Read Negative User Reviews for Taken 2

3

Knicksfan7Oct 17, 2012

I went into this movie expecting a brainless but fun action film. Well all i got was brainless. This movie wasn't even fun. I'm a big Liam Neeson fan, especially when hes kicking ass and honestly the action sucked in this sequel to theI went into this movie expecting a brainless but fun action film. Well all i got was brainless. This movie wasn't even fun. I'm a big Liam Neeson fan, especially when hes kicking ass and honestly the action sucked in this sequel to the overrated but fun first entry into the series. I even think im being generous giving it a 3. I'm not one to look for believability in a movie like taken 2 but come on, some of the crap was unbearable. The daughters using fregen grenades and nobody in istanbul seems to give a crap like chicks chuck grenades around the city on a daily basis, and how the daughter who keep in mind has failed her road test 3 times as was mentioned earlier in the film, all of a sudden becomes the worlds best getaway driver in this seemingly indestrcutible taxi that no matter what it crashes into there will never be a scratch on it. It was just unbearable. I'll give it a 3/10 which is definitely being more than generous, don't waste your time or hard-earned money!… Expand

8 of 10 users found this helpful82

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2

kaozgamerOct 7, 2012

Great acting and casting BUT it still managed to be the biggest disappointed so far. Taken is a kind of movie that don't need a sequel. Oh well, I guess they wanted to milk the cash cow. The biggest problem was with the story. Why would theGreat acting and casting BUT it still managed to be the biggest disappointed so far. Taken is a kind of movie that don't need a sequel. Oh well, I guess they wanted to milk the cash cow. The biggest problem was with the story. Why would the enemies go after him and his family AGAIN? I mean didn't they already learn their lesson from the first film. The way the action sequences were edited was terrible. You couldn't tell who was punching whom and who was getting hit. Every half a second they would cut to another shot. It was painful to watch. Stay away from Taken 2.… Expand

7 of 10 users found this helpful73

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2

HauntedDonutOct 6, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What I don't understand, is how people thought the first movie was good. Rooster Teeth named Taken their 'Movie of the Year'. It was too predictable. If a guard turned right down a corridor, Liam Neeson would come from the left. The editing was unbearably atrocious. The writing seemed like the movie was filmed on the first draft. Taken 2 was no different. It is the kind of movie that is something to laugh at on the drive home. First off, the editing. During the fight scenes, it was like trying to play pin the tail on the donkey. You can't tell who is who until the scene is over. You may as well close your eyes and listen to the soundtrack. Which that in it self is nothing new. Like pretty much every single action movie today, the soundtrack is made up of the violin family. With the addition of a synthesizer. It makes the movie seem dull and cliche. Which it needs no help doing.

Lastly, the writing. I could of gone and seen The Expendables 2 and gotten a better plot line. In fact. There is barely any plot line at all. It's all 'Hey lets shoot everyone that sounds Turkish!'. The scene where Kim and Brian are in the taxi and burst into the US Embassy. What was the point in that! They weren't being followed. The last car got blown up by the train.

The only thing on the writing side I can give them credit for is when they are setting off grenades to tell how far away they are from each other. That was clever. Just the fact that there would be police swarming the streets.

This is a movie that will leave you red faced after the amount of face palms you do...… Expand

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

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2

NickGillenOct 16, 2012

This movie is appalling. From the opening credits you can tell it's going to be terrible, acting seems extremely forced and at times very cringe-worthy. Too many close-ups of the daughter's cleavage and bum thrown in for no reason. ProductThis movie is appalling. From the opening credits you can tell it's going to be terrible, acting seems extremely forced and at times very cringe-worthy. Too many close-ups of the daughter's cleavage and bum thrown in for no reason. Product placement is beyond un-subtle and the story is just laughable. The ending is also terrible and the music general action nonsense lacking the emotional punch of the first. Basically, a great movie has been ruined by a simply terrible sequel simply to cash in on our love for the first.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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0

RedMoonOct 8, 2012

This film did ok for the actors but for a movie that had a succesful rating for the first film this was dissapointing. the diretors and writers of this film did well with the location and scrips but as soon as the film started to pick up allThis film did ok for the actors but for a movie that had a succesful rating for the first film this was dissapointing. the diretors and writers of this film did well with the location and scrips but as soon as the film started to pick up all u can expect is a relax in your chairs and not at all close to a thriller. this film for me personally was not worth the money i spent.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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0

LR1000Oct 7, 2012

I really enjoyed the first Taken. It was mindless badassery. You didn't have to think, you just went along for the ride. Neeson showed himself as being capable of performing in a Bourne-esque role, which is great for a man of his age.I really enjoyed the first Taken. It was mindless badassery. You didn't have to think, you just went along for the ride. Neeson showed himself as being capable of performing in a Bourne-esque role, which is great for a man of his age.

Underneath it all, Taken 2 is still a pretty decent action flick with Neeson on fine, badass form. There's some good action and the fights are exciting (when they're not cut to ribbons) and our hero belts out another memorable catchphrase (albeit one that's not quite as impressive as the orignal "I will find you" one).

So why the 0 score? 3 Reasons.

1) Olivier Megaton. This guy is atrocious as a director. Strangely, i've seen a number of his films & they've all been terrible. Don't ever let him near something high profile, ever again. Especially action films, he says he hates violence. What a joke.

2) The editing. Christ almighty, I lost count of the camera switches in just the first 5 minutes alone! Was it really necessary to show Neeson entering his daughters boyfriends house from 4 angles in the space of 2 seconds? I know a lot of fast cuts and shakey-cam are supposed to give you a feeling of the action unfolding, to make it feel more intense, but this was on such a ridiculous scale that at some points I felt sick.

3) The self-censorship. Pandering to the PG-13/12a crowd on a 'franchise' that has rated higher in the past is something I cannot support. I waited for the uncut DVD version of Die Hard 4 before I saw it as I did not want to give the studios my box office money for a kid-friendly version. The first Taken movie was brutal and unflinching, it was gritty and exciting. Taken 2, on the other hand, has had it's heart completely ripped out (off camera!) and loses a lot of the soul the first film had (I know that sounds quite pretentious given the type of movie this is). Whoever it was who went to the BBFC in the UK for advice on how to get a lower rating should be fired. 15 or 18, or don't bother.

I have been waiting for this film with excitement since I first heard it was being made, so it's heartbreaking to be so disappointed. I'm not sure if even an uncut/unrated version can save it, as Megaton has said in an interview that the DVD will be a directors cut, rather than a 'rougher, more violent cut'. This saddens me greatly. Extra scenes won't mean a thing if they're as mild as the rest of them.

Don't bother watching this, do not give the cinemas any money for this film, send a message that going for a broader audience will actually result in a smaller one. If you must watch this film, wait to see how they produce the DVD. If they do the same as Die Hard 4s release, then I will recommend you see it. If the DVD turns out to be as tame as the theatrical version, leave it. Pretend it never happened. Forget it exists. Cherish your fond memories of the first film and keep wishing for a sequel. A real sequel.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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2

nafeesJan 14, 2013

some movies just can't have sequels. other then the amazing Liam Neeson acting and Istanbul, every thing else is just so ridiculously crap. story line and plot so predictable. especially if you have watched the first one Taken, which was asome movies just can't have sequels. other then the amazing Liam Neeson acting and Istanbul, every thing else is just so ridiculously crap. story line and plot so predictable. especially if you have watched the first one Taken, which was a good average movie, then this would be extremely difficult to watch.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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1

TheKiddyDec 26, 2012

Let's talk more generally about the trend in Luc Besson's films, in particular those written with Robert Mark Kamen. They are going downhill fast -- and faster. It's one thing to have a sequel here or there, and another to mail it in as RMK is doing.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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3

TokyochuchuMay 7, 2013

Taken 2 is unbelievably disappointing. It starts out promisingly; the hero is just as likable as in first film and the new villain has a sensible, efficient motivation. Unfortunately, the film goes badly wrong when the action starts. TheTaken 2 is unbelievably disappointing. It starts out promisingly; the hero is just as likable as in first film and the new villain has a sensible, efficient motivation. Unfortunately, the film goes badly wrong when the action starts. The fights and car chases that follow are all generic and unexciting. Worse still, some of the logic in the movie is stupefying... A girl without a driver's license can suddenly drive like Jason Bourne, repeatedly setting off grenades in a metropolitan area does no damage and alerts minimal security and apparently, driving through a US embassy checkpoint at high speed, thus causing soldiers to open fire warrants no detention or subsequent investigation. What a total mess of a movie! The first one was classic. This one is utter jank.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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2

SeriosityDec 31, 2012

Be prepared for complete nonsense. The girl is not skillful enough a drive to get a driver's license in the US, yet towards the end she hops in a stick stick shift cab and is the world's best getaway driver. Liam Neeson is detained and cuffedBe prepared for complete nonsense. The girl is not skillful enough a drive to get a driver's license in the US, yet towards the end she hops in a stick stick shift cab and is the world's best getaway driver. Liam Neeson is detained and cuffed but left alone for hours to find himself away out while guiding his daughter towards him with using a cellphone he had because he was not stripped searched. Albanian's conversing exclusively in English. Grenades being thrown out of hotels and no police response whatsoever. The direction and editing is similarly terrible, the overuse of shaky-cam unbearable… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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3

bosnianNov 12, 2012

Where as the first one succeeds in keeping you at the edge of your seat as you are watching a race against the time and have no idea where the movie will be going next, part 2 is predictable, over the top, run of the mill sequel that failsWhere as the first one succeeds in keeping you at the edge of your seat as you are watching a race against the time and have no idea where the movie will be going next, part 2 is predictable, over the top, run of the mill sequel that fails much more often then it succeeds. Favorite bit from the movie - daughter is struggling trying to get her licence. 2 weeks later she is racing like a maniac through narrow streets of Istanbul in a Mercedes with a manual.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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0

aciphexOct 8, 2014

This may be the worst sequel ever made...everything that made the first movie good like the gritty realism in the hand to hand fighting, and the short and sweet gunfights that weren't over the top and essential turned the film into a polarThis may be the worst sequel ever made...everything that made the first movie good like the gritty realism in the hand to hand fighting, and the short and sweet gunfights that weren't over the top and essential turned the film into a polar opposite of itself...of course now the studio assumes anything liam neeson will do is gold, they were wrong..
Now i can't tell if he cares more about getting his ex wife Back or his daughters driving lessons..
sigh... its hard to accurately sum up all the misfires in this movie becuase the entire film feels forced...nothing is believeable and by the end you don't care who lives or dies Collaps… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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0

ascoltami86May 27, 2013

I dislike almost all his movies, The Grey, Taken, Clash of the Titans, Wrath of the Titans, Battleship Unknown The A-Team, The Dark Knight Rises, The Chronicles of Narnia 1,2,3.

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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0

imthenoobJun 14, 2016

Totally needless sequel. The only difference is the wife gets kidnapped this time. It's so poorly written and acted and every action scene is pretty much copied and pasted from the first film.

1 of 6 users found this helpful15

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3

cameronmorewoodNov 12, 2012

Heart-breakingly bad. 'Taken' wasn't meant to have a sequel for a reason, and this is it.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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3

BetterThanRingoJan 23, 2013

To be fair, when I heard there was going to be a second Taken I was very skeptical. Taken was a great film, but Taken 2? One of the worst experiences of sitting through a movie I have witnessed. Not only is the story line boring, and a littleTo be fair, when I heard there was going to be a second Taken I was very skeptical. Taken was a great film, but Taken 2? One of the worst experiences of sitting through a movie I have witnessed. Not only is the story line boring, and a little stupid, but it rushes and before I knew it we were at the end of the movie. I didn't find myself understanding the motive behind kidnapping Neeson's ex-wife in the film played by Famke Janssen. Yeah, okay, Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) killed your son, but your son also kidnapped numerous American female tourists and forced them into prostitution. It didn't make a lot of sense to me. On top of this the acting performances were putrid at best. The only thing I can appraise is Taken 2's use of Mills', "specific skills," along with with the small action based scenes. This movie was clearly made for profit, but they should have put some quality work into it is all that I'm saying.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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1

HaithamBayazeedJan 6, 2013

Why! It was a great movie, why ruin it with this piece of **** Only the acting is good! Nothing else, not all sequels are good sometimes terrible follow great! This is one of great to terrible, two thumbs down!

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3

BreakingBradJan 24, 2013

Taken 2 is a sequel that ignored everything that was so much fun about the first movie, and decided to be a predictable waste of cash. I was a big fan of the first film because it was simple entertainment and Liam Neeson was perfect for theTaken 2 is a sequel that ignored everything that was so much fun about the first movie, and decided to be a predictable waste of cash. I was a big fan of the first film because it was simple entertainment and Liam Neeson was perfect for the role, but now they have done the exact same thing all over again, but now he has brought his ex-wife into the mix. When I first heard they were going to make a sequel to Taken I was kind of excited because I hoped they would make it as fun as the first one, but sadly I was wrong. It does give some fun action scenes and Liam Neeson is still great in the role, but it does not make up for its pathetic story that was just an excuse to make some cash off the entertaining first movie. I mean we all have seen sequels that Hollywood only made to earn some cash, but here we see a movie that took absolutely no effort to write or think about. I think the writers just said "how can we take a fun movie and make a sequel that has no reason to exist" and they created this dull and lazy sequel. I didn't enjoy this sequel, and it depresses me that they took away everything that I loved about the first movie.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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3

BrianMcCriticMar 10, 2013

I found this film to be just stupid. From the grenade throwing to the driving scenes to the pointless villains, there needed to be a different script. Liam Neeson is still good here, but I could have done with less of the family.

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2

AReviewsJun 25, 2013

I went expecting smart, original and new storytelling, with epic action sequences and suspense, but what I got was Taken repeating itself in Taken 2, there is some clever parts, but it can't rescue the movie from falling apart.

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3

FranzHcriticJul 10, 2015

I just found this film more hyperbolic and unbelievable than it should have been. 'Taken' as a pseudo-revenge flick just doesn't work, and the acting is more wooden that the first. This simply isn't a good action film. More cash grab thanI just found this film more hyperbolic and unbelievable than it should have been. 'Taken' as a pseudo-revenge flick just doesn't work, and the acting is more wooden that the first. This simply isn't a good action film. More cash grab than genuine thrills and suspense, like the first, however typical the first one was.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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3

SavileLovedMeOct 18, 2013

About 40 minutes into this film I was presented with an unexpected but not entirely unwelcome choice: I could either carry on with the film or start watching my old fart of a neighbour paint his decking through my living room window. SteveAbout 40 minutes into this film I was presented with an unexpected but not entirely unwelcome choice: I could either carry on with the film or start watching my old fart of a neighbour paint his decking through my living room window. Steve went for a 'rich teak' Ronseal coat. No regrets.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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3

PvtJacksonJan 18, 2014

This is a lazy, shallow and boring sequel to the original impressive Taken. The entire film is filled with nothing but pure shooting and killing which, to be honest, can't be compared to any of Steven Seagal's action movies. TheThis is a lazy, shallow and boring sequel to the original impressive Taken. The entire film is filled with nothing but pure shooting and killing which, to be honest, can't be compared to any of Steven Seagal's action movies. The heart-touching element that made Taken successful was completely missing in Taken 2, which obviously led to a total disgraceful failure that no one should ever wasted time on.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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3

FilmVirtueFeb 14, 2014

Not nearly as enjoyable and thrilling as the first film. It seems like the addition sequel was unnecessary and pointless. Not on every aspect of the film though.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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3

diogomendesDec 16, 2014

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I enjoyed the first Taken movie quite a lot. It had energetic action, fine performances and an intensely entertaining story, BUT, the plot was simple. So it comes as a surprise that there is a sequel to that movie, and boy, what a bland movie seriously. Everything that it was good about the first film is no longer here, other than a typically solid performance from Liam Neeson.

The retired CIA agent Bryan Mills invites his teenage daughter Kim and his ex-wife Lenore, who has separated from her second husband, to spend a couple of days in Istanbul where he is working. Meanwhile, the patriarch of the community of the Albanian gang of human trafficking, Murad Krasniqi, seeks revenge for the death of his son and organizes another gang to kidnap Bryan and his family. Bryan and Lenore are abducted by the Albanians, but Kim escapes and is the only hope that Bryan has to escape and save Lenore.

I have to give this movie credit that it's entertaining to some extent, but like I said in my reviews (if you don't read my reviews, please go check it out, they're pretty accurate), a movie being "entertaining" is not enough to fulfill a moviegoer's expectation. In fact, after seeing this movie, I felt... nothing. The movie is so empty and so incoherent that makes me feel nothing. You don't know if the movie has a final act because it's basically this: The guy kidnaps his wife, 5 minutes later Liam Neeson finds her, kills the goons and rescues her. That's it? Nothing else? Pfff. And look, if you wanna go see this movie just because of the villain, you might wanna rethink about it because the antagonist is so underdeveloped. Honestly, I could describe the villain completely in 5 words: A guy who wants revenge.

If you enjoyed the first one, I'm pretty sure you'll hate this one because even the action here becomes repetitive therefore, dull. Liam Neeson does his best but he can't save this utter crap from an incoherently empty story, monotonous action and an underwritten villain. God, this movie does suck.

Next Taken movie: The villain's son arrives to kill Liam Neeson by stealing his toothpaste.… Expand

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3

vikesh2206Mar 12, 2015

Retreading the first movie minus the finesse, the generic action revenge tale Taken 2 is a dull and boring affair. Even Liam Neeson can't save the movie this time.

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2

MovieManiac83Apr 22, 2015

In the surprise 2009 box-office smash “Taken,’’ Liam Neeson played a retired CIA operative who rescues his teenage daughter from Albanian white slavers and then goes all Mel Gibson on the culprits.
In the inevitable — if far less excitingIn the surprise 2009 box-office smash “Taken,’’ Liam Neeson played a retired CIA operative who rescues his teenage daughter from Albanian white slavers and then goes all Mel Gibson on the culprits.
In the inevitable — if far less exciting and vastly sillier — sequel, Neeson quickly loses the daughter (Maggie Grace, clearly pushing 30 in real life) again on a trip to Istanbul, where life is cheap and the movie production subsidies are generous.
A bunch of Albanians (led by Rade Serbedzija) want revenge on Neeson for killing and torturing their relatives in the first film.
At various points they also kidnap Neeson and Neeson’s estranged wife (Famke Janssen, whose double spends most of the movie with a sack on her head).
But these truly inept killers never manage to hold onto the entire clan at the same time.
In the interest of advancing the plot, the idiotic bad guys conveniently ignore barking dogs and other warning signs that Neeson or the daughter are approaching, as well as the miniature cellphone Neeson uses to repeatedly communicate with the daughter while in captivity.
“Act casually,’’ he advises her in a truly hilarious sequence — sending the young woman out to toss grenades off Turkish rooftops so he can use the sound of the explosions to help direct her to where he’s being held.
There are other indications that screenwriters Robert Mark Kamen (“The Karate Kid’’) and Luc Besson (who also produced this one) didn’t necessarily want the audience to take “Taken 2’’ as seriously as, say, “Taken.’’
Like when the daughter — who has failed her driving test back in California twice — takes the wheel in a high-speed chase through narrow twisting streets to elude the killers, while dad is directing her to ignore scurrying pedestrians.
This sort of approach has diminishing returns in an alleged thriller: There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot at stake in a movie where you can crash your way through the armed barricades at the American embassy with a stolen taxicab and survive without a scratch.
Four years ago, there was novelty value in seeing an actor with Neeson’s gravitas turning mad action hero. But Neeson’s done it several times since, with diminishing returns, in other paycheck jobs.
Olivier Megaton, the wonderfully named Besson protégé who directed, stages action sequences clumsily and edits them so frantically it looks like the whole movie was run through a Cuisinart.
When Neeson engages in bare-knuckle fisticuffs at the climax of the cartoonish “Taken 2,’’ I honestly couldn’t figure out if the 60-year-old actor was actually present at all except for the close-ups.

It's Rubbish.… Expand

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2

moviemayhemApr 28, 2015

When Taken hit screens in 2008, it benefitted from the shock of the new. Not that its content looked particularly novel. Executive producer and co-writer Luc Besson had already spent a couple of decades turning out serviceable-or-betterWhen Taken hit screens in 2008, it benefitted from the shock of the new. Not that its content looked particularly novel. Executive producer and co-writer Luc Besson had already spent a couple of decades turning out serviceable-or-better Eurothrillers made in the model he helped create with films like La Femme Nikita. The shock came from the star doing the Eurothrilling: Liam Neeson, an actor of the first order, known for exuding introspective gentleness. Neeson was the last person most would think to cast as a pitiless killing machine, but there he was, carving his way through the Paris underworld in search of his suspiciously mature-looking teenage daughter (Maggie Grace), who’d been abducted by the sex slavers who apparently run rampant in the City Of Light.

Part of what makes Taken so entertaining, albeit sometimes unintentionally, is the way it portrays Europe as a pit of sin filled with snares for unsuspecting American innocents abroad. (Kind of like a Henry James novel, but with a lot more forced prostitution.) The rest of its appeal comes from the unapologetic simplicity of its plot, its propulsive pace, and the way Neeson took to both, bringing unsmiling gravity to what could have been a dull role. Since then, the shock has worn off. Neeson continued to explore the action world in films that are striking (The Grey), dull (Unknown), or perfunctory (The A-Team). This, it seems, is what Neeson does now, and his return to his Taken role offers few surprises.

The film also lacks the efficiency and relentlessness of the original. Back in the States and mending fences with ex-wife Famke Janssen and Grace, Neeson seems more worried about his daughter’s dating habits than the possibility of the Albanian father of one of the first film’s villains targeting him for revenge. That, it turns out, is a mistake, as is Janssen and Grace’s decision to join Neeson in Istanbul, where he has a few days to himself after finishing a security detail. What begins as a family outing, with a hint of rekindled romance between the parents, devolves into kidnapping (the word “taken” gets thrown about liberally), torture, high-speed chases, and other misadventures probably not smiled upon by the Turkish Board Of Tourism.

None of it is particularly novel or exciting. Stepping in for Pierre Morel, Olivier Megaton (The Transporter 3) brings a workmanlike, mostly coherent approach to the action scenes, and there’s a clever sequence in which Neeson helps Grace find him through a crude form of echolocation involving a map, a felt-tip pen, and some hand grenades. The only real innovation is in making Neeson’s adventure a family affair, but that mostly involves making him bark driving instructions at Grace as they tear through Istanbul’s obstacle-strewn, chase-friendly streets. Otherwise, it’s business as usual for the Besson machine, distinguished only by the star working the levers. Neeson’s Jason Statham-ization continues apace, but it’s looking less and less like a welcome development.… Expand

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3

MrMovieBuffMar 1, 2017

'Taken 2' is more than just a disappointing sequel, while it has its fair share of great action movie moments, it is unbalanced and horrendously manufactured. I was mildly underwhelmed by the predecessor, 'Taken' (2008) also had great moments'Taken 2' is more than just a disappointing sequel, while it has its fair share of great action movie moments, it is unbalanced and horrendously manufactured. I was mildly underwhelmed by the predecessor, 'Taken' (2008) also had great moments of action galore and made Liam Neeson the action star he is. Here, he once again proves why he should be the front man of any action movie, but unfortunately the screenplay allows for some silly moments aplenty. Bryan Mills (Neeson) is back, and treats his family, Lenore (Famke Jannsen) and Kim (Maggie Grace) to a holiday in Istanbul, meanwhile, the fathers of the kidnappers who Bryan killed in the previous film seek out revenge. They manage to track Bryan in his holiday destination, and both Bryan and Lenore end up getting kidnapped, leaving Kim to try and do everything to make sure they get out alive. Bryan manages to instruct Kim on what to do, and they both have to try and find Lenore before it's too late. The sequel does what it promises with its premise, seeing our main hero getting kidnapped by those who want revenge was pretty much all this had going for it. Unfortunately, there's not enough to keep you interested as most of what goes on is rather ludicrous and at times, laughable. The cast do a good job carrying the movie, but the direction by Olivier Megaton is rather uninspired, most of the action scenes are not visible as it is hard to track what is going on. Too many edits is an eyesore. This is a sequel that should remain neglected.… Expand

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3

MovieMasterEddyApr 3, 2016

Too-tidy sequel can’t be saved.

“Taken,” about a former CIA operative who uses his considerable brawn and brain to rescue his teenage daughter from a bunch of sadistic sex-trade traffickers, was a surprise hit in 2009. The nervyToo-tidy sequel can’t be saved.

“Taken,” about a former CIA operative who uses his considerable brawn and brain to rescue his teenage daughter from a bunch of sadistic sex-trade traffickers, was a surprise hit in 2009. The nervy kid-in-jeopardy thriller opened quietly at the beginning of the year, chugging along to make a respectable $100 million-plus at the box office.

The appeal of “Taken,” apart from its straightforward, unpretentious approach to otherwise pedestrian material, was Liam Neeson. As “Taken” protagonist Bryan Mills, he infused an otherwise by-the-numbers procedural with an ineffable, highly appealing blend of Celtic soul and 6-foot-4-inch heft. As an instantly sympathetic embodiment of paternal reassurance and alpha-male ferocity, Neeson reinvigorated his career with “Taken,” embarking on a series of similarly pulpy thrillers (“Unknown,” “The Grey”) that seemed to surprise even him. You can’t blame Neeson, or the “Taken” producers, for trying to catch lightning in a bottle again.

What you can blame them for is “Taken 2,” a sequel every bit as clumsy, ham-handed, outlandish and laughable as the original was sleek, tough and efficient. “Taken 2” finds Bryan back in Los Angeles, teaching his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace, now officially past her sell-by date playing teenagers) to drive and gazing wistfully at his ex-wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen), when he picks Kim up for their weekly Saturday tutorial. When Bryan travels to Istanbul on business, circumstances conspire to bring Kim and Leni there in order to surprise him; soon, all three are caught up in a nasty web of kidnapping, sadistic torture and revenge spun by the very Albanian bad guys Bryan recently vanquished on behalf of his daughter.

It’s a perfectly acceptable setup, but from its first set piece -- a low-octane chase through an Istanbul bazaar, followed by a weirdly muffled, awkwardly choreographed fist fight -- “Taken 2” possesses the perfunctory mark-hitting of a movie more invested in going through the motions than raising its own bar. The spook-tested tricks and superhuman powers of observation that Bryan trotted out in the first film are now played for maximum preposterousness, such as an utterly laughable gambit involving hand grenades and eastward-blowing flags, or a life-saving feat of deduction accomplished with a map, a Sharpie pen and a shoelace.

Bryan is still the man with all the answers, the modern era’s dream of competence and moral clarity rolled into one hunky package. But in the clunky hands of “Taken 2” director Olivier Megaton (working from a phoned-in script by producer Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen), he’s become little more than a know-it-all who dispatches every obstacle as if he’d anticipated it all along. There’s no crafty fun to be had watching him figuring it all out.

By the time “Taken 2” stages a second, ludicrously conceived car chase, which leads to an equally absurd tableau of macho posturing in a Turkish bath, the entire enterprise feels as false and tidy as the tasteful drop of blood that adorns Bryan’s chin. When Neeson visited “The Daily Show” earlier this week, Jon Stewart eagerly asked if a “Taken 3” was in the works. The actor visibly recoiled, his hand slashing his throat in a “that’s enough” gesture, suggesting that the star is painfully aware that sometimes lightning should stay in the bottle.… Expand

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