Taken: The Search for Sophie Parker (2013 TV Movie) User Reviews

It had its moments, but

[zonkerjohn · 6/10 · 26 September 2013]

First, let's talk about the 'Inspired by a True Story'. It is something that I wish the movie industry would monitor. The simple fact is that just about anything could be based or inspired by a true story. The Brady Bunch could be based on a true story because somewhere out there (many places), somebody with children married somebody else with children.

Jaws was based on a True Story. So, was Shawshank Redemption, A Few Good Men, etc. etc. Only the degree to which these movies are based on a true story varies.

Regarding the movie, it was somewhat intriguing. I cannot say that I not found myself waiting for it to end, which means I liked it somewhat. I was kind of similar to the original 'Taken' with Liam Neison.

The factor I disliked the most was its political correctness. Some people may debate this, but you have a bad ass girl going into a foreign country (Russia, no less) and for the most part dictating to their police force how things were going to go down. I think it was part of the movies' message that thousands of women are trafficked every year, and "we are going to show the world that not only is that wrong, but we will also show them just how tough women can be."

It is certainly tragic what goes on with trafficking. I do not need to reminded through political innuendo that guys are the culprits (we all know that). The message of 'don't mess with women' was too much over the top.

Taken: To the extreme

[kapelusznik18 · 5/10 · 13 December 2015]

****SPOILERS*** Suposidely based on a true story? this Lifetime version of the movie or movies-there's already three of them and possibly more to follow-"Taken" has pistol packing gun toting momma Stevie Parker, Julie Benz, and her all in leathered, when she off duty as a CIA bodyguard, Nadia,Amy Bialey,take on the entire Russian Mafia who kidnapped her sweet but clueless 17 year old daughter Sophia,Naomi Battrick, and her friend the boy hungry Janie Hillman, Jamma Dallender, to be sold into a lifetime of slavery to an international pedophile ring. The two girls were tricked into sneaking out of the safety of the US Embassy who Jamma's dad-Alastair MacKenzie- is the US Ambassador to the Russian Republic by the cute and cuddly Russian party boy Bobby, Matvey Borushko, to join the party at a nearby Moscow bar-disco. It's there where they were drugged kidnapped and later to be sold into sexual slavery by the Russian Mafia.

Back in NYC tough undercover policewoman Stevie Parker in finding out her daughter Sophie together with Jenie's lives as well as honor are in danger shoots off to Moscow on the first plane out of JFK Airport determined to rescue them with or without the Moscow PD as well as Russian Government's help. It doesn't take long for Stevie to figure out that some, not all, members of the Moscow PD are working with the Russian Mafia in this slave dealing business. Getting in touch with the girls CIA bodyguard Nadia Stevie goes all out to rescue the girls with the threat of being, for sticking their noses where they don't belong, thrown out of the country or even arrested.

***SPOILERS*** It turns out the head of this white slavery ring is Chechnian mobster Sergei Aka Mr. Red, Velislav Pavlov, who's a dead ringer for the now speaker of the house Rep. Paul Ryan; Can they be one and the same persons? It's Mr. Red who's working out the the swank Moscow Kempinski Hotel where he sells off the girls to the highest bidders there from the world of finance entertainment and political corruption. Stevie ends up torturing the truth out of corrupt Moscow cop Makhail, Andrew Bayron, and leaving him with a fully loaded gun, that he somehow doesn't use on her, to blow his brains out before the Russian Mafia does it. Stevie & Nadia are then off to the races in saving Sophie, Janie was rescued earlier in the movie, and smash and put an end to Mr. Red's white slavery operation. Wild and unbelievable final that outdoes any of the "Taken" movies that has to be seen to be believed with Stevie & Nadia out shooting out fighting as well as out smarting the entire Russian mob without as much as getting their fingernails clipped or hair mussed up: But still as entertaining as hell that keeps you from tiring off the movie just to see how ridicules it is and can get.

P.S Filmed in Bulgaria that substituted for Moscow Russia showed just how smart the Russian Government under Vladimir Putin was in preventing the movie from being filmed there. It would have made the Russian Government as well as Putin the laughing stock of the whole world in seeing just how insane they were in how the film depicted them!

You know how the real Taken was kind of ridiculous...well...

[zensixties · 1/10 · 22 September 2013]

I just saw this film on Lifetime. Not only is the title, but practically every single element of the original script of Taken is used in this one. I'm not saying it's without any redeeming qualities whatsoever. It's supposed to be set in Moscow, however the filming location is Sofia, Bulgaria, so if you're not familiar with that part of the world (I am) you probably won't notice the difference.

Where to begin. At the beginning of Sophie's trip to Moscow her mother Stevie asked if she has her passport. Actually for an American to go to Moscow you need more than a passport, you need a visa.

We get the relationship thingy between Stevie (Julie Benz), an FBI agent scared of commitment after her husband died (sound familiar?) and Devlin. Anyway, Sophie and her friend Janie, daughter of the US Ambassador to Russia, arrive and are restricted to the US Embassy, so sneak out for one night on the town, and...wait for it....they are taken. From there the script follows the original Taken pretty much verbatim, except it's Russia, not France, and it's Chechen Mafia (writers obviously threw in that due to the Boston bombing), not Albanian one.

So two women, Stevie, and fellow leather jacket wearing CIA agent find the spotter, Bobby, use cell phones to trace the two abductees, and zero dark thirty their way out of that hellhole. Sound familiar?

At the end it says 46,000 people have been victims of sex trafficking this year. I can guarantee you none of them were the daughter of the US Ambassador to Russia...or any other country for that matter. As with the original, and better but still ridiculous film Taken, abducting American girls on vacation in European countries is not just uncommon, but extremely unlikely, at least for daughters of FBI agents and US Ambassadors.

Finally I'd like to address the marketing strategy "Inspired by a true story". What has been pointed out already is this most likely refers to the fact that somewhere in the world as some time, someone was abducted by sex traffickers....unless they're referring to the Cleveland thing, but Julie Benz isn't quite Charles Ramsey, and definitely not Liam Neeson.

Anyway, it's not a total throw away, as it's worth watching on some level, if only to see a little bit of Sofia, Bulgaria (even though it's supposed to be Moscow). The only thing that would've made this good is if at the end Stevie would end with this line: "I feel like Liam Neeson in Taken".

Girls can be action heroes too!

[mountaingoat100 · 7/10 · 12 May 2014]

This Lifetime movie is not one of their true life crime pictures, but rather a variation on Liam Neeson's own movie of the same name. There are parallels, as NYC cop Benz sees off her daughter and friend on a trip to Moscow. Despite trying to warn her about the dangers, its clear the airhead will soon be ignoring mom and looking for fun in a foreign land. When the inevitable happens and the girls are snatched by a sex trafficking gang, Benz snaps into action. She flies to Russia, takes no guff from the ineffective cops, and with help from an Embassy security officer, is soon gunning down Russkie gangsters as she hones in on the captives. The men here are hopeless, either obstructive, unhelpful or murderous. It makes a refreshing change to see a movie where two women take bold decisions. This is a great opportunity for the versatile Benz, who could have a whole new career if there only there was a demand for female action films . She continues to make interesting choices and it doesn't hurt that she is also insanely attractive

When the hero is a bigger creep than literal kidnappers!

[halkatla-62669 · 1/10 · 22 April 2020]

This movie was so stupid and delusional that it´s hard to put it into words. Let me try to explain it like this: Picture if you would find out that your daughter has been kidnapped and sold into sexual slavery by a russian mob, do you stay super chilled? Do you sensually flirt with literally everyone from the jump? Do you keep laughing and smiling with your eyes and yes, flirt some more? If yes, you will find the acting in this movie (and the script) very believable. If not, then watching this could be difficult. I was so creep´d out by every single line and face expression delivered by the cop-mom, it was disgusting and unlike anything I´ve ever seen before. And the ambassador dad was chilled and weirdly unaffected by his daughter´s disappearance too (but he was a secondary character so it didn´t really matter). The action and silly feminist agenda was a minor irritation compared all the huge problems the mom character had going on. I don´t know if I should blame the terrible actress or the terrible script more, but as it stands I can only give this movie zero stars.

A female version of Taken

[phd_travel · 7/10 · 19 July 2014]

Entertaining female version of Taken set in Moscow. It's fun for fans to see the differences and similarities. Julie Benz is quite a likable police officer. Her daughter visits Moscow with her friend who is the daughter of the U.S. Ambassador to Russia. They go to a night club and get kidnapped for sex slavery.

Of course the high heels and long hair during chases are a little unrealistic but who cares. The Ambassador looks and behaves more like support staff. And it's not as exciting or well written as a big budget movie but for a lifetime movie it is better than expected. Nice team work at play - it's not so unrealistic that she could do it all herself.

Worth a watch especially if you are a fan of the Taken formula.

Ridiculous Movie! Omg! I can't believe this JOKE of a movie...

[sarapearll · 1/10 · 1 June 2014]

Geez! where should i start?I thought i was watching a soap opera or a romance developing in the beginning of this movie.Hard to believe the calm demeanor of these 2 parents that realized their girls were both kidnapped and missing.The mother barely showed any emotion other than flirting with both her partner and the ambassador which was ridiculous after finding out your daughter is missing,or possibly dead.I was in a state of LIKE SERIOUSLY? when both women decided to confront and chase after these dangerous kidnappers and mobsters on their own using their sexuality to approach more than one situation.I was already bored half way through it.Who in the world would believe that this one woman can go hunt down such dangerous people and investigate mostly on her own. The ambassador's daughter was taken along with her daughter and this one woman along with the security watch woman that usually watches the girls,but conveniently had the night off are suppose to somehow kick ass and find a way to trace the girls whereabouts.Totally delusional plot and story line.Again i will say,i have never seen a mother more at peace and relaxed about her daughter missing,then for some moments into the show the actual Russian police, who we all know would never allow a woman to call the shots,let alone have a gun running around seeking her own justice.I mean really?The police are usually corrupt and on the inside of these type of crimes,kidnappings and trafficking women for a monetary fee themselves to look the other way.Anyway,the police finally joins this woman to search while the other woman security assist her as well, to find the girls.These two women threw me off during time spent together with the almost sensual energy and chemistry between them both. Anyhow,they join forces to find the girls.She finds her daughter,then,if you can believe she still feels she needs to risk her life even more and decide to be in pursuit of the ambassador's daughter who was sold.I mean Get real! But like i said,the affection between these two women i did not at all understand it.They were both too cozy and comfortable with each other for having just met,so in my opinion,this was someone's dawg gawn fantasy.I barely call movies stupid,but it was NOT at all worth me watching.It was not realistic,but perhaps it was not made to be,but even worst,the actors simply can't act.It was poor acting,especially the lead actress.I wont even bother to mention the ending,because it's not even worthy of being mentioned.

I will look for you, I WILL find you...and I will copycat you.

[jdriley-39508 · 1/10 · 10 September 2015]

If you are in any way familiar with the movie "Taken," you will find the similarities between it and this movie to be either insulting or laughable. They didn't even have the decency to come up with a unique title; they just stuck a colon on Taken and added something.

To get the gist of this movie, just take "Taken," move it to Moscow from Paris, change Liam Neeson to Julie Benz. There is almost an exact copying of characters from Taken to this bit of cinematic effluent; Peter/Bobby, Sam/and the hairy Russian hacker whose name escapes me, etc. The big difference is that it takes two women to equal one Liam Neeson. For bonus face-palming, the heroine Stevie Parker/50% Bryan Casey even manages to rip off Jason Bourne in "The Bourne Supremacy" when she clandestinely pairs her cell phone with one of the slavers phone in a nightclub.

The only thing to review about this movie, and the only way I managed to get through it without self-mutilating, was watch for things and even lines stolen from "Taken". There's nothing new or original here; it's just insulting. If there were a zero rating, I would give it that. As it is, it gets a one-star bonus for making me laugh (even if it was in derision).

Search for Sophie Parker: A Mama Rambo ***1/2

[edwagreen · 9/10 · 28 October 2013]

The Russians got more than they bargained for when the daughter of the American Ambassador goes with a friend on spring break to Russia. Both quickly fall victim to a slave trafficking group with ties all over the world.

Sophie's mother is a widowed police officer who doesn't know how to take no for an answer. She quickly runs off to Russia to pursue her daughter's captors and in the process uncovers a major officer involved in this slave group and teaches the Russians something about policing policies.

This is a fast-paced action thriller again showing the determination of a mother to free her daughter. She was even better than American officials.

The movie, based on true facts, teaches us that slave trafficking is alive and well throughout the globe.

Taken: The Search For Sophie Parker

[a_baron · 2/10 · 2 April 2017]

Is this rubbish really based on a true story? Only if one redefines the words based and true. It is part fantasy - the type in which the women do the business - and part propaganda document. Does sex trafficking even exist? Sure it does, but rather than girls being kidnapped off the street and sold into slavery it consists overwhelmingly of women prostituting themselves. True, this sort of thing can get really sordid, especially when some of those involved are of a tender age, but let's not kid ourselves, there are not millions of women sold into slavery every year - this is the new narrative, one spun by the same sordid feminist mafia that tried to convince us that porn is rape.

So what does "Taken..." have to offer? Well, if you like seeing women outfighting, outkicking and outkilling men, all power to your elbow. It remains to be seen what it does for East-West relations in a post-Glastnost age, but if your teenage daughter goes out drinking or clubbing, worry about more mundane things, like someone stealing her mobile phone.

Awful... plain and simple.

[khatirana · 1/10 · 18 June 2015]

One of the worst films ever. In few minutes they find the first link to solve the kidnapping but hey lets wait 2 o 3 days wasting our time....again in the club the suspect is there but again ...hey lets give him a chance to run... such a wasted opportunity with the 2 main leads being quite the tough girls but time after time a simple push seems to be enough for said tough girls to fall over. There are bad films that are so bad are funny. This one cannot even claim that.

Unfortunately is predictable, stupid, unbelievable. ...pls do not waste your time with this rubbish, I could not even finish watching was so awful. Cannot understand how someone can give this thing 5 stars...would have give it 0 if I could. Wish the option was there in this case

Must Watch Movie!!!!

[chare4548 · 10/10 · 11 January 2014]

Greetings fellow movie lovers, This is an absolute must see movie event!! I would of rated this movie much higher, but of course the cap is 10. First the storyline is all to real unfortunately, but needs to be addressed. This movie did just that, and brilliantly!! There was a wonderful mix of drama, action, suspense AND even a love story tossed in. This story showcases a mothers love for her child, and the lengths she'd go to protect her. Nothing was more important, NO cost to high, even putting herself in great danger. Most parents one time or another have had to swoop in and rescue their child from something. Obviously, this movie features a horrific event, but statistics say's it happens far often than we know or ever want to know!!! The strong leading female actors were both refreshing and amazingly talented! All to often male actors get the action glory, while the women get the "sexy" role. Well friends, we got both in this movie!! This movie literally had my heart pumping so fast, literally at the end, I had to take my heart rhythm medication. This is a MUST SEE movie event. You will not be sorry. Thanks Friends, Chare

Meh

[haroot_azarian · 7 July 2021]

So basically take Liam Neeson and transform him into gorgeous Julie Benz, take Paris and transform it into Moscow, take Albanian human traffickers and transform them into Chechen human traffickers. Lower the body count substantially and stick a TV-14 rating on it and hey presto you have 85 minutes of hastily put together an action/thriller tailor made for LMN. That's about all I can say. But Julie Benz is a very capable actress, She truly shined in the 2009 TV movie Held Hostage and the then child star Natasha Calis was absolutely superb.