DVD Reviews: 'Taken' entertains despite plot problems
Over the top and littered with an assortment of plot holes, "Taken" won't be considered a cinematic masterpiece anytime soon. It's unbelievably entertaining, though, and as a film, it falls somewhere between the "Bourne" and "Transporter" franchises and 2004's "Man on Fire." At the center of "Taken" is the talented Liam Neeson, who hasn't been this tough since he was training Bruce Wayne in 2005's "Batman Begins." Neeson has the role of Bryan Mills, a retired government agent who had a knack for decimating threats to the United States. When some dangerous Albanians kidnap his teen daughter for sale in the sex trade, he's back in bone-crunching action. Mills, through his previous experiences and connections, makes his way around Paris knocking out bad guys left and right. He's truly a man on a mission as he gets closer and closer to finding his daughter, all the while leaving a trail of dead bad guys in his wake. The entertainment value in "Taken" lies in its pedal-to-the-metal pacing. After a slow start to set up the plot, the flick never lets up. It's that pacing and the pedigree of Neeson — who, according to a making-of featurette, did most of his own stunts — that lift "Taken" past its assortment of story line problems. A making-of featurette explores a lot of the action sequences and the thoughts of director Pierre Morel, Neeson and some of the cast and crew. Decent commentary, a rather worthless side-by-side comparison of shooting and the film itself, and a few other odds and ends are available as special features. PG-13; 2008. Our Take: 2.5 Stars.
Rent It: According to IMDB, a sequel is already in the works.
'Underworld: Rise of the Lycans'
The werewolves and the vampires are back at it in "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans," a prequel to the initial two films — "Underworld" (2003) and "Underworld: Evolution" (2006). With this third installment comes the continuing decline of this film franchise. It's more of the same, and that's werewolves and vampires caught in a film that tries to incorporate into its action elements of Shakespeare and an epic like "Spartacus." The action sequences don't even stand up to the film's "Underworld" predecessors. Buckets of blood don't cut it, and these characters — with the help of sloppy CGI — fail to sell the scenes, even with an abundance of throat slashes. With limp action and over-dramatic dialogue, even performances by Bill Nighy and Michael Sheen can't save this third coming. Led by Lucian (Sheen), the Lycans — a species of werewolves that changes from human to beast at will — have been kept as slaves by Viktor (Nighy) and the vampires. When Viktor does Lucian wrong, Lucian puts together a rebellion to push the vamps underground and set the stage for a bloody war. The standard DVD and Blu-ray packages split off in the special features department with Blu-ray gaining an interactive edge. A trilogy package also will hit stores, and each title is packed with exclusive extras. R; 2009. Our Take: 2 Stars.
Rent It: This is the first venture from "Underworld" without Kate Beckinsale.
'Passengers'
Anne Hathaway and Patrick Wilson play leading roles in "Passengers," a supernatural thriller that takes a few wrong turns before landing in a neighborhood usually reserved for directors such as M. Night Shyamalan. The film — directed by Rodrigo Garcia — kicks off as a psychological thriller before taking the supernatural route in the waning moments. Unfortunately, the shift is done all wrong. While the clues are there to be picked up on the way to a surprise ending, they essentially lead to nowhere. The film abandons these clues and simply gives the twist away. In effect, "Passengers" is a waste of time. Wilson and Hathaway are up to standard, but this story is way too convoluted. Hathaway assumes the role of Claire, a young therapist assigned to speak with victims of a horrific plane crash. When Claire begins the support group, weird things start happening to the survivors, and they start disappearing one by one. When it comes down to one survivor — Eric (Wilson), a man she's started a relationship with — she begins to question her own sanity. These thoughts lead her into an act of self-discovery. There are plenty of extras for "Passengers." A featurette on the plane crash is worth a look as it examines the many aspects of the filming. A below-average making-of featurette also is on board, along with commentary from Garcia and Wilson, and a handful of deleted scenes. PG-13; 2008. Our Take: 1.5 Stars.
Skip It: Another week, another DVD dud for Hathaway.
'Just Another Love Story'
This Danish import is far from just another love story. It is, in fact, an accomplished thriller that bends and twists in the form of a breath-taking relationship built on one big lie. Yeah, that's the gist of this Ole Bornedal-directed flick that finds its roots in modern film noir. Jonas (Anders W. Berthelsen) is a married fellow with two kids and job with the police department photographing dead bodies. That is until an accident changes his life. A young woman is terribly hurt in a car crash trying to steer away from Jonas' broken-down car. Feeling responsible, he goes to visit her in the hospital and is immediately penned in by her family as her boyfriend, Sebastian. Locked in and unable to escape the lie, Jonas goes with it, and he's able to pull it off because Julia has amnesia. Unfortunately, the real Sebastian is a very dark part of her past and brutal flashes of him begin to creep back into her conscience. It's much too late for Jonas, though. He's left his family and is living with Julia until he's forced to navigate the truth and deal with a dangerous aspect of Julia's life. "Just Another Love Story" isn't the best foreign import to land on U.S. soil in the past couple years, but it resides somewhere near the top. With its blend of gripping storytelling, top-shelf performances and arresting cinematography, "Just Another Love Story" is a major statement for Danish film. The only negative would be the lack of extras on the DVD. NR; 2008. Our Take: 3 Stars.
Rent It: Denmark isn't as nice a place as you might think.
'Personal Effects'
Starring Ashton Kutcher and Michelle Pfeiffer, "Personal Effects" marks the feature-film debut of Pittsburgh native David Hollander. The filmmaker, who attended both Mt. Lebanon and Sewickley Academy, previously had done some TV work. His personal touch is obvious, as locales like Carnegie Mellon and McKees Rocks come out of the script. The film ties an older woman (Pfeiffer) and a younger man (Kutcher) together, as they both deal with terrible losses in their lives. As Walter (Kutcher) starts to fall for Linda (Pfeiffer) and her deaf son Clay (played wonderfully by Spencer Hudson), he's dealt another personal blow and considers leaving Linda and Clay for good. "Personal Effects" is an average love story that drags occasionally, but it finds some redemption in a warm ending. A lackluster making-of featurette is the lone special feature available. R; 2008. Our Take: 2 Stars.
More movie releases
"The Grudge 3" (Shawnee Smith, R, extras), "S. Darko" (Daveigh Chase, R, extras), "High Hopes" (Edward Furlong, R), "Galaxy Quest: 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" (Tim Allen, PG, extras), "Sex & Lies in Sin City" (Mena Suvari, NR, extras), "Speed Racer the Next Generation: Comet Run The Movie" (animated, NR, extras) and "Legally Blondes" (Becky and Milly Rosso, PG, extras).
More TV releases
"Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy" (one disc, 50 comedic shorts, extras), "The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series" (one disc, four episodes including "The City on the Edge of Forever," extras), "The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation" (one disc, four episodes, including "The Measure of a Man," extras), "Penn and Teller BS!: The Complete Sixth Season" (two discs, 10 episodes), "The Jeff Foxworthy Show: The Complete Second Season" (two discs, 23 episodes), "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 25th Anniversary: Season 7" (four collectible DVDs featuring different episodes from Season 7, extras) and "The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin: The Complete Series" (four discs, 21 episodes, extras).
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