Review of Taken 2 (2012) by Lr1000 — 06 Oct 2012

I really enjoyed the first Taken. It was mindless badassery. You didn't have to think, you just went along for the ride. Neeson showed himself as being capable of performing in a Bourne-esque role, which is great for a man of his age.

Underneath it all, Taken 2 is still a pretty decent action flick with Neeson on fine, badass form. There's some good action and the fights are exciting (when they're not cut to ribbons) and our hero belts out another memorable catchphrase (albeit one that's not quite as impressive as the orignal "I will find you" one).

So why the 0 score? 3 Reasons.

1) Olivier Megaton. This guy is atrocious as a director. Strangely, i've seen a number of his films & they've all been terrible. Don't ever let him near something high profile, ever again. Especially action films, he says he hates violence. What a joke.

2) The editing. Christ almighty, I lost count of the camera switches in just the first 5 minutes alone! Was it really necessary to show Neeson entering his daughters boyfriends house from 4 angles in the space of 2 seconds? I know a lot of fast cuts and shakey-cam are supposed to give you a feeling of the action unfolding, to make it feel more intense, but this was on such a ridiculous scale that at some points I felt sick.

3) The self-censorship. Pandering to the PG-13/12a crowd on a 'franchise' that has rated higher in the past is something I cannot support. I waited for the uncut DVD version of Die Hard 4 before I saw it as I did not want to give the studios my box office money for a kid-friendly version. The first Taken movie was brutal and unflinching, it was gritty and exciting. Taken 2, on the other hand, has had it's heart completely ripped out (off camera!) and loses a lot of the soul the first film had (I know that sounds quite pretentious given the type of movie this is). Whoever it was who went to the BBFC in the UK for advice on how to get a lower rating should be fired. 15 or 18, or don't bother.

I have been waiting for this film with excitement since I first heard it was being made, so it's heartbreaking to be so disappointed. I'm not sure if even an uncut/unrated version can save it, as Megaton has said in an interview that the DVD will be a directors cut, rather than a 'rougher, more violent cut'. This saddens me greatly. Extra scenes won't mean a thing if they're as mild as the rest of them.

Don't bother watching this, do not give the cinemas any money for this film, send a message that going for a broader audience will actually result in a smaller one. If you must watch this film, wait to see how they produce the DVD. If they do the same as Die Hard 4s release, then I will recommend you see it. If the DVD turns out to be as tame as the theatrical version, leave it. Pretend it never happened. Forget it exists. Cherish your fond memories of the first film and keep wishing for a sequel. A real sequel.