nature of the scenes are rarely annoying and jumpy, as if often the case in modern action films.

I do wish Taken 2 did more with its characters. Neeson and Grace obviously shine (Nick’s right though, as Maggie Grace playing a teenager is somewhat laughable at this point). I particularly wanted more from Bryan’s former secret agent associates, played by Jon Gries and Leland Orser. Gries and Orser are both strong character actors, and incorporating them into the story in a better manner would have been both easy and welcomed. Famke Janssen’s Lenore is another troubling character, as it seemed she was out of commission for far longer than she needed to be. I would have liked to see her get the chance to kick some ass as well. I do like what the film did with Kim, referencing her most likely PTSD from the events of the first film, and having her mature and grow a bit as well. Additionally, her scenes with Neeson come off as far more natural — their father/daughter dynamic is better in this movie. The villains are largely disposable (lead thug Rade Serbedzjia is fine as the big bad), and their quest for vengeance is rarely touched upon in a philosophical manner by the script — but again, this isn’t that type of movie.

Having written all this, I still prefer the original Taken over its sequel. I can see Taken 2 growing on me quite a bit and I did like it, but it could have done much more with the characters. If there is a third iteration, I hope the secondary agents get a bit more to do, and I hope the filmmakers throw a few interesting wrenches into the mix. The plot of Taken 2 is generic (fine, so is the first film’s), but the action is great once it gets rolling and the characters are well-acted and interesting for the most part. Megaton brings a different style from Morrel, and that helps set it apart somewhat. Taken 2 doesn’t go far enough beyond what the first film gave us almost four years ago, but that’s ok — I didn’t really expect any more or any less.

-Z-

Taken 2

The first Taken was a surprise hit in 2009.  Naturally, studio heads demanded that a sequel needed to be made.  The result is Taken 2, released last week in movie theaters nation-wide.  I was nervous going into this movie, because I did not think that Taken really needed a sequel.  Everything was wrapped up in the first one, and I hate it when some movies do the “same thing happens again!” troupe (see: Die Hard).

Much to my surprise (and relief), I enjoyed the movie.  I should note that I enjoyed it for what it is.  Taken 2 is by no means a good movie.  Much of the kinetic and frantic energy which made the first one so enjoyable was completely missing.  Quite frankly, I felt the action was very toned down, and it takes a good 30-40 minutes for anything to truly get started.

Then again, that was the nature of the movie.  The story demanded a lot of set-up, before Liam Neeson could start breaking necks.  Honestly, I liked what producer/writer Luc Besson and his cohorts did with the story.  The progression felt to be a very natural continuation on the first film’s events.  Plus (and more importantly), it did not feel like a rinse and repeat of the first movie.  True, people were “taken”, but the execution was done very differently, and the story felt much more personal and quieter in nature than the original.

I also enjoyed the increased presence of Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace (whose playing a teenager is straining credibility).  That said, I did have some issues with the role Grace played in the movie.  I like Grace as an actress, but having a teenager do some of the things she does in the movie makes it difficult to buy into (how exactly is she able to climb on top of multiple buildings, lob grenades, and no one notices?).  I guess with a movie such as this you just have to turn a blind eye to those kind of things.

Taken 2 is a solid B-movie.  Not as memorable as the original, but it does enough to where I was thoroughly entertained for 90 minutes.  Besson, I feel, got lucky here.  I do not feel there is much more you can do with these characters and/or premise without feeling contrived and forced.  Liam Neeson seems to agree.  However, Taken 2 does leave a crumb for a sequel to potentially pick-up on, and there already is talk for a third installment going in an different direction.  Here is hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.

–Nick, cynical

The 2012 Fall Film Preview

The old saying goes something like “Summer ain’t over to the corn comes down,” but it already feels like Summer 2012 is long behind us. The absolutely horrid box office take from last weekend may have hastened this a bit. Anticipation for fall movies plays into it as well, and there are several projects I am super excited to see this coming fall. From a 3D action extravaganza to a time sprawling epic to a fictional take on a controversial religion to a quaint little film from a New Zealander, I am as excited for the fall movie season as I have ever been. Hyperbole might be kicking in, but we could face one of the most interesting fall movie seasons of all time. Here is a short-ish list of movies I’m looking forward to and will most likely see in theaters.

September

Judge Dredd

I’ve previously written of my anticipation for Judge Dredd. When I wrote that column, September 21^st didn’t seem to be too far away. Now that we’re just off a week or so from Dredd’s US theatrical release, my anticipation is palpable. Simply put, I cannot wait to see this movie. From the Alex Garland script to the main cast, which includes Karl Urban and Lena Headley (How great was it to cast Karl Urban as Dredd?) to the futuristic, apocalyptic setting, I am pumped for the new Dredd movie. It is already drawing comparisons to movies like The Raid (of which it is not a rip-off…quit saying this, people!), District 9, and 28 Days Later, and reviews (93% on Rotten Tomatoes) as of this writing have been universally strong. This is a must-see for me and the exact type of film made to appeal to my weird tastes.

Trouble With the Curve

In the past 10 years, Clint Eastwood has surprisingly entered into the most prolific period of his career. This is especially odd given that he is now in his eighties. Mystic River, Gran Torino, Million Dollar Baby, and Invictus have all been released to great critical acclaim and multiple awards nominations and wins. Curve, Eastwood’s first acting gig since 2008, comes highly anticipated as well, with a great cast (Eastwood, Amy Adams, and Justin Timberlake) and an interesting premise (we don’t get too many movies that delve deeply into the stat-obsessed world of baseball, save for last year’s Moneyball of course). Like Judge Dredd, it’s almost as if Trouble With the Curve has been made to specifically appeal to me (I’m a huge baseball fan and stat nerd). Cannot wait to have a date night and catch this movie (special thanks to Amy Adams for making this a date-worthy movie!).

The Master

Paul Thomas Anderson returns after a five year hiatus with 2012’s most controversial film, The Master. Many have speculated over whether or not Anderson’s new film is a fictional account of the roots of Scientology, the oft-derided “religion” frequently espoused by the likes of Tom Cruise and John Travolta among many other high profile celebrities. Whether this is or is not the case (which it obviously is) is almost entirely irrelevant to me; a project featuring Joaquin Phoenix (in his first serious role since “giving up” acting a few years back as some kind of stunt art performance) and Philip Seymour Hoffman is going to pique my interesting a hundred times out of a hundred. That The Master is directed by Anderson, perhaps America’s finest young filmmaker (the guy made Boogie Nights in his 20s…), is also helpful.

October

Cloud Atlas

The latest feature from the Wachowski’s (in collaboration with Tom Tykwer, director of Run Lola Run) has garnered mixed critical acclaim thus far. Personally, I don’t care. Cloud Atlas, the sprawling, epic tale of science fiction, love, and whatnot, is a must-see as far as I’m concerned. The Wachowki’s work is almost never boring (for as bad as the third Matrix sequel is, it really isn’t boring) and the cast is absolutely fantastic. Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, and Hugo Weaving round out a heavyweight cast who play multiple characters throughout Cloud Atlas’s inter-weaving tales. The unorthodox six minute trailer shows off some of the neat special effects present in the film as well, and the project has a great look and feel to it thus far. Hopefully this doesn’t end up as another Prometheus.

Taken 2

Let’s get one thing clear: a sequel to Taken, 2009’s surprise smash hit and “dad fiction” subgenre revitalizer, was probably never a good idea. Courtesy of the first film making buckets of money, we ended up with it anyway, and at least the same writing team (which includes prolific talent Luc Besson) is back. Most importantly however, Liam Neeson is back as an ex-CIA bad-ass, and he’ll bring with him his specific set of skills in order to save his family once again from the clutches of generic Eurotrash gangsters. I can’t possibly imagine this project turning out well and I have the absolute lowest of expectations, but this might turn out to be a good thing (it should at least be better than this year’s Lockout, also a Luc Besson joint). After initially scoffing at the project, the trailer did somewhat grow on me. If Taken 2 doesn’t hit, I won’t be surprised. If it does, however, then I’ll be the first one to eat crow and sing its praises.

Argo

Ben Affleck has garnered much critical acclaim for his directorial efforts thus far, which include 2007’s underrated crime thriller Gone Baby Gone and 2010’s overrated crime thriller The Town. While I was lukewarm on both of these movies over all, it is hard to deny that Affleck has talent as a director. His upcoming film Argo, featuring Bryan Cranston, Allan Arkin, and Affleck himself, is about a group of Americans and Canadians who partner up in order to help rescue hostages during the infamous 1979 Iran hostage crisis. Featuring what looks to be a cast that has settled well into the 1970s, Affleck’s period piece looks incredibly interesting as well as a lot of fun (something lacking in his first two efforts) and will assuredly be an awards season contender.

November

Wreck-It Ralph

Disney’s newest non-Pixar CG animated film comes courtesy of long-time Futurama collaborator Rich Moore and gifted actor John C. Reilly (whose comedy appearances at this point are far more interesting to me than his dramatic roles). Inspired by classic arcade games of yesteryear, Wreck-It Ralph (a sort-of Mario-like game) is the story of a video game villain (Ralph) who wants to change his ways and become a good guy (switching games and genres – from platformer to first-person-shooter  – in the process). Ralph’s switch-up throws the video game world into total upheaval, as could be expected in a film of this variety. Ralph looks like an interesting project. It has the potential to be the first non-Pixar film to hit the heights of Pixar fare like Toy Story, Up, and Wall-E. Reilly’s voice performance seems well-suited to the titular character and spin-off and sequel expectation is there as well. I can’t wait to check out what appears to be a fun take on the video game universe (and what may end up as the best video game movie of all time).

James Bond: Skyfall

Bond is back this fall, and it’s about time. It would be both bad writing and super cheesy to say that expectations for Skyfall are sky high, but I just don’t care (because they are – and I’m a bad writer as well). 2008’s Quantum of Solace, while not a terrible movie, did not garner as good a reputation as the first Daniel Craig Bond film, Casino Royale. From initial trailers and impressions, Skyfall looks to take Casino Royale levels of coolness to the next level, and excite audiences this November. Featuring a killer supporting cast (Javier Bardem as a villain? yes, please) and directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition), Skyfall enters theaters at a maximum level of anticipation. I have absolutely loved Craig as James Bond and am excited to see him on the big screen (and even on IMAX!) as Bond once again.

December

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

I’m not the biggest fan of Lord of the Rings and its Peter Jackson-directed trilogy of endlessly long films, but I admire both film spectacle and enormous tentpole releases. The upcoming Hobbit adaptation (split needlessly into a trilogy when two films, if not even one, would have been just fine) is such a release, and looks to perhaps revolutionize special effects the way Avatar did three years ago. Filmed in 48 frames-per-second, previews of Jackson’s film have so far been mixed, but he is promising that the final version will look much better. I’m ok with taking Jackson at his word, as his track record with special effects and tentpole films speaks for itself. Though I’m not an ardent fan, I’m greatly looking forward to this adaptation as it looks like it will be a lot of just plain fun, and will see it in IMAX 3D this December.

This is 40

The initial trailer for This is 40, the upcoming Judd Apatow quasi-sequel to Knocked Up is somewhat discouraging. Jokes seem obvious and rusty, characters appear smug and unlikable, and the overall tone has a bit of a been-there-done-that feel to it as well. It’s almost as if Apatow has fallen into a trap of sorts, only able to keep making the same movie over and over again. And yet, I’m still excited for this film. Starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann (amongst others), This is 40 is Apatow’s first directorial feature since the colossal bomb that was Funny People in summer 2009. Thing is, Funny People is actually secretly a great movie, and I have every right to believe that This is 40 will be good as well. The initial trailer may not be great, but I have to believe in Apatow at this point. This is 40 will either reaffirm my belief, or turn me off to him for good. There’s not much room for middle ground.

What films are you looking forward to this fall film season?

-Z-