Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Frances Chung Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Hattie I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Fallen Eye The plot itself was actually quite good, however the execution was generic and dry. The sound mixing was also pretty poor and the composition was dull and sapped away at the excitement the the action was meant to create.Elba's American accent was not polished at all... It was almost, lazy in fact, however his performance was above average and the fight sequences were okay to good.In terms of script, how did Elba's character know that the other CIA lady was killed? There was no way of him knowing. Nobody told him and he didn't have any opportunity to find out. It would've been one thing if he were speculating, but, he was 100% sure. Also, one of the officers that apprehended the Director towards the end of the movie, was one of the officers who were in on the plan, however, the Director doesn't rat him out, instead, he fully accepts defeat; why?Bastille Day/The Take isn't the worst Political Crime Thriller Action out there, however, it was sadly poorly executed, and for the most part, though somewhat entertaining, it did get kind of boring. Was this a paycheck movie for Elba? Sure felt like it. 5/10.

amesmonde A young pickpocket and a unorthodox CIA agent find themselves working together to prevent another terrorist attack in France.Tragic real life terrorist events caused Bastille Day to be renamed The Take in the UK and events sent it somewhat into obscurity with the marketing toned down. Director James Watkins offers a well thought- out action thriller in the vein of Die Hard and the best of Luc Besson. The Take is a surprising piece of entertainment with a few twists thrown in for good measure in what could have been a simple frustrating actioner. Not only are the action fight setups impressive writer Andrew Baldwin's story cleverly gives a broad stroke insight into terrorism, activists and corruption. Even with its shootouts, punch ups and chases it's not action for action sake, it is plot driven.The characters are shades of grey, packed with screen presence Idris Elba is on fine form as hardened agent Sean Briar. Richard Madden (of Game of Thrones fame) is pickpocket Michael who is at the wrong place at the wrong time and who gets accused of being a bomber gives a solid performance. The array of supporting actors especially the bad guys are quiet developed and add some weight to the story. Notable are memorable José Garcia as Victor and Thierry Godard's Rafi.It's no Leon or Bourne but it's up in the the action thriller scale of the likes of London has Fallen, From Paris with Love, but the on location feel to the underside of the French capitol to Watkins' credit gives the film its own unique look and down to earth credence compared to the latter. The Take has characters that you can care about tide up in a very compelling yarn.Overall, it's well filmed and entertaining, hopefully it'll find itself with a sequel as the chemistry dynamic of the selfless subtle two leads works well. Predicable at times but recommended.

bowmanblue I was trying to work in a 'Taken' pun somewhere, but, try as I might, 'The Take' isn't that much like Liam Neeson's 'Taken' saga to warrant its inclusion. If you want to know what 'The Take' is like then I'd describe it as one of those – oh-what-do-you-call-them – type films. In other words, those films that fall into that middle-of-the-road category that you watch because you kind of like them, but probably won't remember them in X amount of days.The only thing that makes it less forgettable than the rest is the ever-reliable Idris Elba who plays a CIA agent based in a European city (which I think was Paris, however it's been over a week since I watched the film, so details are already a little bit sketchy!). Anyway, a young thief (played by Richard Madden who was best-known for his 'Rob Stark' in 'Game of Thrones') accidentally steals a handbag containing a terrorist's bomb (see, kids? Crime doesn't pay!). So, when it goes off, all the authorities think it's him. Luckily Mr Elba can see the thief through the smoke and picks him up first, allowing the pair of them a little time to clear the thief's name, bring the real culprits to justice and also stop another attack on the capital. All in a day's work for Idris.So, expect the shoot-outs, expect the car chases and expect a reasonable amount of banter between the straight-laced Idris and the anti-hero Madden. I know I'm being a little flippant when I'm describing it, but it's a decent enough affair. It has everything you'll want from a thriller, with the possible exception of originality. It's nothing you haven't seen before (sometimes better, sometimes worse). The two leads play off each other well enough to at least make this worth a watch. How many times you'll want to watch it afterwards may be another matter.If you're a fan of either of the two main leads, or just can't get enough of those films that – sort of – feel a bit like the 'Bourne' franchise (i.e. chases across European cities pursued by rogue agents) then you may get more than most out of this flick. Otherwise, it's basically one of those 'rent-before-you-buy' type films. If it's on Netflix or Amazon Instant video – it should fill a gap in your viewing schedule.

kosmasp And no I'm not talking about a river. The charisma and screen presence Idris Elba projects is amazing. He can throw shades, have a stare-down and just generally make you do things without saying much. If someone like this is on the hunt to get you ... well you better run fast. But this is not just a chase movie. This has unfortunately some roots in reality with its terrorist attack theme.This is something that is hard to stomach and might be too much for some to view, in light of things that did happen in Paris or anywhere else in the world for that matter. But if you can blend that out and just accept this as entertainment and a movie, you will get a suspenseful story, that is intriguing and decent enough to watch