Taken 2 Review

Is this the predictable sequel everyone predicted it would be?
A recommendation: if you plan to go and see Taken 2, do so with an open mind, without expectations of the flick merely rehashing the plot of the original. Surprisingly and thankfully, this second instalment in the Liam Neeson action franchise is actually a strong departure from its predecessor, packing enough twists on its series formula to make it akin to the ways in which The Hangover: Part II (4.5/5) managed to innovate despite its similarities.

Make no mistake, though, this is a Neeson action romp through and through, with dizzying fistfights, choppy direction and one-dimensional characters and exposition aplenty that don't help in the writer's infrequent attempts to transcend the boundaries of the traditional blockbuster. There are moments where you are led to believe the film may attain an even higher level of quality than we possibly thought it capable of, yet they're usually robbed of their effectiveness by a weak pun ("What I do best." Sigh- did we have to sum up Neeson in a nutshell?), overdramatic soundtrack work or just a blatantly stereotyped portrayal of a colleague or adversary. These are undoubtedly the main caveats of the flick, and they do hold it back.

All the same, the lead gives it his all in spite of his age, really carrying a weight of empathy and confidence in his character's plight that the audience can easily connect to in the relatively realistic situations. Those playing his adversaries are certainly less compelling, but the stars of the family are still likeable enough that when they're inevitably Taken in some form we're not rooting for them to bite the bullet at any point. If anything, we could have done with far more time with the family, or just a longer running time in general, as bizarrely, the team went for a mere 90 minute running time here. I'm not suggesting we should have had more setpieces, there were more than enough of those, it was just that the pressure of the pace was really harshly felt here. Overall, while Taken 2 lacks the daringness and pure thrills of the original movie, Liam Neeson still elevates it well above standard blockbuster fare to make this a thoroughly compelling Autumn sitting.
3.5/5