Taken 2 (trailer now out)

The surprise action hit of 2009 that basically amounts to "Liam Neeson running around France slaughtering Albanian people-traffickers" and which is awesome because of it, gets a sequel. That has been known for some time, but here's the trailer.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/taken_2_2012/trailers/11168347/

The plot, such as can be gleaned from the trailer, has potential. Essentially, the friends of the victims of the first film decide to take revenge on the revenging Bryan Mills. Considering that the sheer evil of his opponents is the only thing that stops Mills being considered a mass murdering maniac (he tortures a guy to death even after he gives up the information he has, shoots an innocent woman in the shoulder to convince her guilty husband to talk, and is generally the aggressor), this is interesting. Less so is that it quickly descends into a repeat of the first film, as their plan for revenge seems to be "do exactly what our friends got slaughtered for" by kidnapping a family member of Mills. They get his wife, fail to execute Mills, and what happens to his daughter isn't in the trailer. Rampage ensues.

I'll definitely see it and love it no matter what happens (I have a taste for crappy action films, though do not ever consider a film so bad it's good, just not a concept that exists for me), but this isn't exactly an artistic film and it's not going to be intelligent. Pure "switch your brain off and enjoy" stuff, great after a hard day at the office. Can't wait, especially as it looks like the Big Bad is played by the ever-great Rade Sherbedgia.

I have to disagree. Everything except *maybe* winging the wife was totally justified. You kidnap a guy's kids, you should expect retribution.

Also, these are the dumbest criminals ever.

If any film needed a subtitle, it's this. "Taken 2: The Cleaners"?

Not saying it's not justified or expected (from their POV, of course) - but that simply slaughtering them is a better idea for the villains than doing the same shit that got them massacred to death last time around.

edited 29th Jun '12 7:08:06 PM by CaissasDeathAngel

Well I think I'll be seeing this, anything to see Liam Neeson kick ass.

I'm gonna echo Philip DeFranco.

"Even if this was Liam Neeson Punches Dudes in the Face 7 I would still be there opening night."

edited 29th Jun '12 10:22:20 PM by DirectorCannon

Haven't people learned not to fuck with Liam Neeson yet?

Yeah I was on board with this film till I found out that Lenore (his wife) was the victim. I couldnt care what happens to her. I can't even get through the first film without one "Fuck You, Lenore!"

I heard they both get kidnapped. Why else would the tagline be "First they took his daughter, now they're coming for him"?

Yeah I thought they both got kidnapped and that Brian was instructing his daughter on fighting and finding them over the phone.

Perhaps we shouldn't trust the trailer.

edited 1st Jul '12 7:38:46 PM by JRPictures

Because "First" refers to the first film, obviously. Doesn't need to mean both within the same film.

I meant that I heard he gets kidnapped along with his wife.

Wouldn't that imply, then, that the daughter saves the day?

Or that Liam Neeson gets to bust his own way out of confinement.

You said this - Why else would the tagline be "First they took his daughter, now they're coming for him"?

I answered - it could have been a reference to the first film, in which they took his daughter, so now they're coming to kill him.

edited 2nd Jul '12 4:35:10 PM by CaissasDeathAngel

But his issue is with the second part "now they're coming for him". That part is just to indicate that the plot is to do harm by him specifically, rather than just trying to sell his daughter's hymeny vagina. If it was specifically about who gets kidnapped then they'd have to say "...now they're coming for him and his wife (well ex-wife but she's less of a bitch in this one)".

I'm still thinking it's all about him; his wife and daughter in this case are just proxies for psychological harm, whereas in the last film the daughter was the end in herself.

I'm beginning to think Taken is turning into a modern Death Wish. In the third movie he's going to pick up a 50. Cal Machine Gun and slaughter a bunch of gangsters.

In Taken 3 Bryan's grandmother gets taken.

edited 5th Jul '12 2:23:33 PM by TheProffesor

"Now they've come for him" will obviously end with them bringing Neeson into their base of operations surrounded. They'll never escape now that he no longer has to chase them down.

I saw this trailer when I went to go see Totall Recall, and man, I am so going to go see it. The first one was great, and he was restricted to killing dudes in France, so imagine what he can do in Istanbul.

I still say it needs a humorous subtitle.

Taken 2: Take Harder

Taken: With a Vengeance

Taken Roughly From Behind

Taken 2 Turkey.

Not as inspired, I know...