Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Taken 2 (2012)

This is topic Taken 2 (2012) in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=001902

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 10-08-2012, 12:19 AM:

The good news: It's a good action flick. Not overblown and extra-long like most action sequels. It doesn't waste any time and gets to the point fast.

The bad news: It's very predictable, and of course has plenty of the usual over-the-top stunts and antics by the characters. I hate it when a good guy is CLEARLY in a car/room/closet, but then two milliseconds later the bad guys show up and the good guy is just gone.....presto, he managed to sneak out of there somehow and hide where he can pounce on the bad guys and pummel/shoot/stab them.

It has a few of those classic situations where the bad guy definitely could kill the hero fairly easily, but keeps talking and talking and screwing around until the good guy figures out a way to get the upper hand. (What Roger Ebert called the "Talking Killer Syndrome.)

Then there is a fight scene, obviously performed by actors who don't know how to do a fight scene, or shot by a director who doesn't know how to shoot a fight scene....when that happens, it's time for Shaky-Cam! Thankfully it's over fairly quickly.

The story is more straightforward and has less of the horrific "what we're going to do to you" scenes than the first movie. It also quite blatantly leaves the door open for a part 3.

Having said all that, I will say it was a very entertaining 90-some minutes. If you can shut-off your brain for an hour and a half, it's a fun ride. Who woulda thought Liam Neeson would get next to Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Willis and Cruise in the action-hero lineup? Also, the girl who plays Kim (Liam's daughter) is e-z on the eyes, so that's worth a look too.

3 stars out of 5.

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 10-11-2012, 05:25 PM:

I like this movie quite a bit more than I thought I might. As you say, it moves right along and there's never any boring parts.

My favourite Liam Neeson movie so far is The Grey, but this one isn't bad at all either.