My Review - Taken 2

Rating: 5/10 (9 October 2012)

It's usually a bad idea to go into a film with the intent of reviewing it when you already have a set idea of how bad it's going to be. Much to my surprise though, Taken 2 was not as disappointing as people have made it out to be although it isn't as strong as the first one.
Firstly, there are some moments that stand out. Liam Neeson seems to make the most with what he's given - he is funny when he needs to be and a bad ass 110% of the time. He certainly doesn't show his age and makes himself out to be one of the stronger actors out there. Throw him into some fast paced action and he really shines through as an intimidating, intelligent figure.
Unfortunately, those are the films strongest points. The film itself offers nothing new and is very easy to predict the outcome of - especially if you've seen the first Taken. There is also an absurd amount of shake in the camera during action sequences to the point where I couldn't quite tell what was going on during fights and shoot outs. My other fairly big gripe is that the film does not seem anything like the first other than it involves people being taken and Liam Neeson finding them. You may think that this is what made the previous film successful but it's not. The reason I enjoyed the last film was the chase and the hunt of bad guys by bad ass Liam Neeson.
Overall the film was fun but I won't remember it in a few days. I look forward to seeing Liam Neeson in more films though as his career seems steady. I don't look forward to more shaky camera action and generic plots though.
6/10