Taken 2

I watched Taken 2 yesterday for lunch and I have to say it was a letdown.    The lead character Bryan Mills is played by Liam Neeson. Bryan continues to be a Hostage Recovery and Personal Protection bad ass.   The action takes in Istanbul, Turkey, but the begining of the movie takes place in the U.S.  The introduction was very stale and sappy.  The script was to invested in establishing family ties.  I know Bryan loves his wife and daughter, it was clear at the end of the first movie Taken.  I'm not sure why we need to revisit his family and friends for 25 minutes at the beginning of the movie.  The viewers don't learn anything new about Bryans abilties or back story.  We do catch up with him in Istanbul, but we never get to see his skill develope as he keeps a client safe from harm.  All the views gets to see is Bryan being given a fat bonus, and then his ex-wife and daughter show up for no reason.  This is where the bad guys get involoved and the story begins to spiral down to its demise.  

  
 I am not sure why every movie shot in a Muslim country has to begin with a Muezzin doing the Adhan, the Muslim call to prayer.  It’s to clique, and I wish Hollywood would stop doing it.  Just tell me their in a Muslim country, I get it.  The movie's bad guys are okay at what they do.  They are typical hairy back Eastern Euros.  I don't blame them for being who they need to be, every movie needs a stereo type to beat on.  All the fight seems one dimensional, Bryan is going to smash all comers.  There's one fight scene that was really good, towards the end.  Bryan fights a little dude Suko played by Alain Figlarz.  The 2 minute fight was great because both characters are using similar fighting abilities, one trying to out maneuver the other.  Of course Bryan defeats Suko, but it was a real hand-to-hand fight to the death.  Bryan pays Suko honors by closing his eyes at the end of the fight, which I thought was classy. 

I'm not sure where Hollywood was trying to go with Taken 2.  I believe the script could have been written to include a darker look into the world of kidnapping and human trafficking.  Instead the movie has over the top scenes where grenades are being thrown out into public parking lots, and The U.S. Marines shoot 50 Caliber Machinegun rounds into a cab and do absolutely zero damage to it.  I couldn't stomach Taken 2, and walked out before the closing credits.  I do not recommend Taken 2 on the big screen.  If you like watch it on Blue ray or Netflix some day in the distant future.