Fall First Look: Taken 2

Sometimes, a movie comes along that shouldn't be a hit. It doesn't seem like the kind of movie that would earn a lot of money at the box office, it shouldn't have such a big following, and it shouldn't make an action star of it's middle-aged lead character. Yet, this was the case with Taken, the 2009 hit that grossed over $145 million in the early winter months. The film gained buzz throughout it's run and reestablished the aging Liam Neeson as a bonafide action star. The film was about an ex-CIA agent who reactivates after his daughter is kidnapped during a European vacation. By the end of the film, Neeson's daughter is returned and reunited with divorced mom (Famke Janssen) and dad. It's surprising, then, to see a sequel to this story. Yet, on October 5th, audiences will once again join this badass world with the release of Taken 2. This time, the tables are turned on Neeson's character, Bryan, as him and his ex-wife are kidnapped during a family vacation to Istanbul. Not only that, but it appears that the kidnapper is none other than the father of one of the men that kidnapped Bryan's daughter, Kim, in the first movie. This time around, Bryan is going to need to rely on Kim to help him and his ex-wife escape certain death at the hand of a vicious man with revenge on the mind. Not much else is known about the movie, including if Maggie Grace, who plays Kim, will get more screentime and become the action star of the movie, but that won't stop audiences from flocking to the movie. Three years after it's release, Taken is still a cult hit and fans have been on edge for a sequel. Still, there are battles ahead for the movie. The original was released in the dead of winter, where hits are far and few between, but when a movie strikes gold, it really succeeds. In the fall, most major releases are expected to perform very well. Additionally, Taken 2 will suffer from competition with a far more interesting and intricate action film that debuts a week earlier, Looper, which I covered a while ago. Finally, the movie is coming out on a very crowded date, although luckily it doesn't look to suffer any competition from similar movies. Still, it would be a sure bet to say that Taken 2 will certainly see some success this fall. Check out the trailer below for Taken 2:

Evan