Critic James Ward thinks you might enjoy Taken:
In the end, “Taken” is the movie equivalent of a pulp-fiction novel – something that Mickey Spillane or Richard Stark could have written. It’s tough, fast-paced and, most important, entertaining.
Anyone see this yet? If so, do you concur?
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The movie Spartan with Val Kilmer has a very similiar plot to this one, except I’d say it’s much more Stark-like than Taken, especially in regards to the characters. The main character’s involvment isn’t personal at all for one thing, though the plot is slightly more complicated than Taken’s more straight forward revenge story.
I’d also like to think Westlake wouldn’t be a fan of this Bourne-type choppy action editing.
Finally saw the movie tonight.
With you on the choppy editing, although it wasn’t nearly as bad as most of its contemporaries, including that wretched excuse for a James Bond movie I paid perfectly good money to see a couple of months back.
Not quite Parker enough to include in my Not Quite Parker section, but I enjoyed Taken tremendously.
Never even heard of Spartan. I’ll need to check it out. Is it any good?
Yeah, Quantum of Solace was literally unwatchable.
Spartan’s a David Mamet film, so it’s got his usual themes of con games, fakes, doubles, mistaken identites, spy vs. spy type stuff. So it’s slightly more complicated than Taken, but the basic premise is also about a girl kidnapped and sold into the sex trade and a government operative on her trail. Val Kilmer’s character has got a very detached and workman like attitude, I recommend it.