Bryan Mills ( Liam Nesson ) A recently retired Government agent, the type we only hear about in the movies,  is persuaded to consent to letting his 17 year old daughter Kim, Maggie Grace, travel to Europe with a friend.   Paranoid for good reason as any father would be he gives her an international phone with instructions to call him everyday, and as soon as she gets to Paris. 

Like any self respecting stupid teenager that thinks she is getting one over on dad, she lies with the knowledge of and consent from her mother.  Rather than visiting museums she is going to tour Europe as a rock band groupie.  After landing she is spotted with her friend as young, good looking, traveling alone and befriends a stranger that wants to share a ride into Town.  Only when it is too late does she realize she has been set up by a group of hardened criminals to be kidnapped, drugged and sold into slavery or prostitution. 

Bryan on the other hand has unique skills, and contacts honed by any years of covert operations and espionage.  He warns the kidnappers in a short  call if they let her go now he won't track them down and kill them all.  The last words are "good luck".  This sets up the next hour and a half with Bryan tracking down the people with his daughter. 

Most people are turned off by revenge and vigilante movies, but I have to admit if it was my grand daughter or one of my son's and some scum bag had harmed them and I could take justice where justice fails I might be tempted.  My life would be forfeit at that point and I hope to never be in that position and have all the empathy in the world for those that can some how let the system do the work it is supposed to do. I would never rest until justice was served.  Even today I see tragic behavior here in Maui County . Recently a young man was racing with another car with a small truck that had a young woman in the back of it.  He loses control, smashed the truck, kills her and got probation.  WTF...........is that all about.  Why is he not in jail for 20 years for manslaughter ! This is typical in Hawaii to give people chance after chance with violent crime and reckless or drunk driving.  No one seems to care about the law.  That is just driving. 

As time goes on, one by one, people fall to Bryan's skills. I cheer every time and not one person dies from his hand that doesn't have it coming.  What I think is clever is the way he actually finds some of the people.  Sometimes with clever traps sometimes with ruthlessness.  You decide if it justified.

Luc Besson co-produces this and co writes with Robert Kamen.   This genre is an obsession with Beeson having written, directed, or produced on many action or criminal thriller films like this in the past.  Most notable in my mind are The Professional, The Transporter series, District B13, Angel-A , Hitman, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, La Nikita, and the Fifth Element.  Most are B movies and every now and again he actually makes a film that has some legs and long term notoriety. 

I liked his character Bryan Mills but will have to admit that for most people this movie is a pass.