After daughter Kim gets kidnapped in
‘Taken’ (2009), it’s the parents’ turn. Ex-CIA operative Bryan Mills finds
himself in the middle of yet anther kidnapping. His own!
Action-packed just like the first film in
the franchise! Don’t go in finding logic, there’s none. However, the
90-minutes-long (pleasantly short) film cuts in some breathtaking stunts, witty
dialogues, charming father-daughter bonding and lots of illogical plot-points!
Works well, if all you’re looking for is entertainment.
After the events in Paris in ‘Taken’, the
family members of the men whom Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) killed while looking
for his kidnapped daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), return to their homeland
Tropojë, Albania, for the funeral. Here, Murad Hoxha (Rade Šerbedžija), the
leader of the slain men and the father of Marko, whom Bryan killed through
electrocution, declares that they will find their culprit to avenge the loss of
their loved ones.
Bryan, meanwhile, is trying to get closer
to his daughter. Although he gives her driving lessons frequently, it is only
until recently that he finds out that she has a boyfriend. Playing the
over-protective father to the T, Bryan lands up at the boy’s residence to get
Kim back.
Kim’s mother, Lenore (Famke Janssen),
meanwhile, is drifting away from her present husband. After her husband cancels
Lenore’s and Kim’s holiday to China, Bryan suggests that the two accompany him
to Istanbul.
What Bryan doesn’t know is Murad and his
people are aware of his whereabouts. So they are followed all the way to
Istanbul. Bryan and Lenore get kidnapped. All Bryan has is a communicating
device through which he can keep in touch with his daughter Kim, who is hiding
away in a closet in a hotel room in Istanbul. Bryan lets Kim to open his
suitcase, wherein all his equipment has been kept. Through some weird
topography, Bryan figures out his own location using his daughter’s help. Bryan
asks Kim to throw grenades in the middle of nowhere on a deserted terrace just
so that he can figure out his distance by hearing the sound. Yes, Bizarre but
it’s the movies!
We all know what happens in the end. Who
knows if there’ll be a third film! However, ‘Taken 2’ is quite enjoyable. Who
goes in looking for logic in these films anyway? The chase sequences on the
streets of Istanbul have been shot excellently. Even the action sequences are
brilliantly choreographed. The background score of the film is fairly good.
Overall, the film promises a great mix of action and entertainment and delivers
to a great extent. The cast, thankfully, does a wonderful job. Liam Neeson
still packs a punch!
Director Olivier Megaton delivers a fairly
good action film. Although there is nothing extraordinary about the writing,
the story is simple to understand. Action films can work without weird aliases,
biological warfare and all that razzmatazz. And yes, shorter lengths can work
wonders!
Shivom Oza
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