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Taken [2003]
![Taken [2003]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/414ZCW0JM9L._SL160_.jpg)
Beginning with the most notorious alien cover-up in US history, the 1947 "crash" at Roswell, New Mexico, Taken introduces the "Greys" and the families they routinely abduct, probe and, in a couple of cases, impregnate over the course of the ten hour-and-a-half-long episodes. The three families are: the Keys, from which first Russell, then his son Jessie, then grandson Danny, are all abducted; the Clarkes, who are descended from a liaison between lonely put-upon housewife Sally Clarke and one of the Roswell crash survivors; and the Crawfords, the ruthless G-men who are committed to uncovering the purpose behind the alien visitations at any cost. But even though the Greys' actions are at best ambiguous and at worst hostile, Taken is basically a soap opera, lacking the sinister undercurrent of either Dark Skies or The X-Files despite its science-fiction trappings. Nevertheless, this is an engaging series which has decent performances--most notably Joel Gretsch as psychotic Owen Crawford--special effects and an engaging enough storyline to make it entertaining, if somewhat disposable, TV. --Kristen Bowditch
RRP: £49.99
Our Price: £20.46 (subject to change)
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
Steven Spielberg's alien abduction opus Taken is what happens when you cross-breed Close Encounters of the Third Kind with The Waltons. Obviously flushed with the success of the TV mini-series Band of Brothers, Spielberg's Dreamworks studio has created an equally epic 10-part story chronicling 50 years of habitual abduction over several generations of three American families.
Brilliant
Review date: 2008-04-04 Rating: 10 out of 10
I first caught this when it was televised and loved it straightaway. The acting is excellent, the special effects are awe inspiring without being too far fetched, and the whole story is told in such a way that you really do start to wonder if it could happen. I don't normally like series that span decades but the families in this were woven together so intriguingly that I didn't mind. From the second World War aerial dogfights through to the modern day, this tale held my attention and I am now also the proud owner of the paperback! For anyone remotely interested in the possibility of alien life, watch this and enjoy.
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Reviews
Little grey men at their best!
Review date: 2007-09-13 Rating: 8 out of 10
From the opening sequence where BF109E's were attacking B-17G'S!!!!! I was hooked, the inclusion of known historical facts with a bit of artistic license made this series very compelling. Some purists might think this series was utter nonsense but just think about how we like to be entertained! All of our fears about 'life out there' mixed with a healthy dose of fact and fiction combine to produce a thoroughly entertaining Sci-fi product. We hate some of the characters and love some of the others and all those questions we ever had are answered in a small measure and leave us wanting more. I think Dakota Fanning is an affected adolescent but you have to admire her acting skills and her narrative from the first installment is very, very endearing, i wanted to see the face behind the voice and when she did appear i was not disappointed. Watch this series and take it for what it is, entertainment, Steven Spielberg style, you won't regret it.....
Brilliant television
Review date: 2007-01-15 Rating: 8 out of 10
OK, the story is as far-fetched as the proverbial bucket of sugar from China, and it's astonishingly melodramatic, with the positively angelic Ally on the one hand, and on the other, a family of utter villains so wicked and self-seeking that you find it hard to resist the tendency to boo them every time they appear, just like in a British pantomime. But it's so beautifully done, with such astonishing attention to detail, that it draws you in, in spite of the fact that you know it's a load of codswallop. Horrifyingly, you find yourself WANTING to believe that there's something to it. I watched it first on one of the German channels, and just had to have the English language DVDs.
Spielberg and his co- directors did their research!
Review date: 2006-12-16 Rating: 10 out of 10
I ended up stumbling over this mini-series having developed an interest in the UFO phenomenon. Amazing how much historical reporting has been woven into this intense "fictional" narrative. This side of things made the series more enjoyable for me to watch and echoed all that I had been researching over the last six weeks.
I agree with a previous reviewer about how addictive the series is. Both my wife and I were hooked after the first episode and are now watching it through again! I think it is also true that episodes occasionally plod along, as another reviewer suggested, but I didn't find this to be a weakness. On the contrary the somewhat slow pace of the episodes gave you plenty of time to gather and formulate thoughts of your own. When you have read a significant number of abduction cases then it becomes clear that there is much to reflect upon. For me the abducted characters were simply portraying this post-reality paradigm shift.
Well worth watching, therefore, from beginning to end, with a great cast and some downright evil characters. If there are such beings as "ufonaughts", "space people", or "aliens", then one gets the impression from this series that they are not half as bad as the humans who walk this earth - once you get over what they reportedly look like!
Best alien series, possibly one of the best series ever.
Review date: 2006-08-24 Rating: 10 out of 10
Im not sure whether spielbergs name on the series actually is any assistance to help the show gain popularity, but it could easily do without it.
The show follows the lives of 3 or 4 families and their children and the intertwining alien visitors. Don't be put off by such ideas, I asure you after watching the first episode you will be hooked. Even my mother bought the set and she is not an alien fan.
The only problem is finding the time to watch all 6 discs, each episode is fulfilling and dakota fanning narrates over each episode which is different to hear. I was a little dissapointed with the ending which left me wanting more and a little confused, but never the less an excellent viewing experience.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Julie Benz
Michael Moriarty
Jason Gray-Stanford
Catherine Dent
Tina Holmes
Recording label: Universal Pictures UK
Manufacturer: Universal Pictures UK
EAN: 5051188147938
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 6
Format: Box set, PAL,
Release date: 2003-05-05
Number of discs: 6
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 840 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2002-12-02
Language: English (Original Language)