I just finished watching this entire series and wanted to share some thoughts.The good:Much of the acting seems very natural and heartfelt.Dakota's narration really helps reinforce all the heartfelt acting including her own. Films that have also used narration well in the past really benefit from it. The Shawshank Redemption is a perfect example. I can't escape mentioning again just how heartfelt the acting is. There are many scenes where it doesn't even seem like acting and that it's a real person in that character just telling you how they feel or speaking of their trauma. I truly cherished all those great scenes where every word was spoke in earnest. If you enjoy really connecting emotionally with the characters in what you watch then I highly recommend this series. The bad:I found some of the non-verbal acting very unnatural. A prime example of this is early in episode 7 when it shows the one character playing drums. She looks so awkward and unnatural that I simply can't even pretend her character really is a drummer. Those types of non- dialogue scenes need to reinforce the character. Not devolve your belief in them.Some of the wigs and makeup is very bad and look extremely fake. I would expect more from something Spielberg was heavily involved with. I found the story was too scattered which weakened everything overall a little.

If you are going to watch this series let me suggest you watch the recap in the start of the first 4 episodes and nothing more. The episodes fill 4 times 1 and a half hour with a story that easily could have been told in a normal 45 minutes episode.What especially bothered me in these episodes was the narrator that sounds like Minnie Mouse and maybe makes sense later in the series but not here.The characters are also unbelievable thin and have no real soul in the first 4 episodes. The actors cannot be blamed for this as the script is near non existent. Throughout the series you will know what will happen 10 minutes before it happens. At least in the last 6 episodes Dr. Chet Wakeman enters as a brilliant character and well acted. The rest of the characters also becomes a bit more interesting and not as shallow as in the start. The last 6 episodes are alright entertainment but never reaches higher as it is still predictable all the time.What was my feeling was they had seen SG-1 about the Asgard's problems and then had decided to make a non action series about it.I was pretty disappointed about abductions in this series too.All in all first four episodes the crew should be forced to see for eternity and the 6 last was okay entertainment. Not more complex stories than in a general action movie (it has no action though). I would call it an alien soap.

If you are the kind of person who will look at "Taken" and say "Oh yeah this is gonna be about aliens killing everyone and is gonna have explosions everywhere.". Then you better turn away now. Granted the aliens that are in it are very good the aren't important. Not important you ask?! No, the humans are the important characters in this tale. Firstly we meet the Keyes who are the main family the aliens are looking out for.The second of the three families we meet are the Crawfords. They are the "baddies" who want to destroy the alien "threat". Finally we meet are the Clarkes. The Clarkes are the first family to meet the aliens face to face. "Taken" is the first series I've watched and thought "Although this has not many scenes of violence i'm really enjoying this!" The reason for that is because you really get drawn into the characters lives. The stand out person in "Taken" has to be Dakota Fanning. She is the same age as me yet she can do things I wouldn't ever be able to do. She acts with incredible emotion and narrates beautifully throughout the entire series. I hope whilst watching "Taken" (which will take a long time as it's 877 minutes long) you will be mesmerised by the characters and the perfect plot as I was. "Taken" has taken me (see what I did there?) from someone who loves action and gore to someone who as well as liking that likes the characters and plot lines in all films.

Just finished the last episode of Taken and as Dakota Fanning perfectly put it, I've been left with even more questions than before I began watching Taken.For instance, why did it take 10 2,5 hour episodes to tell a story that could have been told in 4 or 5? Why didn't they cut out all scenes with Heather Donahue (her acting was irritating and bad)? Why does Steven Spielberg thinks that people who got taken (if it's really true) should just suck it up and deal with it, because it is for a greater good? The story at some times is really slow paced and boring. I sat through all the episodes (sometimes it took a lot of effort), because I wanted to know if there was a good ending.*** SPOILER (well, kinda)*** The ending sucked, because there was no explanation at all. It felt like I was taken and dropped off at the beginning of the miniseries and nothing ever happened. Spielberg really has to stop with aliens (I mean, Indiana Jones and aliens?????).Some of the actors were good. Dakota Fanning, Adam Kaufman, Ryan Hurst and Emily Bergl were some of the best. Some had roles that were too small or unbelievable. Others were just too crappy for words.I want my 15 hours back that were taken from me...