Review of Taken 2 (2012) by Matthew H — 01 Feb 2015

Although not as engaging as the first one, Taken 2 is more of the same, in a good way. Fans of the original will definitely be pleased with this sequel that is far better than it has any right to be.

However, there are some things that drag it down a bit. The biggest problem is the director, Olivier Megaton, who shouldn't be allowed to make movies. Him and the editor can't just let the shot be and let the actors act. Every .5 seconds, the frame changes, and by the end of the scene it feels like a workout, not to mention strain on the eyes. Another issue that I'm sure has offended many Istanbul residents is that the director and screenplay assumes that Turkey is a Muslim state. Every woman is seen covered in black, and all the men have beards like Pilgrims. It is to be noted that not all of Istanbul is like this, and the movie narrows in on this fact too much.

Overall, Taken 2 is a pretty good sequel, considering how they could've screwed this up. The plot angle isn't the most original, but it will do. I'm just not looking forward to seeing Taken 3, by the same misguided director.