TAKEN 2
His family targeted by a vengeful crime boss in Istanbul, retired CIA agent Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) must fight an army of killers to ensure their safe return in this action sequel from director Olivier Megaton (ransporter 3) and producer/co-writer Luc Besson (who penned the screenplay alongside Taken scribe Robert Mark Kamen). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Olivier Megaton
Cast: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Rade Sherbedgia, Luke Grimes
Release Date: Oct 05, 2012
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and some sensuality
Runtime: 1 hr. 32 min.
Genres: Drama, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
A sequel to Taken seems like it’d write itself. The plot is everything you’d expect it to be. Liam Neeson is gravelly voiced and dead serious when talking on cell phones, even tiny ones. Director Oliver Megaton should just keep this in cruise control and let whoever is watching this get what they wanted which is watching the world’s most awesome overprotective dad use his special set of skills to kill anyone and everyone that attempts to interrupt him on vacation. Megaton does this for a decent chuck of the film but for some reason the screen writers decided it was a good idea to get Maggie Grace’s character more involved. This is about as terrible an idea as having a nearly 30 year old actress play a 16 year old. The character is shrill and annoying. All the while she can go from taking a driving test to driving like a stunt driver in about 20 minutes. It’s a serious misstep in a movie that should just be about 60 year Liam Neeson taking out track suit wearing tugs with a coffee cup. Neeson is focused and dedicated as usual. He does well in the action sequences making even the most ridiculous situations seem plausible. Famke Janseen has more screen time but she’s comatose for the better part of the film not as an actress per say but as written. Rade Serbedzija is still cashing paychecks as that guy who not from here again. Taken 2 should be mindless fun and there is some obvious effort to get into Mills fastidious mindset but a detour into his daughter taking the lead is a bad misstep.
C
