DVD Corner

Taken 2 Blu-ray Review

“Taken 2” is a pointless sequel.

In the first film, Bryan Mills’ daughter was taken. In “Taken 2,” Bryan and his wife (Lenore) are taken by Murad (an Albanian Mafioso who wants revenge for the death of his son). To no surprise, Bryan’s daughter Kim gets to become a bit of a hero here as she tries to help free her father and mother.

The first “Taken” film, while hardly groundbreaking, was a fast-paced and entertaining action film that felt self-contained. Of course, since the movie was a massive hit, a sequel was soon greenlit for no reason other than to cash-in on the success of the first film. I don’t have a problem with sequels being made (even though many are lackluster), but in no way shape or form does “Taken” actually warrant a sequel. “Taken” isn’t the type of film that should be turned into a franchise. The first film had such a limited premise that there is nowhere to go story wise for the second film. It’s simply yet another standard revenge story with some role reversal here and there and that’s about it.

One would hope that (at the very least) the action would redeem this needless sequel, but the cinematography by Romain Lacourbas is positively brutal. The fights and chases are so filled with quick cuts, shaky cam shots, and zooms that you’ll find yourself wanting the scenes to end sooner rather than later. Sure, there are a few exciting moments and death scenes, but they’re few and far between.

The most disappointing aspect of this sequel, however, isn’t the action, but the character of Bryan Mills. I don’t know if it’s because Liam Neeson looks bored here, but this character just isn’t very interesting. Bryan has no real chemistry with his family members and he’s so reckless that he ends up causing more damage than the villains half of the time.

Note: The Blu-ray disc contains the Unrated version and the PG-13 cut of the film.

Video/Audio:

Despite the often lousy cinematography, this is a sharp transfer. The color scheme particularly looks crisp in 2.39:1 1080p.

I expected a little better from the 5.1 DTS-HD. As you may know, action films tend to have the best audio tracks, but this one was a little soft for my taste.

Extras:
* DVD copy, digital copy, and Ultraviolet copy.
* 5 deleted scenes.
* An alternate ending which is really an alternate final act. I can see why this was cut though as the final act in the film raises the stakes more.
* Fox movie trailers including one for “Taken 2.”
* “Black Ops Field Manual”- A typical pop-up Blu-ray feature with location, character, and map information. A Bryan Mills’ kill/injury counter is also included.
* “Sam’s Tools Of The Trade”- A series of shorts about the items in Mills’ briefcase that is featured in the film.
* “FX Movie Channel Presents In Character With Liam Neeson”- A 5 minute interview with Liam Neeson talking up the sequel.

Summary: “Taken 2” is a waste of time. If a third film is made, I hope they take the story in a vastly different direction.

January 17, 2013 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Liam Neeson, Taken, Taken 2 Blu-ray Review