I don't really read a lot of YA books. Don't know why that it is.....
But is the Percy Jackson series YA? If so, did it get started after Harry Potter? That's the only thing I can think of because it became a couple of movies.
As for Taken 2, yeah, it is rather disappointing. Part of what made the first movie interesting was his take-down of the kidnapping ring and going through all the levels of it. It meant him encountering many different people and having to navigate through various obstacles. Plus, there was a time limit and urgency to his mission. With Taken 2, you see the villains track him down but there's no urgency or worry for Neesan because he doesn't know this net is drawing in around him. Then, when the villans strike, he's soon captured and taken out of commission for awhile. Once freed, there's a bit of action but he gets his daughter to safety then he retraces his steps, kills the bad guys and gets his ex-wife back. Thus, the scope feels smaller, there's less action, and it leaves the problem of the head villain's sons possible looking for revenge so it doesn't feel complete either. That's why there has to be a Taken 3.
Other thoughts:
- Once again, the Taken series doesn't want to get into details. What's wrong Lenore? Oh, I've seperated from the rich guy I married after you? I'm sorry to hear that. Well, thanks for the wine. See ya! Seriously, what caused that rift? Was it something from the first movie? Screenwriters don't care. Just get Bryan and Lenore together so they can be can be captured later in the movie.
- Guess singing didn't work out for Kim?
- That French agent from the first film is having one bad day after another. Wonder how things are with his wife? Did he survive the Albanians interrogation? Guess we'll see in the third movie. Maybe. It's details and these movies don't need them.
- I'm always up for the use of Istanbul/Constantinople as a setting for a spy movie. For years, I was big into Byzantine history. When playing Civilization, I want to play as the Byzantines regardless of how strong they may be. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend the three volume history of Byzantium written by John Julius Norwich. It plays out as an epic trilogy of the rise, the dominance and the fall of an empire full of political intrigues and diplomatic manueverings. Bond has been to Istanbul 3 times with From Russia With Love taking the most advantage of the setting. The World is Not Enough ends in it but hardly uses it and Skyfall begins in Istanbul with a pretty good chase through it. Wish Taken 2 had used the setting more to its potential but in the end, it just became a blur of winding non descript alleyways that could have been in any number of places. At least there were a few great shots of the city and a brief rooftop chase of Kim.
- Kim is told to hide in the closet. She does but is just about captured. What would have happened if she was captured also? I thought maybe there was a panic room or hidden compartment in the closet but nothing. She wasn't even told about the weapons until after the villains fled the room.
- Do the movies really have to keep using the word taken? Can't they say captured or kidnapped? It starts to sound silly after a bit and circles back to the non-use of details. Taken is a rather vague word.
- The car chase was a better than the first but it reminded me of The Naked Gun when it was over. In that movie, Frank Drebin commanders a Driver's Training School vehicle and instructs the new driver of what to do while chasing after some villains. Here Bryan is instructing Kim what to do as she objects to much of it. I feel like the Taken movies are close to a really good car chase but there's always an element or two holding them back.
- Further on the chase, they have to evade the cops since Bryan shot one of their own. How does the daughter feel about that? As the audience, we know that cop was working with the main villain since he calls him on his cell phone (about what or why he was there in the first place is never mentioned nor do you hear anything from their conversation) but does Kim or Bryan ever learn this? For all Kim knows, Bryan just flat out killed someone innocent doing their job.
- He's killed a police officer, some Albanians, went on a reckless car rampage through the city ended by his breaking through security into the US Embassy while his daughter ran around throwing grenades in the city and he's a retired agent not even working on a case. Yet, somehow, it's no problem for him to then leave the embassy and get right back on the trail of the villains. His buddy Sam must be pretty powerful.
- After a hail of machine gun bullets through a wall, the shooter than creeps towards one of the bullet holes to look through it and see if Bryan is dead. Unfortunately, of all the holes to look through, that was the one Bryan was expecting as he shoots the villain as he looks through that hole. Bryan wins this round of Whack-a-mole.
- So, your last henchman has fought Bryan in hand to hand combat and is actually winning. Bryan is hurt and down. Imagine if you had a gun instead of cowering a room? Could have shot him right there. How was this guy the leader of the villains?
- There weren't any bullets in the gun! What a surprise. As if he was going to turn his back and leave the villain with a loaded gun.
- Hey! Maybe next time, Kim's boyfriend Jamie can join in on the action or be the one taken. He's part of the family now, right?
Topic: Rate the last movie you've seen (Read 1553367 times)
