alienation news

Sci Fi's 'Taken' Grabs You and Doesn't Let Go

The official full-length title is "Steven Spielberg Presents Taken." Yes, that old dreamy-eyed spacenik Spielberg is back, but he didn't exactly produce the miniseries, nor did he direct any of the episodes. He is one of the executive producers and he "presents" it -- starting tonight at 9 on Sci Fi, continuing for nine weeknights and ending Friday, Dec. 13.
Although it deals with aliens from outer space, these are by no means the friendly neighbors who dropped by for "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" or, by a long shot, the cuddly and homesick sweetie of "E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial." Even so, "Taken" has many Spielbergian traits, mixing intense suspense with a stubbornly sentimental streak. Emblematically, the final chapter is a riveting combination of the heart-pounding and the tear-jerking, and there'll be a spectacular light show as well.