Taken it back

What is it about Paris? According to the movies, Americans tend to lose their loved ones there. Much like Harrison Ford’s quest through the Parisian underworld to rescue his missing wife in Frantic, Taken, in stores now, finds Liam Neeson hunting for his kidnapped daughter in an equally unwelcoming City of Love. But as written by Luc Besson, Neeson’s character is not simply a doting dad. He is a former spy ready to kick some serious can to save his 17-year-old—played by Maggie Grace of Lost—before she is sold into the slave trade or worse. Taken is only director Pierre Morel’s second feature, but his cinematography has been impressive with credits on Before Sunset and The Transporter, and his eye lends added depth to this thriller. Famke Janssen, Xander Berkeley and Katie Cassidy co-star. Rated PG-13.