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When Taken arrived in 2008, it reminded the audience of a few things that it already knew but may have forgotten: that a lean, mean thriller can be completely engrossing, that European action impresario Luc Besson and his rotating list of directors can deliver exciting action in gorgeous locations, and that Liam Neeson will be able to sell bad-ass until the day he dies. As a result, the story of ex-CIA man Bryan Mills tearing through Paris to rescue his kidnapped daughter became a surprise hit and earned an inevitable sequel.
Unfortunately, the best that can be said for Taken 2 is that, at times, it reminds the audience of that movie. This time, the action shifts to Istanbul, where Neeson’s Bryan is taking an impromptu family vacation with daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) and ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen). While Bryan’s relationship with his family has improved, things go bad quickly when the family of some Albanian mobsters that he tortured and killed in the first movie come looking to settle the score. From there, it’s a series of car chases, shootouts, fist fights, and Neeson growling intensely into a cell phone.
One of the things that made Taken so compelling was the way it focused in on the fear of losing a child to a horrible fate with only a few days to stop it. That tension, combined with Neeson’s sheer force of personality, drove that movie. While the action actually gets ramped up in Taken 2, the stakes don’t feel as high. There are some thematic notes about the bonds of family and the cycle of revenge that could have been developed stronger—but, as it is, they don’t land with the same power.
While the movie around him never quite lives up to its predecessor, though, Neeson does turn in another fine performance. It will likely never cease to be fun watching him outwit, intimidate, and beat the holy hell out of bad guys half his age. Maggie Grace gets a lot more to do this time out as well, although one sequence involving Kim and a bag of grenades comes off as a mix of clever and absolutely ludicrous.
It’s a simple law of film economics that any movie that enjoyed the surprise success of Taken was going to get a second shot, but, like most made this way, the result is much more imitation than inspiration. If you enjoyed the first one, you may well get a kick out of Taken 2, but don’t be surprised if, about halfway through, you find yourself wishing you were watching Taken instead.
Blu-ray Review:
The Taken 2 Blu-ray release includes both the theatrical and unrated cut, which is a little longer but not much different. It also includes a long alternate ending that restructures the third act in a way that, again, doesn’t really change all that much. There are also some deleted/extended scenes and interviews, but none of them are required viewing. But, then again, neither is Taken 2.
