The most redundant film in years

Rating: 5/10 (6 January 2013)

I really enjoyed the original Taken. I thought it was a dark, gritty revenge flick with a decent plot and a great role by Liam Neeson. In fact, it felt like the movie was written for him, the character of Bryan Mills fit him like a glove. In a former life a successful spy with very specific skill set that made him a killing machine. He swore off that life to become a loving father to his estranged daughter, but he is forced to pick up his weapons one more time when his daughter is taken by East-European criminals who sell girls to brothels. The film ended on a high note and has some rememberable action scenes. The sequel however, is probably the most redundant film of the last years.
In Taken 2, the family of the gangsters from the first film are out for blood and kidnap Mills, along with his ex-wife Lennie (Famke Janssen) and daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) while they are on their vacation in Istanbul. Mills and his daughter manage to escape and focus their efforts on freeing Lennie. The plot is essentially the same as the first film. It feels like Luc Besson was forced to write a script that could be turned into a sequel machine, while being held at gunpoint by the movie studio. Taken 2 has practically no memorable scenes, like the famous telephone monologue in the first film. The movie is even funny at times (probably unintentionally so), especially when grenades are being thrown around like candy in the center of Istanbul, because that's clearly the best way to find out where someone is located.
The film also feels dumbed-down when compared to the original. Some of the scenes in the original Taken were gruesome and shocking, but the violence in the sequel is clearly lessened in order to appeal to a wider audience. The villains never feel like a real threat. Mills always manages to place his shots perfectly, while the bad guys mainly seem occupied with filling walls and cars with their bullets. In some way, Taken 2 hurts the hero's character, because the villains feel so incompetent that it makes the viewer doubt Mill's actual abilities. While the action is often pleasing to watch, you never feel like Mills stands against a real threat.
Taken 2 feels like a re-hash of the last film and it nowhere manages to trump its predecessor. The action is decently shot, but often very blandly directed. The ferocity that characterized Neeson in the first film is nowhere to be found in Taken 2. In fact, it just feels like he's along for the ride the entire time, waiting for the shooting to stop and collect his pay check. Director Olivier Megaton (insert funny remark about his last name here) is clearly banking on the success of the previous film and plays it safe all the way through. Taken 2 has decent action scenes and doesn't outstay its welcome, but it never manages to even level with the first film. The movie feels like a simple cash grab by the studio. Recommended for anyone who's is looking for a somewhat acceptable action movie to watch with friends, where little to no brain activity is required.