Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Disc:

Video:

Audio:

• Black Ops Field Manual and Kill Counter (unrated version only) - runs with the film offering pop-ups
• Tools of the Trade (3:32)
• 5 Deleted and Extended Scenes (6:57)
• Alternative Ending (24:59)
• FX Piece with Liam Neeson (5:01)

DVD and Digital Copy

Bitrate:

Theatrical

 

Unrated

 

 

Description: Liam Neeson returns as Bryan Mills, the ex-CIA operative who stopped at nothing to rescue his daughter from sadistic kidnappers. When the father of one of the kidnappers swears revenge, it is Bryan and his wife who find themselves "taken" hostage in Istanbul. To survive, Bryan must enlist the help of an unlikely ally and use his brutally efficient skills to take out his heavily-armed foes one by one.

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He hunted them, he found them, he killed them; now they have come back to settle the score. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment presents the return of former CIA operative Bryan Mills and his “particular set of skills” when TAKEN 2 arrives on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD January 15. The sequel to the 2008 box office smash Taken, this action-packed follow-up has brought in $135 million theatrically in the U.S. alone.

Oscar- and BAFTA-nominated actor, Liam Neeson (Clash of the Titans, Taken, Batman Begins) returns as Mills, the retired CIA agent who stopped at nothing to save his daughter Kim from kidnappers. When the father of one of the villains Bryan killed swears revenge, and takes him and his wife hostage in Istanbul, Bryan must enlist the help of Kim to escape. Bryan then employs his unique tactics to get his family to safety and systematically take out the kidnappers, one by one.

Produced by Luc Besson (The Professional, Taken) and directed by Olivier Megaton (Colombiana, Transporter 3), TAKEN 2, features gritty supporting performances from Famke Janssen (X-Men Franchise, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters), Maggie Grace (“Lost,” The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2) and Rade Sherbedgia (X-Men: First Class, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1).

***

His family targeted by a vengeful crime boss in Istanbul, retired CIA agent Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) must fight an army of killers to ensure their safe return in this action sequel from director Olivier Megaton (Transporter 3) and producer/co-writer Luc Besson (who penned the screenplay alongside Taken scribe Robert Mark Kamen)

 

 

The Film:

Excerpt from the Toronto Star located HERE

Image :    NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

Taken 2 on 20th Century Fox Blu-ray offers both the Theatrical and 'Unrated' versions in 1080P - seamlessly branched.  The image is quite rich and thick with a heavy teal leaning.  Detail is quite strong with a decent bitrate but the camera is very kinetic with many fast-cuts in the many action sequences including two car-chase scenes. Contrast exhibits healthy, deep black levels. Daylight scenes are bright and usually more cheery with most of the intensity occurring in the dark shadows of Istanbul. This Blu-ray gives a solid presentation although the heavy teal could be bothersome to certain viewers. The action is so rife I found it rarely noticeable. Most will be suitably impressed.

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audio is via a tension-filled DTS-HD Master 5.1 at a resounding 3899 kbps. Nathaniel Méchaly did the score - as he did for the original. It's punchy and powerful with enough subtleties to gauge it as remarkable. There are plenty of separations and depth. It certainly adds to the presentation value. There are optional subtitles and DUBs and my Momitsu has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked although other versions are available in Europe and Asia.

Extras :

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
For those who liked the first one - Taken 2 is going to be appealing. Not as personal from a 'revenge-standpoint' but more a defensive nature protecting his daughter and Ex. Neeson is a great action hero - quiet, observant and proficient. He really fills a requirement in today's Hollywood tripe filled with muscle-bound dough-head protagonists. I enjoyed it - maybe a notch less than the first, but still quite entertaining.  The Blu-ray offers additional viewing content with the Unrated and the alternate ending. It's a good package, one that may get repeat viewing from fans. 

Gary Tooze

January 7th, 2013