One of the Best Liam Neeson Movies Is Now Streaming on Hulu

Liam Neeson’s 2008 action-thriller Taken is now available to stream on Hulu, having been added to the platform’s library this August. The film, directed by Pierre Morel and written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, helped redefine Neeson as a major action star.

In Taken, Neeson plays Bryan Mills, a former CIA agent whose teenage daughter Kim and her friend Amanda are kidnapped by human traffickers while on vacation in France. Determined to rescue them, Bryan uses all his skills to track down the kidnappers and save the girls.

The movie also stars Maggie Grace, Leland Orser, Jon Gries, David Warshofsky, Katie Cassidy, Holly Valance, and Famke Janssen.

The film first hit theaters in France on February 27, 2008. Though it received mixed reviews from critics, it became a big financial success, making $226 million worldwide on a budget of just $25 million.

Many media outlets have said Taken was a turning point for Liam Neeson’s career, transforming him into a well-known action hero. The film also started a franchise, with two sequels and a TV series following the original.

On Rotten Tomatoes, Taken holds a 60% rating based on 178 reviews, with an average score of 5.8 out of 10. The site’s summary reads, “Taken is undeniably fun with slick action, but is largely a brainless exercise.” Metacritic gives the movie a score of 50 out of 100 from 32 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews.

One of the most memorable moments from Taken is the phone call scene where Bryan Mills warns the kidnappers about what will happen if they don’t release his daughter. This speech quickly became an internet meme. Liam Neeson himself called it “corny. It was a cornball. I really did feel that.”

Due to the film’s success, a sequel was announced in 2010 by Fox and produced by EuropaCorp, directed by Olivier Megaton. Taken 2 came out in France on October 3, 2012, with many original cast members returning. A third movie followed on December 16, 2014, continuing the story of Bryan Mills and his fight against dangerous enemies.

Now that Taken is streaming on Hulu, both longtime fans and new viewers can experience the movie that helped turn Liam Neeson into an action star.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!