REVIEW: Neeson not invincible in ‘Taken 2’
First, his daughter was taken. This time, they’re coming for him.
I assume the readers of this column have seen “Taken.” If you haven’t seen the first movie, there’s not much point to see “Taken 2,” since it is a sequel and not a spinoff.
The opening credits show the caskets of the dead brotherhood members from retired CIA operative Bryan Mills’ (Liam Neeson) previous exploits being transported to the country of origin.
At the funeral, an old man, Murad Krasniqi (Rade Serbedzija), pledges to the rest of the brotherhood that the deaths will be avenged, but most especially the death of his son Marco.
Time passes. Bryan and his ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen) maintain a friendly relationship with each other. Bryan’s daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) gets a boyfriend (Luke Grimes), but doesn’t tell her father because of his overprotectiveness.
After Lenore’s husband Stuart cancels the plans for Lenore and Kim to travel overseas, Bryan offers to have them meet him in Istanbul after his business there is completed. They graciously accept his offer.
Unbeknownst to the trio, the brotherhood has been searching for Bryan and track Bryan and his family to Istanbul.
Moving quickly, the brotherhood spring a trap on Bryan and Lenore while they’re out on the town. They get cornered, and Bryan gets a hold of Kim and tells her that her mother and he are going to be taken and that they will come after her unless she moves quickly.
Prepare yourself for an intense, emotional adventure. Bryan Mills is at it again, doing what he does best.
“Taken 2” is a true sequel of “Taken.” It continues the story set by the first film. The story didn’t repeat itself or become redundant.
This sequel is as long as its predecessor, but it was much faster paced because the events happen over a few hours rather than a few days.
There were times I wanted the movie to slow down so I could get my bearings. However, the movie was realistic in this sense. If something like this were to happen, there would be no time to hesitate. Hesitation would get you killed.
The film demonstrated the consequences of one’s actions reacting to someone else’s choices.
“Taken 2” showed the extent to which a trained CIA operative would observe his or her surroundings. It specifically explored Bryan’s thought processes-what he observes, how he thinks, and how he figures out where he is, using turns, sounds, and keeping track of time.
Bryan MIlls is not invincible, and director Olivier Megaton and actor Neeson capture the vulnerability perfectly. One scene is incredibly emotional for Bryan, but Neeson was able to keep his expressions in his eyes without betraying his feelings to his captors.
Like the first movie, “Taken 2” is not a brainless shooting movie. The combat and shooting are not fancy but are deadly and efficient, giving a real feel to the action. This is due to stunt coordinator Alain Figlarz’s background in the military.
Megaton uses an effective and illustrative, but not overdone, use of flashbacks to enhance the story.
The character development was not explicitly seen but definitely implicitly seen, which was refreshing as the film industry typically shows and tells instead of letting the audience figure that out for themselves.
“Taken 2” has to settle and be turned over in the mind a few times before it can truly be appreciated.
Megaton builds on his experience from last year’s “Colombiana” and gives a true to life atmosphere for the events of “Taken 2,” which was a fresh experience compared to his stylized hit “Transporter 3,” no pun intended.
So many high action films have come from the mind of Luc Besson, including the “Transporter” trilogy, both “Taken” films and assassin movies “The Professional” and “La Femme Nikita.” “Taken 2” included one of Besson’s key signatures: never letting up on the action until the credits.
Neeson is one of my favorite actors. He always performs well, and has a natural fierceness that is enhanced in the “Taken” movies. “Schindler’s List,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” and
“Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” showcase slice’s of his many talents.
Since her roles in “Goldeneye” and the “X-Men” trilogy, Janssen hasn’t had many great opportunities to show off her skills. She effectively showed the growth her character Lenore experienced between “Taken” and “Taken 2.” Her next anticipated position will be that of the witch Muriel in “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters,” coming January 2013.
The beautiful Grace is definitely becoming an established actress in the action film industry, even though her parts don’t always include highly physical performances. In addition to “Taken,” she’s known for “Lockout,” “Lost,” and unfortunately, “Twilight: Breaking Dawn.”
Nathaniel Mechaly returns to compose the music for this movie. There is some continuity between the two movies in a musical sense, but the score practically stands alone. He composed the score for “Colombiana” and the upcoming “Transporter” television series.
My favorite part of the music was from a particularly heavy scene that had deep, steady but rapid rhythm, as if a heart was beating, and the rest of the track built from that base.
If you need to take an escape, or would like an exciting movie to take your mind off your homework, “Taken 2” is a great movie that will satisfy your desires.
– Spencer Palmer is a graduate student working toward an MBA with a recent bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. Email him at spencer.palmer@aggiemail.usu.edu or visit his website, themovieknight.wordpress.com.