Product Description Executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, the ten-episode, 20-hour miniseries Taken was one of the most ambitious projects undertaken by cable TV's Sci-Fi Network, ultimately costing 40 million dollars — a price that proved well worth it, inasmuch as the series posted the network's highest-ever ratings. Covering a period from 1947 to the present, the story focused on three different families, each of whom was profoundly affected by extraterrestrial visitation. The Keys family was headed by WWII bomber pilot Russell Keys (Steve Burton), who spent virtually his entire adult life haunted by his "close encounter" with aliens. The Clarkes were originally represented by lonely Texas waitress Sally Clarke (Catherine Dent), who was impregnated by a charming stranger (Eric Close) who turned out to be an alien survivor of the Roswell crash. And the lives of the Crawfords were dictated by ruthless Army officer Owen Crawford (Joel Gretsch), who was determined to prove that the government had covered up the truth about Roswell by dedicating his life to tracking down all space aliens and their half-human descendants. The story was narrated by Allie Keys (Dakota Fanning), a "hybrid" child of the present day, whose story determined the outcome of the final episodes. Boasting impressive computer-generated special effects and eye-popping facial makeup, Taken was seen over a two-week period, beginning December 2, 2002, and ending on December 13. .com 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 miniseries 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. Beginning with the most notorious alien cover-up in U.S. 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 90-minute 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. It's this question that forms the main thread of the story: but even though the Greys' actions are at best ambiguous and at worst hostile, the viewer can't help feeling that after all this systematic abuse of their human test subjects the aliens will in the end present them with a cure for cancer. In fact, Taken is Spielberg at his most touchy-feely: for all its science fiction trappings it's basically a soap opera, lacking the sinister undercurrent of either Dark Skies or The X-Files. Nevertheless, it's an engaging series with decent performances--most notably Joel Gretsch as psychotic Owen Crawford--good special effects, and an engaging enough storyline to make it entertaining, if somewhat disposable, TV. --Kristen Bowditch
R**R
GREAT SERIES, BEAUTIFULLY DONE! WELL ACTED AND DIRECTED! WISH IT WAS MORE THAN ONE SEASON!
This set contains 10 episodes with some bonus stuff at the end on the last video. The set has five disks and two episodes are on each disk.I got tired of trying to piecemeal this series together by watching crummy versions of it on Youtube and decided it was worth the purchase. IT was $23 not long ago but the price increased since last year to $32 so I figured I buy it sooner than later! Glad I did!Spielberg collects a pot full of historical references as well as Alien lore starting with the Roswell crash in July 1947. The story line follows four generations, starting with a love affair between a human and a gentle Alien visitor. Black budget Government mongols (and the mention of the Majestic 12 which has been declassified and released to the public), is referenced as well as other topics that pervade the whole Alien culture. There are lots of historical reference points in this series that adds to the believability of the series.In spite of the cold and murderous government agency research program headed up by an ambitious military colonel, following three generations in the family line, the series has plenty of love, heart, tension, even night terrors for two families and their three and four generations of Alien contact - all of what you would expect to find in Alien Grey lore and legend. The series is extremely well acted and directed throughout.The Aliens are not monsters, "entities", or malicious creatures trying to take over our planet as popular fear based folklore presents, but rather the series follows the more benign perspective. One family and its generations feel continually threatened because of their own fears, while the other family seems to be able to handle the Alien interference a little bit softer. The series seems to take on the perspective that the purpose of the Alien presence is their desire to understand more about life on Earth. Their curiosity and desire to understand the human species is motivated by a plan to share the DNA of both human and Alien in order to bring something good to each species along the evolutionary path towards a higher life.Condensing the bulk of Alien lore and reports by abductees, along with government greed for power, the series seems to sum up the gist of the Alien topic in just one season. Wish it was more than one season. But if it were to be more than one season where could it go but down? To follow the X-files and other shows that looked for the next season's thrills by exploiting violence is not where this show goes. It ends elegantly on a positive note with wonderment and touches the human heart and gives people hope.
M**Z
Dazzling Miniseries
The first time that I have seen this show or mini-series was over 10 years ago, which I actually thought was long before that. It was first aired on a Sci-Fi channel and it was the last time that I ever watched it again until now. I had the show completely out of my mind and every time that I would hear or seen Dakota Fanning in other recent works, "Taken" came to mind instantly. That's the first show/movie that I ever seen her in, and since then, she always reminded me of that epic. She did a phenomenal job in that, and she was so remarkably yet otherworldly enchanting. Breath-taking, even. The fact that she was a narrator from the beginning to the end of the whole epic added those qualities to the show. At that time, I sincerely thought that she was an angel.As for the show itself, I was a bit naïve about the whole alien thing and wasn't all that into it. What I usually enjoyed was the story itself (not so much about the elements), and "Taken" was a good fictitious story about three generations, families and secrets, histories of alien abductions, a government cover-up, and so much more. Even if it has some elements in reality, it's still a good story. Knowing that this was Steven Spielberg's work, he had used this epic as a way to pursue or increase the possibilities of life in the outer space. The one thing that nagged me the most, now that I've seen it again, was the notion that the "aliens" had good intentions and the story behind them of having no hate or love being one of the reasons for their "experiments" on Earth. Of course, it's just a story, not a reality.I just found it surprising that this epic wasn't aired more regularly or the DVDs released more widely distributed. For goodness' sake, it won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries. My eyes kept on rolling up about this and wondering why.Nevertheless, I really enjoyed watching this miniseries "for old times' sake." It was refreshing to re-visit that memories of watching the show and re-feeling that excitement, that anticipation, when it first came out.
S**N
15 Years On & Still Holding Up Well! Thoughtful & Thought Provoking Journey
I watched the mini-series on the Sci-Fi network back in 2002. I ordered my DVD set in 2006 and I've thoroughly enjoyed it every viewing.This isn't so much the action/lasers/explosions kind of science fiction. Mostly in a mystery/journey about how the Keys family, Clarke family and the Crawford family change, interact and evolve (literalyl0 over generations.There are aliens, flying saucers, abductions and "tests and experiments"Taken is more a cerebral kind of science fiction and that's my favorite kind. Lots to think about and make me wonder. It draws me into the lives of all the characters and while there are good-guys and bad-guys they're not black and white. Instead all shades of grey (heh!heh!).A lot of folks have talked about Dakota Fanning's key role. She also provides the narrator's voice. Impressive acting for someone so young. But don't forget all the other actors. The entire cast is quite good and I really liked Matt Frewer as Chet Wakeman.I watched Taken again this week. Seem to pull i out every year or two. It's a story that holds up really well for me and 15 years later is still well worth viewing, especially if you like the more cerebral and progressive kind of science fiction. It should be no surprise I'm giving taken 5 stars. I keep on enjoying it.
Trustpilot
3 weeks ago
2 months ago
