by Dahneja Jackson
“Taken 2” is a thrilling, action-packed movie that will keep fans of “Taken” on the edge of their seats and at the box office waiting in line.
Director Olivier Megaton again cast actor Liam Neeson as retired CIA agent and extremely overprotective dad, Bryan Mills, and introduces Famke Janssen as his ex-wife Lenore. In “Taken 2,” they are the ones taken hostage by the father of the kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) in “Taken.”
In “Taken 2,” retired Mills must now use his daughter to help save himself and his ex-wife from the revenge-seeking kidnappers. Lenore’s role is to play princess to Mills’ knight in shining armor who must rescue her at every available opportunity throughout the film.
When Lenore’s husband cancels their vacation to China at the last minute, Mills comes to her rescue with the opportunity to travel to Istanbul. Just like the first movie, foreign travel means kidnapping to this family.
In their first attempt to escape, Mills is successful while Lenore, as usual, lacks the skills and drive to function without Mills, her knight, by her side. Predictably, Mills will have to use “his special skills” to save the family.
“Taken” focuses on the relationship between father and daughter rather than ex-wife and ex-husband in “Taken 2.” The first attempt was more successful. The relationship between father and daughter is more believable. After all, who goes on vacation with an ex-wife?
Istanbul, the setting for “Taken 2,” provides an exotic locale for action scenes, car chases and interrogations. In an attempt to escape the kidnappers, Mills and his daughter jump from one building to the next as the audience experiences the crowded, chaotic streets of Istanbul.
Megaton ends “Taken 2” with the clear indication that more bad guys will be after Mills in a third installment of this franchise, but Megaton should let Mills finish out his retirement undisturbed.
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