“I have a very particular set of skills…” you may have heard this chilling quote countless times from the surprise sleeper hit, Taken. Taken surprised viewers and critics alike when it became a smash hit at the box office in 2008, revitalizing Liam Neeson’s career and turning him into an in-demand action star.
Neeson plays a badass with extreme brutality as ex-C.I.A. agent, Brian Mills in Taken, who must rescue his daughter from a European human sex trafficking ring. After making an unexpected $24.7 million at the box office, it’s no surprise that a sequel hit the screens. Taken 2 brings Neeson back as Mills, who must once again save his family from kidnappers who are out for revenge due to the events of Taken. While the ending of the first film didn’t really leave room for a sequel, the writers managed to pull off a semi-convincing storyline for the sequel.
After brutally killing dozens of men with his bare hands and single-handedly fighting his way through an entire organized crime organization to get his daughter back, why would you want to mess with him again, right? Well you wouldn’t think anyone would, but they did. This time Mills finds himself, his wife Lenore (Famke Jenssen) taken and his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) on the run in Instanbul.
Taken 2 lacks the in-your-face, non-stop intensity of the first film and the premise is even more ridiculous. However there are some good combat scenes and an exciting (yet far-fetched) car chase scene. Despite lackluster critic reviews with a disastrous nine per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it destroyed the box office with an impressive $49.5 million opening weekend. Though it’s a weak sequel, Neeson is still badass and manages to carry the movie giving some great one-liners.
It may not be the smartest or most believable action movie, but if you can turn your brain off for 90 minutes you can still be fairly entertained. I’m pretty certain after the box office success we can expect Taken 3 in the near future, or you know “Taken…One more time!” (2.5/5 stars)
