Taken 2: Movie Review

"Taken", when it came out around 4 years ago, took the world by surprise literally. Its unconventional take on the action genre made it really special to most if not all movie-goers. "Taken 2" sadly is far off from what the original was. Honestly, who could top off  "Taken"? But really, the problem lies deeper. It's not only because the original was too good for a sequel to top it but overall, the film just feels lazy. Even for an action film (and even for the "Taken" universe), almost all action sequences are amazingly preposterous and illogical. Everything that was good in the original is simply gone. And again it surprises, although this time around, it's not the good kind.  

It is a year since Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) saved his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) from the clutches of a kidnapping syndicate in Paris. Bryan is currently posted in Istanbul serving as a body guard and security consultant to rich and powerful clients. When Kim and his ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen) surprises him with a trip to Istanbul, the happy reunion turns for the worse when Bryan and Lenore are kidnapped by a group of Albanian thugs. It is revealed that their leader is the father of the kidnapper Bryan killed in Paris. The father, Murad Hoxha (Rade Šerbedžija), wants to seek revenge for his son's killing. With Bryan and Lenore captured, Kim must find a way to save her family.

When they made "Taken 2", they probably thought that the hype and the acclaim the first one got would have made the sequel an instant blockbuster. Actually, it probably will be but it is one film that will leave a bad taste in your mouth. It just feels hazily and lazily built from start to finish. The action in fact is still fast-paced but gone is the oomph factor that the original had. And yes, action stars usually have god-like powers when it comes to fighting and avoiding getting hurt or killed but "Taken 2" takes this very lenient acceptability of the audience beyond its limits. In fact, mostly if not everything is preposterous. For example, Bryan's daughter throws grenades all around Istanbul and it's already amazing how Bryan Mills found his exact location using the sounds the explosions made. What's more unbelievable is the rampant grenade throwing without alerting anyone else within the vicinity. Add on top of that a villain that is a bore and "Taken 2" is simply a sequel that shouldn't have been made.

Rating: 2 reels

Why you should watch it:

- brainless action and it contains some elements from the highly-regarded first film

Why you shouldn't watch it:

- the movie is haphazardly made and lacks any real depth
- everything is illogical and preposterous even for an action film