Split between Kim being taken and the dinner at Jean-Claude’s house
In the discussion (3)
- Kim being taken through the phone-call instructions is one preferred scene
- The dinner at Jean-Claude’s house became the other preferred scene after repeated viewings
- The apartment raid and the extended ending are also named among five top-tier scenes
Liam Neeson’s action-star reinvention and the phone speech lead several praised elements
In the discussion (4)
- The film knowing exactly what it is is praised
- Liam Neeson’s filmography is said to have been reinterpreted after the role made him an action star
- The phone speech is proposed as the best individual element but challenged because it was already perfect on release
- Jean-Claude’s behind-a-desk decline is praised as a recurring thematic joke
Foreign-villain stereotyping and the U2 premise lead a larger set of objections
In the discussion (5)
- The film’s portrayal of nearly every foreign character as murderous or complicit is the strongest objection
- Teenagers following U2 around Europe in 2008 is criticized as implausible
- Bryan’s drinks-with-his-buddies scene is criticized as awkward
- Kim’s rapid recovery without visible trauma is criticized
- Taken 3 is rejected while Taken 2 receives a qualified defense
Jeff Bridges was reportedly cast first; both hosts think he could have worked
In the discussion (2)
- Jeff Bridges is reported as the first choice for the lead before dropping out over the physical demands
- The alternate casting is viewed as plausible, though perhaps less effective than Liam Neeson
Marco, Jean-Claude, Jean-Claude’s wife, the club manager, the sheik, and Marco’s table are nominated
In the discussion (2)
- Marco, Jean-Claude, Jean-Claude’s wife, the club manager, and the sheik are nominated
- The men at Marco’s table are added for enthusiastically backing him
Jeff Bridges casting, Liam Neeson preparation, Famke Janssen advocacy, map continuity, travel warnings, Maggie Grace’s running, and body count
In the discussion (6)
- Liam Neeson is reported to have expected a straight-to-video release and trained in Paris for four months
- Famke Janssen is reported to have become a UN anti-corruption goodwill ambassador
- The airport map is reported to show dissolved European states
- Liam Neeson is reported to discourage parents from treating the film’s danger as realistic travel guidance
- Maggie Grace is reportedly said to have trained with Alberto Salazar to run younger, though the hosts explicitly doubt the claim
- Bryan is first said to kill 31 people, then corrected to 35
Liam Neeson; Maggie Grace and the Albanian traffickers are also discussed
In the discussion (3)
- Liam Neeson is treated as an unequivocal apex because the role made him an action star in his mid-fifties
- Maggie Grace is judged permanently identified with the daughter role
- The Albanian traffickers are jokingly assigned an apex as screen villains
Steve Buscemi as the auction manager
In the discussion (1)
- Steve Buscemi is independently chosen by both participants for the auction-manager role
The sex-trafficking club manager
In the discussion (2)
- The club manager’s wounded appeal that it was only business is selected as overacting
- An overacting performance in Alive is raised as a possible namesake for the category
Apartment wealth, discarded phone, voice recognition, failed execution, baguette shorthand, and improvised phone-routing technology
In the discussion (7)
- The unusually luxurious fifth-floor apartment is questioned
- Leaving the destroyed phone behind and then locking the door is questioned
- Recognizing Marco from a repeated two-word phrase is challenged
- The captors’ failure to shoot their captive after questioning him is challenged
- Jean-Claude’s wife’s survival and later life are questioned
- Jean-Claude carrying an unwrapped baguette is mocked as generic French shorthand
- The ease of buying a transmitter and sending a phone signal to another location is questioned
The loaded-gun weight line; two other non-speech lines are nominated
In the discussion (2)
- The loaded-versus-unloaded gun line is selected
- The flesh-wound and stepfather put-down lines are also nominated
Kim’s lesson, the auction’s realism, and Jean-Claude’s wife are questioned
In the discussion (2)
- Whether Kim learned to trust her father is asked and answered by reference to the sequels
- Whether the elaborate auction exists as portrayed is debated and rejected
An unnamed sole winner, credited with reviving action movies
In the discussion (1)
- An unnamed sole winner is said to win the film and action movies while reviving the form
Most Rewatchable Scene
What’s Aged the Best?
What’s Aged the Worst?
Casting What-Ifs
The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance
The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award
Apex Mountain
Is This Movie Better With…?
The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award
The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie
Who Won the Movie?