My Take on the Movie TAKEN.

Imagine having a dad who's a cross between Jack Bauer, McGyver and a Superhero. That's how I would describe Bryan Mills (played by Liam Neeson). As an ex-operative for the government, he truly had "a unique set of skills that make [him] a nightmare for [kidnappers]".

As an expert in the field, Mills knew exactly how to untangle the twisted web woven by a deeply-rooted human trafficking ring that snatched up his 18-year old daughter Kim upon her arrival with a friend in Paris.

From the simple dreams of young teenage girls off to see the world on their own, a frightening modus operandi involving not just Albanian crooks, but even the French police and airport security was uncovered as Mills fought to beat the 96-hour window that would spell the difference between his daughter's safety and never seeing her again.

The film takes the viewer to the dangerous underworld of such a syndicate and gives one a glimpse into the harsh realities of human trafficking.

If you're looking for a good way to escape the summer heat, head off to a cinema near you and get enthralled by this enxciting, nerve-racking, "at-the-edge-of-your-seat-holding-yor-breath" flick!. The only downside to the film, however, is that there were no captions for the dialogue in French...which left me kinda guessing what they were trying to say. Nonetheless, I would give this movie a grade of 3.75 (5 being the highest).

Released by Viva International Pictures, TAKEN opens in cinemas today, March 11, 2009.

Props to AZ for scoring us invites to the movie, and THANKS to VIVA INTERNATIONAL PICTURES for welcoming us to the premiere :-)

photo courtesy of Azrael Coladilla