Taken 2 (2012) - Review
Liam Neeson, whom no one thought suitable to become an action star surprised everyone with the raw energy and immense emotional pull that were the two pillars of original "Taken" which showcased in 2008 when he was 56 years old.
Liam Neeson, 60 now, is once again the saviour of "Taken 2".
The rocking punches rampant in this series which has more or less the same elements of the first will leave Rocky Balboa aka Sylvester Stallone envious.
Coming at the story, Bryan Mills (Neeson) who was formerly a CIA spy and now a security consultant goes on a trip to Istanbul. His wife and daughter are on holiday with him but they are hunted down by the relatives of men he has killed earlier. In this fight he and his wife are captured.
The Lone Taken 2 (2012) Official Trailer
With time being the enemy, he tries to do three things at the same time by putting his skills to test – free himself and find his wife, and prevent his daughter from getting captured. This time his ally is his daughter who follows her father a word to word as she has gained faith towards him by her earlier experience.
Luc Besson and his fantastic new director Olivier Megaton ("Transporter 3"), infuses raw neatness and edginess to the first part. However the surprise element is absent in this part.
With no surprise the film "taken 2" seems very familiar as there is not much room to build characters or create subplots. Contrarily there are sufficient elements to delight old and new viewers equally.
Liam Neeson, excels in this series as he has done always.”Taken” was more appealing because unlike “Taken 2”, it was not enclosed in a corner of one city. It had speed and was located in different cities throughout Europe. However “Taken 2”, is located almost entirely in Istanbul and thus doesn't have the universal appeal.
Liam Neeson, proves that a good actor is always good physically and age is no bar for him. “Taken”, “Taken 2”, both stand out because of the glue that holds it together…he is Liam Neeson.
The "Taken" series is the story of a one-man killing machine out to destroy. However, this destruction is very much different , as this arises out of necessity. He is simultaneously paying homage to a James Bond,Jason Bourne, and Luc Besson's own "Transporter" character in the film of the identical name.
Another installment in the film has already been announced. "Taken 3", will be more efficient although it might not ‘take’ you to unknown lands, but this version of “Taken 3” will be intriguing enough to ignore petty mistakes it has made..
