Liam Neeson's Taken, The Real Punisher Movie We Should Have Got?

[daywalker2007]

Anybody else agree that Liam Neeson in "Taken" is the Punisher movie we should have got instead of Warzone?

If you haven't seen it, I would advise you to watch it immediately.

Liam Neeson deliveres the most brutal and efficient killings you will ever see on screen.

I felt like I was watching a real Punisher movie, but with a different name only. Sure, Liam Neeson is going after the people who have kidnapped his daughter, and none of his family have died.
But the way he goes about business is simply the most bad ass you will see on screen.

This movie wipes the floor with Quantum of Solace or any Bourne Movie for that matter in terms of pure action and the fights are awesome.

Some of the kills and action and the seriousness of the movie, with no campy acting was a sight to behold.

It is astonishing that "Taken" is more like Punisher than Punisher Warzone or Punisher 04.

I'm talking purely of the brutal action and the way he punishes his victims!
Taken provides such a satisfying experience, with all the bad guys taken out and justice served.

Maybe Luc Besson needs to be hired for a Punisher Movie.

But yeah, it looks like we got 2 Punisher films this year if you look at it in this way!

PWZ - a movie which divided opinion and flopped completely

and

Taken - a box office smash "Punisher" style movie which has grossed 68 million from international markets alone, and it didn't even go theatrical in the USA.

 

[Heretic]

I saw a trailer for Taken before Punisher, and I felt a little embarrassed that it looked more like a "Punisher" movie than what I assumed I was about to watch. I think its coming out in the US soon.

This happened years ago with Man On Fire, and now its happened again. The Punisher is treated like a "comic book character" while the same circumstances are handled as a serious issue in another movie to better results and better box office.

 

[daywalker2007]

I agree.

Maybe PWZ could have benefitted from using the same sort of style as "taken".

Taken has to be one of the most underrated movies this year!
Neeson, being over 50, delivers some of the most craziest and brutal kills I have ever seen on film.

Even the end fight is a brutal affair, showing how he will go through anyone to get his daughter back.

Seriously though, for any next Punisher movie, they need to get Luc Besson or someone like that, someone who understands the underlying themes of the Punisher.

 

[cryptic name]

i saw Taken and really didn't think of the Punisher at all. it was very cool, don't get me wrong, but nothing screamed Punisher to me specifically

 

[mrvlknight21]

It looked like a cross between Ransom and Man on Fire to me.

 

[Bubonic]

I took a chance and watched this movie.
I was completely blown away.

It definitely has some moments that would fit well in a Punisher movie, and if we had that director and writers team up with Ennis we'd of had something we could all be proud of.

That being said, I feel the movie wouldn't of benefited from Neeson wearing a skull t-shirt.

The fact that he is systematic, the fact that he is unflinchingly brutal and does anything to get the job done is played out much better here then I noticed it in P:WZ.

He'll torture you more intensely then Jack Bauer ever could and you can tell he is a driven man, he has a mission and he'll do anything to carry it out.

The fight choreography by Olivier Schneider was really amazing, the hand to hand stuff was really exciting, played out naturally and brutally. More exciting then anything in P:WZ, and the guys he was killing were so despicable you kept wanting them to get done in.

The directing was amazing, I loved the shots where he'd visualize how the incident went down and how they incorporated the flash back in the scene. Visually I thought it was pretty epic, all the shots where beautiful.

The action shots where quite quick... But people need to realize that action often takes place at very high speeds. Otherwise the director has to slow things down and that is lame and annoying, and got overdone to death at some point.

The action is fast and furious, and doesn't let up once it gets started.

The story is very compelling, moreso then you could ever really make a Punisher movie.
I say this because Neeson in this is a man on a mission to save his daughter, whereas Punisher has nothing left to fight for except the fight itself.
Castles story can never have a happy ending, in reality he really is one of the darkest characters out there. His world is so grim and ugly.

They really did a great job making us care for the relationship he has, or is trying to have with his daughter, we can feel how much he loves and wants to protect his daughter... I bet people with kids can appreciate this movie much more then I can at this point.

I can see this movie actually being scary for parents, just to think about it.

I don't remember how good Slavers was, but I'm glad Lexi didn't grace that storyline with her slapstick slant, or P:WZ would be even more embarrassing in light of Taken!

We've had three movies, and it seems pretty clear now that they've all failed. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if the next movie would end up being something Troma would be proud of.

But if the next pitch is something gimmicky like Punisher in Paris, I'd look forward to it if I heard Pierre Morel was attached to the project.

 

[Bubonic]

Here's a negative review sure to make you want to track this baby down!

If you took Commando and replaced all its humour (intentional or otherwise) with snarling hatred, you’d end up with Taken - a risible male-re-empowerment fantasy

 

[xwolverine2]

has taken even come out yet?

 

[webhead731]

I don't know how you guys see Punisher either...

It looks good. It looks like the new James Bond. Brutal and calm (the character I mean).

But Punisher? Please.

 

[Bubonic]

I just think daywalker2007 got quite excited to experience what a great revenge thriller felt like.
If you could get that type of seriousness and brutality in a Punisher movie, you'd be heading in the right direction.

 

[CASk8er87]

Next time around for a Punisher movie...lets not even use the word "Punisher" in it the Dark Knight did it why cant the punisher. I think what has happened is a lot of people are turned off from the word Punisher. Call the movie "Castle of New York" or something catchy without using the name. I bet people would be more interested that way. Name the movies after the story arc names (ex "Welcome Back Frank", or "The Slavers", etc.)

 

[Bubonic]

Let's worry about making an actually good movie before stressing about the title.

 

[daywalker2007]

well both punisher 04 and PWZ both had some fairly brutal kills.

but Taken seemed to be more direct and swift in its kills.

If definitely feels satisfying when you see someone get revenge in such a quick and brutal way.

Certainly, that feeling needs to be in the next Punisher movie,
where you feel the Punisher getting revenge, and that he really means it.

 

[ObakeTora]

Let's worry about making an actually good movie before stressing about the title.

yea but I like that idea, I thought it was pretty camp the way they keept throwing the Punisher name around. My choice would be to name the film after a chapter from a direct adaption, such as "The Slavers" My only hopee now for a decent Pun flick is that somebody in the 1960's may have been having this same conversation about Batman.

 

[Art Damage]

Taken looks amazing, the only other time I've ever gotten chills from a trailer was The Dark Knight.

I thought going into War Zone, I was going to see something along those lines. WZ had more in common with the Toxic Avenger.

 

[Bubonic]

yea but I like that idea, I thought it was pretty camp the way they keept throwing the Punisher name around. My choice would be to name the film after a chapter from a direct adaption, such as "The Slavers" My only hopee now for a decent Pun flick is that somebody in the 1960's may have been having this same conversation about Batman.

At this point, if we ever get another movie... It probably would be wise to avoid using Punisher in the title. Sell it as a great action movie with an actual story, and if it is as good as a direct adaptation of Ennis could be, then get ready for a franchise.

 

[nightwing06]

Im going to watch Taken this weekend the trailer was intriguing
Thanks for your reviews

 

[NEONINJA007]

Taken is very hum drum. Neeson is good as always but the directing and the stooary are pants. It tries to play on fears of anti-americanism. Yawn

If I'd rather watch big Ray smash a skull then that s fine by me. The amount of "movie snobs" is growing larger by the day. They can just go and get to ****!

 

[NEONINJA007]

Quantum of Solace is way better than Taken BTW. If Luc Besson was actually behind the camera for that one then it could have got intersting. There is a reason Taken has not been released Daywalker. You must be able to figure it out, surely?

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Um, its coming out in January.

 

[nightwing06]

I highly recommend this movie.Liam Neeson is part James Bond,part Punisher in this flick.Once it gets going it never stops,doesnt officially hits U.S theatres until 1-30-09
10/10

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

^^^
Right idea.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

---

 

[Shedhut]

Taken was ridiculous. enjoyable though

 

[HoboJoe]

I thought Liam Neeson, for an untrained martial artist (or is he?) was FREAKING INCREDIBLE in this movie!

Actually, its funny this topic is started because I personally thought htis was closer to Robert Ludlum's novel The Bourne Ultimatum! Which portrays a highly badass Jason Bourne in his mid 50s, like Neeson, who is also a Vietnam vet who lost his family (sound famliar) and brings several cases of whoop-ass to the table.

Anyway, I thought, for the budget, and having the some of the issues it did, War Zone was the Punisher movie I hoped for. Stevenson showed us a brutally non-stopping Frank that I think was just as intimidating and deadly if not more so then Neeson's. Frank was big, mean, cold, fast, and would pour on the heat to the max nonstop.
Unfortunatly the fight scenes weren't numerous or enough IMO for the Punisher movie, but I understand that maybe Lexi didn't make it want to seem like another martial arts movie, but she could have added a few more.

I hope that IF we get a sequel they will learn from their mistakes and give us a better part 2. Which I think it can be done with Stevenson at the helm (although this sounds eerily familiar to what was being said around 2004, I honestly IMO feel ALOT better about this one)...