MOVIE REVIEW - Taken 2

Taken was a surprise smash hit from a year or two ago with Liam Neeson as an agent going all out to get his daughter back from being kidnapped.  And it worked.

Now, it's Taken 2, with the same cast basically as the first.  In movie making, many times good should be left well enough alone from a quality standpoint.  But from a financial standpoint it seldom is.  Taken 2 is going to pick up where Taken left off, and bring in a ton of cash...and that's good.  But to say this is as good as the original is a close call, but probably comes up a bit short.

In this installment, our favorite OCD former government against Bryan (Neeson), is still divorced form his beautiful wife Lenore (Famke Janssen).  His daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) is now a blossoming teen in America after her dad rescued her from sex slave terrorists in Taken.   In this story, Bryan takes a freelance security job in Istanbul.  After his job is finished, Kim and Lenore (who is separated from her new husband) show up in Istanbul for a family reunion/vacation.  

Trouble is, the father of the main terrorist who Bryan killed in Taken is seeking revenge. So he kidnaps Bryan and Lenore, and wants to re-kidnap Kim.  He wants to kill Bryan and Lenore slowly while making Kim a sex slave for the lowest common denominator while they watch.   So Bryan and Lenore are taken, while Kim eludes capture.  Can Bryan somehow save the day again?

The great thing about the original Taken was that behind the action and the violence what it was, was a dad going after his daughter that was in trouble.  Identifiable on many levels.   It played on our emotions that dads protect their little girls, and that was huge for the original.  In Taken 2, there is far more emphasis on action, and this time his love for his former wife, and daughter.  Yeah it works, but not quite like the first movie.  The obvious question for this movie is, "why on earth would you be in a part of the world that there is possibly so much danger for you and family again?"  Fair question.  But  that's the story.

Many things about the two movies are parallel, so in the end its probably a draw.  But the original had that signature scene that I feel propelled it to a higher ground with viewers.  Who didn't love the phone call scene when he gets the terrorists on the phone, and says the "particular skill set" line and vows to kill them?  It was without question the scene that took Taken to a hit movie, and it was not an action scene at all.  This movie does not have that signature emotional scene.  And that is glaring. I was waiting for the new signature scene that never really comes.  Oh, there is an attempt at movies end, but it's too late.   What it does have is tons of violence, action, and slick car chase scenes that are done well.  But in the end it lobs Taken 2 into a pile with 50 other movies.  The forgot the "separator" factor that Taken had.

Neeson again is good as our middle aged hero, Janssen has a larger role here and Grace is growing up nicely as an actress and gets a major role here and is pretty darn good.  Taken 2 also is as tidy as Taken, and doesn't wear out its welcome at 90 minutes.   That is a big part of its success. There is only so much story and they know it. Plus, it does leave you wanting more.

Taken 2.   There is nothing really wrong with it, it's just not as emotional as Taken.  But in the end it's pretty good night out.