Chapter 509: He's a Dad

"I think if you really have to give this film a deeper meaning, it's that it successfully educates underage girls and their fathers."

Jiang Xiaojun paused and pointed at Baldy Ge. "That includes future dads like you."

"Huh?" Baldy Ge looked at him.

"The film is simple and brilliant, but most importantly, it offers a bit of a warning." Jiang Xiaojun lowered his voice. "For example, it reminds those little troublemakers to listen to their fathers, to call their dads more often, not to chat up random strangers, and to avoid hanging out with wild classmates."

Hearing this, Baldy Ge laughed.

But Jiang Xiaojun did not look like he was joking. "Those old men in the bureau should team up with the Ministry of Education to screen this film in every middle school in every city across the country!"

"Xiaojun, save your breath," Baldy Ge advised, seemingly recalling something. "Careful, or those old men might make sure you can't even work as an actor anymore."

Jiang Xiaojun gave a bitter smile and simply shut his mouth.

On the screen, Bryan drove at high speeds against traffic along the Seine River. As death struck again and again, and a light akin to Elysium repeatedly illuminated his increasingly resolute face, the entire audience was moved. At this moment, the greatness of a father's love was easy to understand.

Who would not be deeply moved by a father like that?

Of course, the truth was that every father was like this. Even if they lacked the extraordinary skills of Bryan, the former American operative portrayed in the film, they were exactly the same when it came to loving their children and making every possible sacrifice for them. People might possess different abilities, but any parent would walk through fire and water for their child.

As for killing gods and Buddhas alike if they stand in the way, the driving force behind it could hardly surpass a parent's love for their child.

This was an endless love, of course. It was the only truly endless love in the world...

In this world, there was a certain kind of person who, at a specific moment, would transform. Sometimes, they embodied a gentle Santa Claus; sometimes, they became an omnipotent Superman; sometimes, they looked like cruel devils; and sometimes, they licked the blood from the corners of their mouths and turned around to reveal a smile.

Bryan Mills in the film was exactly this kind of person. He traveled to a foreign country alone, killing his way through the seemingly romantic city of Paris. With a gun, he first slaughtered countless bastards and villains, then strapped one to an electric chair for interrogation. He shot a former friend's wife without hesitation to threaten the man, then knocked him out with a backhand punch. In the end, relying on his professional skills, he left behind a trail of corpses and severely injured bodies.

All of this was just to save a woman—a young woman. The most adorable young woman in his eyes.

What kind of person would you call this man?

It was simple: he was a dad! And the young woman he was trying to save was his daughter, who meant more to him than his own life!

Leaving the mess in Paris behind, Bryan brought his daughter back to America with the help of his former colleagues. With that, the film concluded.

Thunderous applause echoed through the cinema. Many audience members rose to their feet to give the film a standing ovation. Although the screening was over, Duke did not leave. Accompanied by Warner's public relations team, he stepped into the adjacent press room to take questions from the media.

Since he was the only member of the crew to attend, all the questions inevitably fell squarely on Duke's shoulders.

However, compared to Europe and North America, the entertainment journalists here were still in their infancy. Their questions were not particularly tricky and focused mostly on the film that had just screened. With Duke's experience, handling them was a breeze.

"Director Rosenberg, what do you consider to be the most important element of this film?"

Hearing the question, Duke thought for a moment before answering, "Action sequences that directly achieve the most effective results! This ties into the protagonist's professional background, which is why the audience sees Bryan smoothly and efficiently clearing away all obstacles."

Called upon by the host, another journalist stood up and asked, "When filming The Matrix, you successfully introduced Chinese Kung Fu to Hollywood and sparked a Kung Fu craze in North America. However, the combat style Bryan uses in this film is clearly not Kung Fu."

"It is indeed not Kung Fu."

Duke naturally was not going to mention that North American audiences were already starting to suffer from Kung Fu fatigue. He casually made up an excuse. "Every actor has their own suitable performance and action style. My choreography team tailored this specific fighting style to suit Liam Neeson's unique traits. Liam Neeson also underwent extensive, long-term training because I wanted him to perform as many of his own stunts as possible."

"Of course, I wouldn't let him jump off a bridge or crash a car," he added. "But Liam has a massive number of fight scenes, which required a lot of time to rehearse. It was incredibly rigorous and demanding for him, because I didn't want the action to look artificially sped up on screen. In fact, Liam genuinely grew quite formidable while learning those combat techniques."

A wave of laughter rippled through the room. While Liam Neeson was not exactly an A-list Hollywood superstar, he was by no means a stranger to the local audience.

Next, another journalist asked, "We noticed the protagonist's inner struggle during the terrifying torture scene. May I ask how you managed that particular sequence?"

"The atmosphere on set was genuinely tense and horrifying during filming," Duke said after a moment's consideration. "In the film, after Bryan discovers that his daughter's best friend has died from a forced drug overdose, he starts to process the situation. He grasps the darkest side of reality, and his paternal instincts strip away all of his reservations and inhibitions. Therefore, I felt we needed this scene to show him completely losing his mind."

"Duke, in your experience, will Liam Neeson become the center of public attention because of this film?"

"Liam has always been in the public eye." Duke was mostly stating the truth. "I actually closed off the set for him at one point; he doesn't like being disturbed by 'fanatic' behavior while working. It makes it hard for him to get into character. He is an outstanding and highly charismatic actor, which was a major reason why I cast him."

"Furthermore, Liam's natural temperament perfectly suits the character of Bryan. I honestly couldn't imagine anyone else playing the role. Liam's personality and physical traits are exceptional—he stands at 1.95 meters tall, yet he's also incredibly sensitive. When you meet him, you would never mistake him for a warmonger, but you can still sense a certain lethal potential beneath his cold exterior."

Finally, a male journalist stood up and asked in a joking tone, "Director Rosenberg, while sitting in the cinema watching the film just now, I suddenly felt like this movie was a living cautionary tale. I even started wondering: did the director make this film because his own daughter never listens to him, so the dad decided to shoot a movie just to scare the daylights out of her?"

The moment the question was asked, the entire press room burst into laughter. Duke laughed as well; he could tell it was a good-natured joke.

He played along with a joke of his own. "If I told you this film was made specifically for high school girls all around the world, would you believe me?"

Another round of laughter filled the press room.

The interview concluded on that note, and Duke quickly left the Shanghai Cinema. Calculating the time, the North American release was not far off, so he needed to head back and maintain active contact with his team in North America.

The day after the premiere, Duke saw numerous reviews for Taken in various local newspapers. Overall, the reception was quite positive.

"The film's plot is unapologetically classic: a resourceful, highly skilled lone hero ventures deep into the lion's den to wipe out the bad guys. However, the emotional core and the deeply established character dynamics breathe fresh life into the movie. Not only does it feed your eyes with thrilling, explosive action sequences, but it also tugs at your heartstrings with its hidden, delicate, and subtly influential emotional depth."

"Beyond that, the film also boasts impeccably paced rhythm, highly textured visuals, and excellent psychological tension. As always, Director Duke Rosenberg has crafted an outstanding commercial blockbuster. It's the kind of film where you can sit back with your popcorn and be thrilled by the spectacular audio and visuals, yet still shed a tear or two and leave the cinema lost in thought."

"Overall, this is a masterpiece that cannot be missed."

Since he was already in Shanghai, Duke inevitably had to attend various events, especially those tied to Warner and the film. This was the primary purpose of his trip: laying the groundwork for the future. At the very least, he needed to make his face known to the local media, the audience, and the relevant film industry departments.

Duke attended two formal banquets hosted by the China Film Group and the Shanghai Municipal Government. However, he remained extremely cautious with his words and actions throughout. He was well aware that certain departments here possessed overly sensitive nerves.

Given the considerable amount of work still waiting for him in North America, Duke could not stay in the country for long. After the two formal dinners, he prepared to tackle the final two events on his previously finalized itinerary.

The first was an exclusive television interview, and the second was a speech at Fudan University.

Because he had no desire to travel north, and due to the specific nature of certain networks, Duke declined an invitation from the television station with the largest audience. Instead, he opted for a more personalized program.

Of course, this program still boasted a massive viewership and held significant influence across Asia.

Indeed, out of all the network invitations, Duke had chosen Yang Lan's talk show. She had experience studying in America and working in North America, giving her a clear understanding of the political and social landscapes on both sides. Furthermore, during her communications with Tina Fey, she had readily agreed to keep the interview strictly focused on cinema, promising not to touch upon messy, sensitive topics like politics or human rights.

On Monday afternoon, Duke walked into the Sun TV interview room, sitting down for his first-ever exclusive interview with the Chinese media.