[Torg] Taken, the Torg Review

[Dave]

Having just seen TAKEN with Liam Neeson, I had to comment on how much it was a TORG movie.  This was very much a plot that would happen in Nippon Tech (white slavery), so just exchange Paris for Tokyo and the Albanians gangsters for Yakuza and everything else tracks.

 

Liam Neeson uses his Core Earth technology to get the information he needs, but there's a few instances of some Tech 24 hinted at.  Every two-dimensional villain (which drops in a hit or two) knows martial arts.  Never realized there were some many "glass-jawed ninjas" from Albania.

 

As the movie goes on, I just see Liam spending possibilities to ignore being shot in the side, a twisted ankle, and various stab wounds.  I could see the Drama Deck cards being flipped as quite often the villains were "confused" and Liam would "flurry" on them.  Many times I could see "adrenalin" being spent to keep the older Liam going when a non-Storm Knight would be gasping for breath after chasing a car, and "haste" assisted him in the fights.

 

I think Liam spent about five "Idea" cards in the course of the whole thing.  "Seize Initiative" and "Opponent Fails" cards were constantly being played, and "Monologue" was well done at the beginning of the movie (which we see in the trailer.  "I will find you, and I will kill you.")

 

The biggest Subplot card was of course "Personal Stake," which gets the ball rolling.  "Connection" cards are played as frequently as the "Idea" cards were.  "Suspicion" had a little use in there, and the potential was present for the "Nemesis" card to come into play later.

 

The CIA-like organization Liam worked for is never mentioned, but seems to be as far reaching as the Delphi Council ever was.  The action was fast, the violence was quick, and the sex and gore were practically non-existent.  Keeping the TORG mechanics in mind, then the movie was believable for me.  My friend could only image Liam doing this if he was Qui-gon Jinn using his Jedi abilities.

 

TAKEN was a fun romp, and that was the side of Paris I saw when I was there twenty-five years ago (just with a bit more lights).  I know I've used the plot of white slavery in one or two TORG campaigns (as well as working it into a VtM game).  While not necessary a "must-see" movie in the theatre, it was still good to check out.

 

And as a side note, VALKYRIE would've made a good Nile Empire story.  A Swedish vampire movie that hit some of the independent "artsy" theatres was LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, which had a very mild Orrorsh influence to it, I thought.  YMMV.



Just my thoughts.





Dave McWhorter

Austin, TX

torgmada at austin.rr.com






Harm None, Do What Ye Will.
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