As far as the movie Taken, I would rate a 9. I would rate this movie a 7. The reason i compare these two is because of the premise of the movie.
Despite the lead role being played by an actress who is still learning to act, the movie is entertaining with some unexpected twists.
Remember that the lead actress is an actual female MMA Champion. She's well fit for a role like this, but not quite ready for Academy Awards. She's somewhat like a very attractive female version of Arnold Schwarzennager. Arnold wasn't the greatest actor when he first started acting. He was a Body Builder who played flat characters and over time became a much better actor. Most of his early success was due to his accent and one liners. If you notice, his acting has much improved in his role in "The Escape Plan". Who doesn't remember some famous Arnie quotes? I hated the movie Haywire, and even turned it off early on. I was hesitant to watch this movie due to bad reviews and worrying about how bad the acting would be.
I'd say that this movie is a good B movie. A lot of what makes the movie is how believable the main actress is at actually being able to kill someone. The rest of the cast surrounding her make it much more watchable. This is a movie where its best to shut off your brain, and enjoy some interesting and compelling action sequences.
While the movie is definitely far from reality, it was never supposed to be realistic. The movie lacks comedic relief, which drags it down a bit, but you feel drawn in and forget about your day's worries when watching it.
The point of a movie is to entertain. Did this movie entertain me? Absolutely. I wasn't bored at any point in watching the movie, I would watch it again with a friend when I'm in the mood.
While the movie is quite predictable, there are some scenes I didn't expect. I wouldn't take an under-ager to see this movie, nor a hot date, but you can enjoy this movie with people who enjoy action flicks.
The movie is not nearly as bad as the rating it received. The movie isn't one of my top 50, but it is for sure worth a watch or two.
If you plan to watch this movie, please do yourself a favor and shut off your brain and enjoy it for what it is.
While the main actress is far from the best actress, she has improved somewhat since her role in Haywire. She has potential to become a better actress.
There are definitely some disturbing scenes. If you don't like extremely violent and dark action movies, this movie is not for you.
If it wasn't for being able to enjoy this movie because of the reasons I listed, I would rate it a 4/10. The unique action scenes and interesting characters make up for the mediocre acting. The movie ends well, but I won't ruin the ending for anyone.
