Huh, badass ex-military commando has a daughter abducted in foreign country and decides to take the law into his own hands … that sounds so familiar, like it was Taken from another screenplay. Oh yes, this film will remind you a great deal of Taken, except it’s better. I know what you’re thinking, “Better than Taken?! It must be awesome!” Yeah, here’s the thing – Taken wasn’t a good film and it’s time more than just myself shared that opinion. And, as it’s my forum, I’m going to tell you why.
First, as you all recall, Taken was a 2008 tour-de-force for Liam Neeson directed by Pierre Morel. In the film, a Spartan ex-military father discovers his vacationing daughter has been abducted in Paris and sold into white slavery. This leads Liam to employ a “specific skill set” which amounts to becoming something of a one-man maelstrom until Europe gives in and his daughter is returned. Americans go bananas for this movie for essentially the same reasons it’s not a good film. The “tough talk to the kidnappers” speech is, indeed, a classic essentially because every single one of us secretly wishes we had a skill set so badass that money didn’t matter. But let’s look at what the film was about:
• Xenophobia. Yeah, cuz getting “marked for white slavery” in the Paris airport is a thing. The idea that Americans with our sad and self-destructive gun addiction should be more fearful abroad than at home is both stupid and disingenuous.
• Father knows best. Well, if you’d just listened to dad, Paris never would have happened and you’d be cozy and warm, princess. Only dad knows safety; only dad knows whom to be wary of; only dad knows whom to vote for. For an advanced nation, we have some unbelievably backwards ideas.
• Lone wolf-ism. Americans are in love with the idea that one guy can do it all. It’s one of the reasons we love movies, but if your daughter gets abducted in France and the French don’t lift a finger, you haven’t got a lone wolf directive, you’ve got an international incident.
• Justified assholery. This is the big one. I didn’t realize until November of 2016 how much Americans desire for justifications to act like assholes. Taken is the ultimate display of this mentality – his daughter was stolen! That means everything is justified. Everything. There are no laws anymore. Bryan Mills (Neeson) shoots an innocent woman in this movie. She’s the wife of the French lieutenant “holding out” on him. She’s hosting a dinner -for him- at the time. But it’s ok. He’s been wronged. He GETS to do this. The desire to perceive injury from wrong and, hence, exact justified revenge is so embedded in the American persona that we engage in this behavior even when it is illegal, illogical, or self-destructive. Do you know what happens when Americans indulge their inner asshole? Trolling, Trump, and Treason. Not necessarily in that order.
• Lack of consequences. Perhaps the worst part of putting half of Europe through the Mills is that the reign of destruction was, indeed, consequence free. He was wronged, therefore all bets are off. This is neither how things work, nor how they ought to work. And until we as a people realize exactly what a piece of shit this film is and why, we may never solve the self-image problems that led to things like Las Vegas and Donald Trump.
Now let’s get to Paradox, which is essentially the same film, but a marked improvement on all five counts.
Hong Kong master of … “detection” Lee Chung-chi (Louis Koo) learns his only child has been abducted while on vacation in Thailand. Yeah, try keeping him at home. The Thai are immediately sympathetic and all over the case. In fact, their kung fu guy Tak (Tony Jaa) is only too eager to form superteam KooJaa.
Hold on. Hold on. “Jaa” “Koo” “Lee” Are you kidding me with this stuff? Next, you’re gonna tell me they meet up with Shanghai weapons expert Shu Pork Moo (nee “Omm”), and his daughter Quu Pee. Arr yuu ready for that? Sorry, language break.
Do you see how this is the exact same story as Taken, but with far better themes? The daughter is not kidnapped for random slavery, but for a specific purpose. The Thai police want to work with Lee. Lee understands he must subvert local
law to get his daughter back, but there’s a big difference between taking down a drug parlor in a zealous fury than shooting your host lieutenant’s wife. Gun fans will obviously prefer the Neeson version, but Paradox is a kung fu film, and some of the action is awesome. This film is a full step above your average Jackie Chan melee.
Paradox reaches a point about half-way in where the mystery part ends and the rest becomes Enter the Dragon. Those not into kung fu will not appreciate the film after said point. And then it gets kinda bloody, which non-fu fans will enjoy even less. I appreciated this film didn’t cheapen anything. There are real scars and real consequences, which in my mind puts Paradox in the worth seeing column. A film with a noble quest and a lesson to teach rarely has a voice in American theaters, which given our adoration of violent heroes seems a bit of a Paradox, no?
A kidnapping leaves Chung-chi shaken
In this Hong Kong adaption of Taken
The plot is the same
Yet the film still owns blame
You gotta pay for the mess that you’re makin’
Rated R, 101 Minutes
Director: Wilson Yip
Writer: Nick Cheuk, Lai-Yin Leung
Genre: Taken
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Kung Fools
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: “Turn-offs: Blood”
