Taken 2

"Are you ready? Are you ready? You need to be ready"

Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) says this to his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), almost like a warning to her and us saying “Hey, the action is about to go into overdrive now, fasten your seatbelts!” The action does get going but it doesn't exactly change gears the way it should. Mostly because it completely sidesteps the first rule of sequel making “Don't make the same movie again!” I'm sure it will be better viewed by those who haven't seen the first film.

Earlier, Kim was kidnapped by sex traffickers in Paris. Now, the father of the kidnapper, who Bryan avenged previously, comes after the whole family while they vacation in Istanbul. Taken (2008) was essentially every possessive father's nightmare made into an action film. I thoroughly enjoyed it and to be honest I'd rather witness Liam Neeson get an action film franchise than Vin Diesel. But did we really need a sequel to the first film? No and yes. (Note the order)

No, because it doesn't take the story forward but circles around the same territory. Yes, because it's Liam Neeson! My admiration for Neeson only grows with each film of his I watch. From the lead or supporting roles in major studio films to art-house films, he takes over the screen with his presence. Action movies deserve better than men who have half a facial expression. Neeson embodies grit and menace at the same time. His strength is exhibited in his demeanor, not by a stiff beefed-up body. How many 60 year olds can make that claim?

Taken 2 starts off well and ends sufficiently but the middle is a bit sketchy. Sure, the film is entertaining all right. The amount of plot holes here is directly proportional to its entertainment value. But then again I believe a roller coaster ride can't be fun if it's a smooth one. Defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

Maggie Grace isn't just a passive victim this time around but gets to be a part of the action. Sometimes it is best to do exactly what your Daddy says. (Possessive father's nightmare has turned into a dream') One of the reasons why I did not dislike this film is because of one scene near the end which strips the avenger-avengee relationship to its bare minimum. The protagonist and the antagonist actually converse about the necessity of vengeance. This isn't the best sequel Taken could have got but for a film that never needed a sequel in the first place, this isn't half bad. In all honesty, if the purpose was to make me look forward to Taken 3, the job is done.

In a scene in Taken 2, Kim asks Bryan, what are you going to do now? He says what I always do best! At this juncture, you're thrown into a dilemma whether what is about to unfold will be exciting or a boring replay of action sequences from the 2008 blockbuster 'Taken'.

Undoubtedly, Oliver Megaton-directed 'Taken 2' is not the best follow up to the predecessor, but that doesn't stop Liam, 60 now, to engage the audience in the best way possible. Little did retired CIA operative Bryan Mills anticipate that his impromptu family vacation, which appears to be his desperate shot to woo his wife all over again, will go haywire when members from the families he killed in Albania while rescuing his kidnapped daughter, are hatching a plan to avenge the death of their sons and brothers. Now, it's up to Mills to take care of his family, and how he does it forms the rest of the story.

The reason 'Taken' clicked and was well received by the audience is because they witnessed an adrenaline-pumping action film starring Liam, 56 then, in a role even Sylvester Stallone or Jean-Claude Van Damme will completely envy. Nevertheless, the makers, in collaboration with writer Luc Besson again, produce the sequel that fails to excite even half as much as the first part.

With the third installment already been announced, 'Taken 2' will barely be remembered unlike the first part, which still excites most of us whenever it becomes a topic of discussion. Much before even people in the film are held captive, this sequel presents moments of boredom as no time was spent on introducing the characters or even builds sub-plots. Moreover, this film is confined to narrow streets of Istanbul, unlike several cities and location that were covered in the first part.

Besson and Oliver reintroduce a killing machine with a purpose a la characters Jason Statham in 'Transporter' or Jean Reno in 'Leon: The Professional'.

Liam, needless to say, is the star of the film. He shows the potential of a true action hero even at an age, most of us think he's too old. Bryan Mills is most definitely one of the best CIA agents anyone could've ever created if it was not for Luc Besson. The best quality you may find in him and wish you had it in you too, is his ability to stay aplomb and handle all situations with conviction.

'Taken 2' is all action, no substance.

It begins with a mass cremation of bodies courtesy Liam Neesam's unaccountable killings from the previous film where his daughter was picked by a bunch of sinister Albanian's and almost forced into a sleazy prostitution racket. The creepy kingpin's son was shot by the devastatingly powerful father and has now vowed to take revenge. Which is entirely irrelevant on moralistic grounds, but hey, this is a mystery thriller, borderline-Bourne, nobody questions Neesam either when he maniacally goes on a masturbatory killing spree.

Morals are, but not overpowering issues in the otherwise sleekly-filmed Taken 2. It is more of uninspiring dialogue and too much importance to the wafer-thin plot which is the central bother. A crazy outlaw avenging the death of his son' That's almost the entire story. The stupendous success in the States is explained by the gorgeously filmed thrills that heftily compensate for a lack-luster story, subduing the rather glaring plot-holes. Besides, tagging it as a sequel is invalid as the film revolves around the same trajectory as Taken did.

I won't crib further so ;et us just accept the story line - Bryan Mills (Liam Neesam)invites ex-wife and daughter to Istanbul to chill which doesn't turn out to be such a fabulous holiday after all. The couple is quickly captured by deadly Albanians' even as the daughter believes them to be on a harmless date. Later, our otherwise unfathomable hero is knotted in a bunker and wife hanged upside down with her throat mildly slashed; mild enough to kill her in half an hour, we are told.

The dialogue here is very expository and sometimes laughable. The infrastructure Neesam instills to get the family out of the situation (which almost feels like a voluntary crisis) seems pretentiously intelligent and one particular trick is over-indulgently distasteful.

It involves him giving directions to his daughter so she can reach him and pass a weapon. He does this by asking her to blow grenades at random places, so he can place her by the sound of the ensuing explosions. WHAT'

A critical element to note here is the level of American supremacy it unapologetically hints at. It is like Neesam could have very well told her daughter, “Baby, just blow some mean bombs and have fun. We are in Istanbul. Nobody keeps a track of explosions here.” In times when American ground troupes and air forces are very much present in Iraq and Afghanistan and whimsically indulge in carpet bombings in neighboring Pakistan, this doesn't seem like a scene as detached from reality as it really must. And especially in the context that is used, it looks a tad offensive.

Daughter outruns terrorists with remarkable ease and when at a peculiarly vulnerable point, Daddy is omnipresent to play shield. You know, despite the crazy lunatics who are the only surviving populace in Turkey, Papa will pack a punch and the entire family will come out alive and coolly have lunch in a coast-side restaurant in San Francisco. What more, even crack a one-liner about Papa's hot-headed and over-protective tendencies. (“I really like him Dad, please don't shoot him,” his daughter tells him re-introducing the new boyfriend)

The film is technically very pretty. The camerawork is neatly done, capturing the gritty-glorious action in panoramic crispness. It is cleverly edited with plenty of jump cuts ensuring that monotony never sets in. Frequently locking on mosques and the Turkish flags, the background score sounds creepily muddled to evoke the sound of Muslim prayers; again making for a not very appreciable contrast.

It could be argued that it's been done to set the right ambiance keeping in mind the geographical location; but it does more harm than good.

The film sails around in a linear narrative with the action scenes unfolding gorgeously. One particular sequence involves the daughter taking over the wheel, while Leesam plays sidekick shooter even as they riskily cover the convoluted curves of Istanbul, resulting in a heart-thumping adrenaline ride of the breath-taking variety. (And all this without her having passed the driver's test !)

So if analyzed as a mere actioner without any kind of geopolitical motivations, Taken 2 is fairly thrilling, engagingly entertaining even. But the problem is that its unintended political stance is too arrogantly visible; the worldview it presents quite obnoxious, its closure too sanguine and ultimately its hero - as nonchalant he's made out to be (cold, calculating, sympathetic but with measures) - his mechanisms of defense cannot be justifiably approved of.