First Hit: This is a no bones about it film. You know the plot, you know the ending, and it is well done.
Liam Neeson plays Bryan Mills a retired CIA operative who was a “preventer” which meant he prevented major world issues from happening while in the service for his country.
His job took him all over the world and therefore he wasn’t home much. He missed being with his daughter Kim (played by Maggie Grace) and therefore as she turns 17 years old, he wants to recapture what he lost, so he retires and moves to be near his daughter and hopefully rekindle his relationship with her.
His former wife and daughter ask him to sign a form allowing her to travel to Europe which is customary in divorce cases when the child is under 18. Him being the ever cautious person because of his former life gives her an international cell phone and asks her to call every night.
When he speaks with her the first time, it so happens that her roommate is being abducted and she is about to be abducted. Liam heads to Paris to find his daughter and save her from her abductees.
The director Pierre Morel kept this film under control the whole way. Liam played to his strengths and wasn't trying to be someone he wasn’t (like romancing someone half his age). The crooks were mean and dark enough and I loved the guy sitting at the table when Liam enters the compound where girls, like his daughter, are kept. This guy had that look that said “I’m bad, I know I’m bad, you know I’m bad and I don’t need to say a thing.”
Overall: This a straightforward adventure thriller and it works because the scenes are crisp, tight and clear. There is little confusion in this film and it is simply one to sit back and enjoy.