Underrated, but no classic

Rating: 6/10 (21 February 2013)

I was surprised to find that TAKEN 2 is a rather entertaining suspense thriller and a worthy follow-up to the original movie. Surprised, because this film got lambasted by the critics on release, and I was put off watching when I learnt that it had been cut down for a 12A certificate. Thankfully it's now out on Blu-ray and DVD, and I was able to watch the full version of the film.
For starters, it's no TAKEN. That Liam Neeson classic was a surprise hit, a pure action film of the kind you thought they didn't make anymore, and endlessly rewatchable with it. This sequel is something of a different beast, aiming at suspense and tension instead of fight scenes, although there are plenty of those too. In many ways it feels like a classic espionage thriller as it has the same kind of twitchy atmosphere and exotic setting – in this case, Istanbul.
Neeson returns as the past-it CIA man who decides to take his estranged wife and daughter on holiday to Europe, only to fall foul of some sinister Albanians who want revenge for his actions in the original flick. What follows will surprise nobody, but there are the requisite thrills and spills along the way, with plenty of shoot-outs, fist-fights and car chases. The script is derivative and there are plenty of stupid moments (like those involving grenade tossing), but when a film has drive and vivacity like this, it doesn't really matter.
Despite the film's entertainment value, it's impossible to ignore the various faults, including a lousier director than before (Olivier Megaton, who also messed up TRANSPORTER 3) and more emphasis on the irritating characters, namely Maggie Grace. Still, I found it a lot of fun; no classic maybe, and it has nowhere near the same rewatch value as the first film, but it's far from being bad.