Taken 2 5* - Liam Neeson

villain Murad, hero Bryan, daughter Kim

Preview. Patriarch Murad (Rade Serbedzija) swears revenge for Slavic slavers killed in Taken 1 Original by CIA agent Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson), rescuing his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace). The hero is "Die Hard" solo-style strong, brave, determined, relies on his own brain, brawn, and some borrowed guns. Suspense; chases - foot, car; fights - gun, fist. Villains and hero take separate roads to meeting point, when everything explodes. Rooftops, grenades, countdowns. I turn away at torture.

Bryan invites ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen), separating from second husband, and daughter Kim along on his next trip, to Istanbul. If patriarch says "take him alive", why do they all shoot wildly? Here, Kim starts out tough, climbs to roof-tops, 'pitches in' throwing grenades, then wimps and whinges. Lenore delays natters nags in both - unlikeable. She is not Mrs Mills, so why not speak up and say so? Or scream so he could follow? They do keep shooting back at him.

Question: Yellow leaves on trees and ground mean fall. What school holiday is that?

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Spoilers:

Bryan may offer to drop his gun, but I don't trust patriarch. Smart saving bullet, but he'd have his own gun. Two sons remain for Taken 3. Filming in steps exaggerates look that fights staged, especially final fight in Turkish baths.

Just because Kim can crash-smash standard-gear cab like a maniac in a chase doesn't mean she can parallel park (American automatic?). But of course she passes "three weeks later". "Don't shoot this one, I like him" is a weak joke about new boyfriend Jamie (Luke Grimes). Closing song "going separate ways" seems opposite of happy families eating sundaes by the seaside.

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Extras: Alternate ending repeat chase with mom in car, "navigating", "What I do best" same line. Bathing stranger for hostage instead of wife? Not a good choice. Same three weeks later, pass driving test, ice creams. FX Neeson interview - real fear for stunt driver on car roof, real soldier choreographed fights trailers

Previews: Broken City, Chasing Mavericks, TV The Following, Bond 50th Anniversary, Skyfall, Red Dawn (Chris Hemsworth), Lawless (Shia Lebouf), Killing Them Softly

Audio: English Français Español

Subtitles: English Español