Get Taken

The Verdict: 
GO SEE!


REVIEW:

The crime action film Takers may have dethroned Sex and the City 2 as the number one unofficial "girl flick" of 2010.

Crime action film = girl flick?

It is when the film stars: Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Michael Ealy, Hayden Christensen, Tip "T.I." Harris and Chris Brown.

The plot isn't what packed the theatre with squealing, dreamy eyed females of all ages at my showing that's for sure.

Which actor got the most cheers and whistles when they first made their appearance on the screen?

It's a six way tie.

The handsome Takers are made up of Gordon Jennings, the Leader, played by Elba (Obsessed, Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls) with his charming British accent for a nice change, John Rahway, the Bagman played by Walker (The Fast and the Furious series), Jake (the Gunman) and Jesse (the Runner) Attica, brothers, played by Ealy (Barbershop series, Seven Pounds) and R&B singer/actor Brown (Stomp the Yard, This Christmas), Hayden Christensen (Jumper, Star Wars Episodes II, III, VI) as AJ, the Builder and "Ghost" the Smooth Talker played almost too believable, by rapper/actor Harris (ATL, American Gangster).

Gruff voiced Dillon (Crash, Armored) and apt to good guy roles, Hernandez (Hostel series, Quarantine) play police partners, Jack Welles and Eddie Hatcher who are the first to figure out the Takers' heist and stop at nothing to take them down.

There are just three women in the film, Zoe Saldana (Avatar, Center Stage) Jake's fiancee, Marianne Jean-Baptiste (City of Ember, The 24 Hour Woman) being outstanding as the trying to recover drug addict sister of Jennings and Zulay Henao (Feel the Noise) in a small role as Hatcher's wife.

Standout scenes are of Brown's exhausting three minute (which seems like a lot more) on foot chase scene, Walker's badass driving of two armored trucks into the ground, the big hotel shoot out scene between the Takers and a gang of Russian criminals and pretty boy tattooed Christensen's character beating down three+ guys all alone.

Now standout scenes for female viewers: It's either the almost shot of Walker from behind, naked, or maybe the scene where Elba gets out of bed shirtless wearing just boxer briefs or just maybe Brown in a tight tank top drenched in sweat!

The interesting thing about the characters in Takers, from the Takers to the cops--- no one is strictly "good" or "bad."

The lines are blurred. You'll find yourself rooting for the supposed bad guy at one point and jeering for the seemingly good guy at another.

The plot of Takers seems simple: criminals plan to pull off a heist but it's much more complicated than that. There are many twists and turns starting mid movie that you will not see coming, plus some shocking deaths.

I wasn't happy with the fate of some characters but the film left me very satisfied as a whole.

With an all around great cast and not the usual cliched heist plot, Takers is a thrill ride from beginning to end.

Definitely take yourself to see it!

~Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810047058/trailer

*The Stars:

Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Matt Dillon, Tip "T.I." Harris, Chris Brown, Michael Ealy, Hayden Christensen, Jay Hernandez, Zoe Saldana, Marianne Jean-Baptiste

~Director:

John Luessenhop

~Music:

Paul Haslinger

~Rating:

PG-13
*But there is enough violence to make it on the verge of R-Restricted

~How Long:

1 hr. & 47 mins.

~Opening:
8/27/2010

FUN FACTS:

~Takers' original title was Bone Deep.

~Elba and Saldana starred in the 2010 comic book based film The Losers.

~The previous heist movie Dillon was in--- Armored (2009)--- he played a thief.