Taken (2008)

The first time I saw this cinematic gem I became so engrossed in its story-world and intelligent action thrills, that before I even remembered to breathe again the film had finished... and I wanted to watch it all over again. Immediately. 

The classically structured linear narrative follows a diligent ex-military agent (Bryan) who has resigned from his successful career in the Special Forces to move to L.A, in an attempt to get to know his estranged daughter (Kim) after a messy divorce from his ex-wife. Then, enduring to please his daughter, Bryan reluctantly agrees to allow her to go on a trip to Paris with her best-friend to visit its cultural sites. But Kim really plans to follow U2 around Europe.

After giving Kim a mobile phone and explicit instructions to call him as soon as she arrives in Paris, he waves good-bye to her, the most important person in his life. Her last words to her father at the airport, 'I love you.'

Within hours of arriving in Paris, Kim and her best-friend are 'Taken' by an Albanian gang who kidnap young women and 'disappear' them within 96 hours of their being captured, never to be found again. These human traffickers forcefully addict their hostages to heroin to make them compliant, whilst beating, raping, and brain-washing them before selling them into prostitution. 

But as Kim is being taken by the gang she manages to call her father and pleads for his help. And Bryan uses all of his contacts, specialist skills and power to get to Paris to start tearing it up in order to find the child who he loves dearly… before she's lost forever...

Okay, so what could be the spiritual implications or life lessons that could be extracted from this film? Well, the simple life lesson I see is: listen to your dad if he's smart, knowledgeable and wise. Don't be stupid, because it's a dad's job to look after us.

'Listen to your father, who gave you life' - Proverbs 23:22

The spiritual aspect that stuck in my heart after watching this film, the main parable insight, is how God sees the needs of those who love Him and call upon his name to look after them, as a shepherd does his sheep. And this is summed up in one simple, reassuring, beautiful, all encompassing promise that Jesus gave to us 2,000 years ago, and which is now scripture in the Holy Bible.

"My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no-one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the father are one." - John 10:29

And this promise means that for those who have asked God the father to actually be their heavenly Father, nothing (not even a gang of evil human traffickers) can truly take us away from him. For he knows all things and is everywhere.

'For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:38

These promises assure the believer that no matter what tries to take us from him, he will not allow it. 

Ever. 


Not our bad choices or silly mistakes. 

Not our careers, wealth, despair, or poverty. Not even the main thing that threatens to 'take' us: the sin that we seem to gravitate to over and over again; even though we know our sins bring only an empty quick fix, and they take more from us than they ever give us. 


But if we call out to God for help and to be rescued then nothing... not sin, or guilt, or fear, or even death of our earthly body will take us from Him. In fact the opposite is true, because allowing God to deal with our guilt, fear and sin helps us to become more like Jesus - and that brings us closer to God. And even earthly death brings us all face to face with almighty God and a closer relationship with Him in glory if we have asked for salvation.

 'Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.' - 1 John 3:2

I can bear testimony to this in many ways, that God will come and rescue us if we fall away from a relationship with Him. Or if allow something to fruitlessly 'take' away our affections towards Him.

'Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God.' - Exodus 20:5

A Quick Testimony of how I was taken and rescued:

I became a Christian in 2003. It's by far the best decision i've ever made, or ever will make; because starting a right relationship with my Creator answered most of the questions I had about life, and why we're all here. It also quenched many of my fears and false knowledge, replacing them with hope and truth. This relationship also filled the God shaped hole that I felt in my heart every single day before asking Jesus into my heart. 

But i'm only human, and that makes me occasionally stupid.

Many years later I fell away from God and started to drink and dabble in 'trendy' drugs. 

My sinful nature desired to take me away from the promises and blessings of God, and I was slowly losing my mind. And my peace. And was becoming deluded and bitter. I also raised up idols in my life: women, celebrities, self-righteousness… 

Now, just as Bryan's daughter Kim didn't deserve her dad risking all to come and rescue her (because she was stupid too)  - I didn't deserve my heavenly father coming to rescue me. 

Yet he did, because the main roles of a father to his child are to guide, teach, protect, and show the child that they are loved. And just as importantly; how to love.  

God showed me that love in Jesus Christ.

'I would sacrifice anything.' (to get his child back) - Bryan.

My Heavenly Father also showed up to rescue me on the 13th june 2010 with thunder and lightning. And I sat in the pouring rain with my King James bible, tears falling down my face as he took me through an eye-opening spiritual journey using the book of psalms and proverbs to speak to me. 

'In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud' - Psalm 81:7

I was terrified, and saw how my mind had been taken prisoner (because i made the wrong choices, just like Kim) and that I needed rescuing and couldn't do it  myself. 

'What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? - Matthew 18:12

And, as the criminals that took Brian's daughter in the movie Taken saw, I saw that my father in heaven is powerful, and mighty, and knows exactly how to save me. And will not stop until he has saved me from myself and the enemy of my soul. He showed me that he will not have his children killed to sin if they repent and call upon His name. Because he's already seen his only begotten Son, Jesus, who chose the cross and became sin itself (even though he had never sinned) die. God won't suffer seeing his loved one's pointlessly die to sin because Jesus's death was to bring us life. By choosing a sinful life I was being foolish and fooled.

So I stopped what I was doing, started to pray with a right heart towards God. Began the journey with my LORD and saviour again by reading the bible and making right decisions; like finding a bible teaching church and renewing my mind by His word.

'Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.' - Romans 12:2

I still regretfully visit sin, we all do, but I refuse to live there as a permanent misguided hostage.

'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.' - 1 John 1:9

So that's what I see in my heart when I watch the movie 'Taken' ...

... A father's love for his child and his hatred of evil that preys upon this world. A father who will sacrifice all he has to give us freedom and life.

The film also contains some great dialogue, world-class acting from Nesson as 'Bryan'. Amazing martial arts and believable performances from the supporting cast. The action is staggered by really intelligent writing (co written by Luc Besson) which shows off the character Bryan's immense special-forces skills. Considering that the film was originally expected to fair poorly by the producers and cast, with a meagre budget of $25, 000, 000, it did exceptionally well, receiving praise from critics and earning ten times what the film cost to make with box-office sales alone.


A sequel been written, and Nesson has agreed to play 'Bryan' again. There are even rumours of a prequel; no doubt seeing Bryan in action in Afghanistan or Iraq, honing his talents.  

If you don't mind being wowed by a charismatic ass-whooping brilliant dad on an all-out quest to save his daughter, then I whole heartily recommend this movie. It comes with a warning though: you will be on the edge of your seat. You will clench your fists. You will feel anxious for his plight. You will draw your loved ones nearer. And you will feel great during the last scenes of the film.

And for those who don't know the truth yet…

You have a Father in heaven who made you and ADORES you. He would do so much for you to be right with Him. He would live for you, and he would (and has) die for you. He did at the bloody cross on calvary's hill, and now He offers you protection and guidance and love for all of eternity. 

'They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.' - Ezekial 37:23

May God bless you and keep you.