Taken: Complete Series [DVD]

Where TAKEN's first three discs (6 episodes) concerns itself with it's epic, generation spanning saga of the UFO and alien abduction phenomena in the US - from Roswell in 1947 through to the (then) present day (the early 2000's) - charting the often tragic lives of its fictional protagonists - this show delivers a genuinely gripping piece of event television viewing. This was big budget and shows - each episode is a generous 1:20 minutes cleverly drawing upon the phenomenon's highlights of each respective decade, all very well made.Told through the experiences of three separate families - the Crawfords (who want to control and suppress the UFO phenomenon), the Keys, three generations of fighters the aliens focus on experimenting on and the Clarkes - gentle, more cerebral with whom one of the survivors of the Roswell incident has an affair - TAKEN leads its very human tale by the hand of all the major twists and turns of the UFO mythos adding its momentum all leading to the appearance of one little girl: Ally Clarke, played extraordinarily well by an incredibly talented Dakota Fanning.Seriously, she absolutely is amazing and serves as the shows narrator throughout.It's got a lot of humour as well as pathos, you care about the people that inhabit this story and it genuinely does do a very descent fist of encapsulating what was, at that time, a 50 year saga, bringing the real world UFO phenomena to a distinct point and reason for the whole thing to coincide with the first releases of information on the phenomena under the US freedom of information act.Where TAKEN looses it a little, for me, is the "present day" part of the story.Ally, a human/Alien hybrid the aliens have been striving to create as a means of helping both species move forward in their respective evolution's - is clearly an analogue less of UFO mythology rather of Judo Christian belief.She's basically the Second Coming, a Messiah only this time, instead of created by God, created by Aliens.I like an entertaining story, I do and TAKEN really is lavish as well as incredibly entertaining - where it ends up is kind of disappointed me, just a little. Don't get me wrong, this show really is extraordinarily compelling but come the point where little Ally comes into her own and finally sacrifices herself for the good of everyone else - you are kind of thinking: okay.Enough now. this is one mythos too many. Pick a lane.It's an entertaining idea turning the modern day UFO phenomenon into a meditation on established belief not just in UFO's - but honestly, I found the religious parallels just a little heavy handed, a little too on-the-nose.Other than that though, a damn fine 15 hours of event television viewing.

Good

An ambitious television series (ten feature length episodes) covering fifty years of alleged abductions by aliens. Considerable doubts are cast on what really happened at Roswell in 1947. "Weather Balloon" indeed!Focus is mainly on three families. Two have partial alien inheritance, an eventual mating to produce awesome results. Also around for ever to thwart are three generations of paranoid Crawfords - they hotly denying the very idea of aliens and abductees, whilst secretly tracking them down for often fatal experiments.The box set was watched over three successive evenings - a good way to see it, all the better to keep track of cast changes as the youngest characters grow older. (Be advised that at times developments confuse.)Everything greatly entertains, not always for the right reasons. Critics have a point with claims of certain aspects unconvincing and simplistic - especially the attitude of top military, that eventual stand-off somewhat ridiculous. The Crawfords themselves are hard to believe, especially Mary who emerges as a cross between The Wicked Witch of the West and Cruella De Vil.Despite reservations, there is much to please. Dakota Fanning is visually ideal as little Allie, who emerges as the key to everything - movingly vulnerable despite her great powers. (Vocally the actress may slightly disappoint, especially with her voice-overs in each episode.) Amongst special pleasures is Matt Frewer as wily Chet, he unashamedly stealing almost every scene he is in.Six discs. The last one comprises a 40+ minute bonus, Steven Spielberg describing how his brainchild came to be screened. Ten different directors were carefully chosen. Staggeringly only one man, Les Bohem, wrote the scripts.Perhaps some special effects now seem a little dated compared with more recent offerings. Here, though, is a great series many will enjoy - most almost certainly to emerge convinced of a Roswell cover-up.Recommended.

Super quick delivery and a great price

I have just finished watching, over ten days, the complete box set of Taken, Spielberg’s masterly UFO TV series, even though I bought it two years ago. What an epic of cinematic perfection! The series is on five discs with two episodes on each, with the sixth disc covering the making of the series, which I did not bother watching. The design and manufacture of the concertina box unit holding the six discs and its outer sleeve is a work of art in itself, and shows the genealogy with portraits of the abducted family members and supporting players over five decades. The teamwork involved in the production of the box set deserves high praise, something seldom mentioned, let alone applauded.The film series is gripping, heart wrenching and infuriating with the machinations of the self-seeking investigators, the CIA and notorious aggression of the U.S. military. And oh boy, they were left with egg on their face. The final episode was a perfect ending. I will look forward to watching this series again in the future.

Since completely ignoring anyone's else's contribution on D-Day in saving Private Ryan, Spielberg dropped way down in my personal opinion. From such a gifted director this omission remains, to this day, almost unforgivable.Having said all that TAKEN is a good attempt to address what may become a serious issue in the next few years. That 'asylum seekers' {Aliens} from other planets have an interest in us. My only problem with TAKEN was the bewildering change of characters from generation to generation on each disc. Though the acting in all cases is superb, it really got confusing trying to work out who was related who. To give just one example. I'm still not sure who the father of the Dakota Fanning character was related to. Maybe the 'crafty' Spielberg is inviting me to watch it all again from the beginning. Which I will, but not yet.