Taken

I've been a SciFi fan all my life. Nevertheless I watched many of the effect driven shows, in the end its always the story that is important to me. Good if the effects are credible, but too many shows or movies have nothing really interesting besides the effects. I watch Taken for about the third time now. I really like that it is not just about good guys killing bad aliens. There are not effects all over the place, just where they are needed. The story is kind of like a theory that tries to make a probable explanation for all the abduction and flying saucer stories, crop circles or ancient astronauts we often hear about, a very entertaining way how all the mystery could be connected. And its told by using the history of several generations of three families and the consequences the aliens have on them. Some reviewers wrote to find Taken boring, and I can understand that from the view of someone looking just for action and effects. Taken is so much more then that.

Okay, this is for anybody who was wondering if they should watch "Taken" and decided to check out the IMDb message boards. Here's the main point: If you're looking for a movie that's all about weird alien stuff and is full of out-there special effects, this may not be for you. Sure, the aliens they showed were pretty cool-looking, but they're not the important part of the movie. The human characters are, particularly the ones in the Keys, Crawford, and Clarke families. Especially Ally. This series was a sneaky way of exposing people to heart-warming family stories. And now that I read that back, I understand why you would need to call it sci-fi for people to watch. I am a female, but I'm not the "chick flick" type. I like stories about the strange and unusual. But the sad thing is that strong and loving families, like the Clarkes, are just that these days. This movie is not about extraterrestrial beings. It's about people and the world we live in... and the world our parents and grandparents lived in. The 20 hours it took for this story to unfold was necessary, because it allowed us to get to know the characters. And once you feel like you really know them, you start to feel what the feel. And isn't that what makes a great movie? I mean, if a movie can make you feel emotions you haven't experienced in awhile, it's worth 20 hours to me. If you want real "sci-fi", I suggest X-Files.

There is more than one dimension upon which "Taken" must be judged. It's a movie, a TV mini-series, a large collection of "theatrical moments," it's somewhat of a social/political commentary, it's a diary for all the old (and young) hippies, and it's a "message" flick about possible new frontiers, etc. It's all of those things at once. It performs differently on all of those dimensions.

Without boring the reader with my opinions regarding each dimension, permit me to summarize by merely saying that yes, it is great in places, it works very well in others. It is a bit "TV-y" and trite on a small few. Also, the ending smacked of a corporate-marketing mentality. It almost said, "Stay tuned for a thin and overly drawn-out clunker of a TV series and/or series of never-as-good-as-the-original and frustratingly exploitative and hideous sequels." I really hope I'm not right about that--- but sadly, I fear that I am.

Overall, though, "Taken" it is a very good thing. Watch it, dig it, enjoy it! Oh--- and what's the deal with the little girl who played Allie? Dakota Fanning was her name? Wow! She was cute and perky, all right. But dang--- she went WAY beyond cute clear through to amazing. What a major find that little actor is! Think about it--- the producers needed a kid who could embody a cosmic wisdom that transcended all the earthly adults, AND still have the "little kid" vulnerability and cuteness of a real child. Fanning was a marvel at accomplishing all of those things at once.

I post the first comment about this series, i thought this mini will be a 'must see' classic, but i was wrong, this is a 'must have' series... It's the best mini-series I've seen in my life, I'm just amazed about all the story line and after seen nine episodes i know that tomorrow when conclude the last one i will start to count the days for the release of the DVDs.

If you though that X-Files was one of the best sci-fi alien themed series of all time you got to love this one too!... it have a concept very different about the life beyond the sky, different from X-Files but really well managed and presented.

I thought that this mini series was great! The acting was terrific and the suspense was practically killing me. I felt a mix of emotions for all of the different generations of characters. The different storyline arcs are riveting. By today's standards, the special effects are a little lacking, but that could be easily fixed because I think it's time to give reboot this mini series.

As a Pastafarian, it would be great to see more pasta in the movie..