Taken

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.

One of the best series I've seen in years! Me and my wife saw all 10 episodes in two days (just intended to check out one)! That hasn't happened in a very long time..

The story just gets hold of you and sometimes gives you goosebumps since it's so good!

My favorite parts are the early episodes but the series really changes, or evolves might be better explanation, so it still manages to glue you to the TV..

I'm a sci-fi fan that loves a good story but doesn't bother on technical or historical details (aka Trekkie's) so this series was top-score for me!

/jon

Despite itss slow parts, We all loved Close Encounters of The Third Kind...right? well imagine Taking Close Encounters and stretching it out into twelve episodes. Just imagine how slow it would be then. Well if done correctly, such an idea could work exceptionally well. hence, we have Taken, Spielberg's and Dreamworks' return to the sky and who or what is beyond. An outstanding mini-series, which when it wants to be can evoke every emotion. sometimes it's grim sometimes it's utterly heart-warming, though the series as a whole is dark, it has incredible mystique. My advice is that you dedicate one week of your life to watching taken, one episode a night, although it's good enough that you may go through it in only two or three nights.

Starting with the Roswell incident of 1947, Taken chronicles three generations of Three different families leading up to the present day. they all have a part in this incredible story of a visit from other beings, who want something from us which they have waited a long time for.

There are not many names in the cast, I'll say that. The only ones people may recognize are Datoka Fanning and Heather Donahue (Blair Witch). which I wouldn't say there are any award worthy performances, everybody is invested enough to be convincing, especially Fanning.

I guarantee that unless you have a tree second attention span, You will come away from Taken with an amazing Television experience.

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.

As a huge fan of "The X-Files" and related fare, one would think I would have viewed Steven Spielberg's "Taken" earlier than its ten-year anniversary. However, I was a bit skeptical of the entire concept (thinking of it as "just another alien show") and only began viewing when it was purchased by another family member. Boy, was I ever wrong about the course of this delightfully nuanced miniseries.

For a basic plot summary, "Taken" focuses on three families: the Clarkes, the Crawfords, & and the Keys. From the Roswell "crash" of the late 1940s until the "present day" (2002), this series tells the story of how the three families are intertwined both with each other and a mysterious alien presence stemming from that Roswell incident.

The thing to be aware of regarding this miniseries is that it is MUCH more about characters & family relationships than it is about aliens. Kind of like how "Band of Brothers" is as much about friendship and brotherhood as it is about war. While the "alien" angle is deeply embedded in the overall narrative, the extremely rich characters are easily what will make you keep watching for all ten episodes. From generation to generation, Spielberg weaves a compelling dramatic tale that always keeps you wondering what will happen next.

One word of warning: Do not be discouraged after the first 1-2 episodes, as this show takes a little bit of time to lay its own groundwork. Once you get to about the third episode, it starts really taking off to the point where you may finding yourself in "marathon mode" very quickly.

Overall, "Taken" can appeal to three primary audiences: those who just love a good science fiction yarn, those who prefer character dramas of the highest order, and those who can appreciate the generational aspect of the whole experience. In other words, Steven Spielberg does it again.