Stunning scenery from a foreign land. Hazy, fast-cut flashbacks of tramatic events from the past. Villians with foreign accents. Car chases that threaten pedestrians and end in violent explosions. All of these are the stereotypical hallmarks of an action-adventure film dealing with CIA members. “Taken 2,” a film starring Liam Neeson as retired CIA agent Bryan Mills, does nothing to break these long-standing stereotypes.
In “Taken 2,” retired CIA agent Bryan Mills goes to Istanbul, Turkey, on a business trip with his ex-wife and his daughter. He does not know that the father of the man he electrocuted in the first “Taken” film is out for revenge and is willing to harm Mills’ family to get what he wants. While trying to protect his family, Bryan Mills goes on a predictable quest to shoot, punch, or beat anyone responsible.
When Mills is in danger himself, he puts the reigns in his daughter’s hands. The same daughter who cannot parallel park is in charge of saving her parents’ lives from a gang of dangerous men who once tried to force her into human trafficking. The daughter handles her role in the story well though.
Viewers need to be able to transcend reality to enjoy “Taken 2.” Barreling through the front gates of the Istanbul U.S Embassy is an action that viewers must accept in this film. Stealing multiple cars in broad daylight in front of their owners and never being followed by the police for doing so is another plot line that viewers must accept in this film.
Viewers must also stretch their imaginations when Bryan tells his daughter to throw grenades in a populous area. He makes sure to tell her to aim for “safe spots.” A “safe spot” in a city that is packed to the rim? Most would refuse or at least challenge the idea, but his daughter does so without much hesitation. She once accidentally explodes a water tower in the city when she aims a grenade at a “safe spot.” In addition, other radically illogical actions take place, which may cause viewers to become distracted from the plotline and focus just on that one moment.
The biggest problem with “Taken 2” is the movie’s predictability. A viewer may guess the entire plotline within the movie’s first six minutes. At the movie’s climax, a small twist is thrown in; however, even it is somewhat predictable.
“Taken 2” is a run-of-the-mill action film. If an MHS student is interested in movies about CIA agents, he or she may be better off waiting for a better film to come along. MHS students who want to see the sequel to the well-received “Taken” may be disappointed by this film.
