By Ryan Stephens
Liam Neeson blasts through some Turkish bad guys in his latest film, Taken 2, which came out October 5th. The story picks up where the original 2007 film left off with the villains seeking revenge on Liam Neeson’s character, Bryan Mills. This action packed adventure stars the aforementioned Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Rade Serbedzija, and Olivier Megaton sits in the director chair for this film.
Action film enthusiasts will love this film because Taken 2 skimps on the plot but packs that empty room with high intensity action. The beginning starts out a bit slow for a movie of this genre but once it hits the climax, it plateaus off and maintains that level of action for the duration of the movie. Also, Neeson’s character flows well with this action. His level of suave is comparable to Sean Connery as James Bond and it complements the feel of the movie pretty well. Very few actors could even try to pull off the cool operator vibe that Neeson managed to achieve.
However, even people who like action films will not be able to look past the glaring flaws in the movie. Liam Neeson’s character feels like the only interesting character in the entire film. His family and adversaries come off as flat and robotic. The stiffness in these characters reflects the editing which feels out of place. The cuts in the film jerk around and come off as amateurish in a film with its level of budget. Entertainment is the primary focus of this movie but the poor editing does detract even if a viewer comes with lowered expectations.
In conclusion, Taken 2 offers a great deal of enjoyment for anyone looking for a cheap thrill but those expecting a modern day masterpiece will suffer great disappointment. The plain cinematography, atypical editing, and somewhat generic story will put off more picky moviegoers but Taken 2 will certainly provide enjoyment for most people.