Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violent, disturbing rescue/revenge thriller isn't for kids.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Taken
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 49 parent reviews
Based on 116 kid reviews
Kids say this movie raises serious questions about its PG-13 rating, with many viewers finding the levels of violence and themes of human trafficking quite disturbing and more appropriate for older teens or even adults. While it offers intense action and character depth, the brutal scenes, drug use, and mature content make it a challenging watch for younger audiences, prompting most to recommend it for those aged 12 and up, depending on maturity.
- violence level
- mature themes
- awareness raising
- suitable for teens
- age recommendation
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In TAKEN, Liam Neeson plays Bryan Mills, a former CIA operative who's retired early to Los Angeles to be closer to his 17-year-old daughter Kim (Maggie Grace). Bryan reluctantly agrees to let Kim travel to Europe with her impetuous friend Amanda (Katie Cassidy), but only if she takes an international cell phone with her and promises to call every day. His concerns seem quite justified: Within half an hour of landing in Paris, Kim and Amanda are kidnapped into a disturbing world of sex trafficking. Luckily for Kim, she was checking in with her dad when the kidnapping took place, so Bryan is immediately able to use his counterintelligence skills to track down the European thugs responsible for her capture.
Is It Any Good?
Neeson is an actor of considerable gravitas, and it's downright puzzling why this is his first meaty role in a mainstream film since Batman Begins. While he's well cast as an unstoppable father who could -- and would -- do serious damage to anyone in order to save his daughter, he's just too good for this revenge flick. And Grace, who's actually 25, plays Kim as way too immature (she even affects the awkward run of an uncoordinated 8-year-old girl). No wonder she was such an easy mark.
Still, this thriller could be used as a cautionary tale for trusting high school girls traveling abroad. Kim and Amanda disclose so much information to a complete stranger -- even sharing a cab with him -- that it's eye-rollingly infuriating. Perhaps French director Pierre Morel thinks wealthy L.A. teens would act this way, but it's hard to swallow. But even harder to believe is that a CIA-trained specialist would kill seemingly everyone (and that's no exaggeration) he meets without saving anyone other than his daughter. Morel shows dozens of women enslaved for their bodies, but in the end audiences are supposed to just forget about them and cheer for Kim? That's quite disturbing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what makes this PG-13-rated movie different from R-rated films.
Is the violence less graphic or upsetting? Why or why not? What impact does seeing this kind of violence have on teens?
Families can also discuss the ethical and moral lines that characters cross in the movie. Are Bryan's actions justified because he finds his daughter?
Kim and her friend partially to blame for their perilous dilemma? What mistakes did they make?
How are Americans portrayed in the film (versus Europeans)?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 30, 2009
- On DVD or streaming : May 12, 2009
- Cast : Famke Janssen , Liam Neeson , Maggie Grace
- Director : Pierre Morel
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 94 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : intense sequences of violence, disturbing thematic material, sexual content, some drug references and language
- Last updated : September 4, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate