DVD REVIEW-TAKEN 2

Taken 2 sees Liam Neeson reprise his role as Taken 2 DVD coverBryan Mills, the man with a “certain set of skills”. Taken 2 is not a particularly good film, but it’s not THAT bad either.

The action takes place in Istanbul, Bryan is now back on active duty as a private bodyguard for the rich and famous. His ex-wife and daughter decide to fly out and surprise him. The families of the gangsters of the first film, seeking to avenge the people Bryan killed. He and his wife are taken and he then gives his certain set of skills to his daughter, over a mini-phone he keeps in his sock.



There are some intense sequences, but the action is not quite as good as the first film, the writing is generic and the editing pretty convoluted and kinetic, sometimes working and sometimes not. What really hurts the film is the fact that the studio pushed for a lower rating, so there is a lot of ‘cut to gun firing, cut to a body falling on the floor’ moments. The most laughable death occurs when Liam Neeson breaks someone’s neck, simply by putting his arm under the man’s nose.

There are also some huge logic gaps in the film, Bryan and Kim steal a cab, crash through the US embassy and the US embassy just seemingly let Bryan go back to shoot up Istanbul. Strangely the film succeeds in entertaining, I was never bored. If you’re looking for an engaging action film, stick Taken on. If you’re looking for something to watch at the end of a hard day, stick Taken 2 on. Look out for the inevitable Taken 3, where it turns out Kim’s boyfriend is the gangster’s second son, Marco.

DVD extras

  • Extended and Theatrical Versions

Taken 2 is released on DVD on February 4th, 2013.

Episode 69: The Dark Knight trilogy

In which Martyn and Ash are joined by Martyn’s friend, Chris. The trio is joined by Phil from the who’s he podcast.

They discuss Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. The Dark Knight Series is a set of three Christopher Nolan Batman movies. It includes Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight(2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Cillian Murphy appeared in all three movies.

The Trilogy is considered by many to be one of the best of all time. Batman’s grounded portrayal was universally acclaimed.

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Life’s Too Short-Episode One

While I never got into The Office, I have always been a fan of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s other work, like their X-FM radio show, their podcast and Cemetery Junction. So, when they returned to their mockumentary-style sitcom format with Life’s Too Short, I was excited to see what they had in store.
Unlike the ordinary people who got their 15 minutes of fame in the late ’90s, the show focuses on a Z-list celebrity, Warwick Davis, playing a fictionalized version of himself. Davis is in a financial mess, with debts amounting to £250,000 and a divorce that’s taken its toll. He begs Gervais and Merchant to cast him in a new project, but they try to shake him off.

While the first episode didn’t make me laugh out loud, it was still enjoyable and funny. I think comedy is a challenging genre to get right, which is why I prefer to write reviews instead of sitcoms. Nevertheless, the show had its moments, like Liam Neeson trying out improv comedy about AIDS, with his quip about being cast in Schindler’s List because he always makes lists being a particular highlight. Davis also showed some impressive comic timing, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he won a few awards in 2012.

Overall, while the premiere was a bit shaky, Gervais and Merchant on an off day are still better than most of what’s on TV. I’m going to stick with Life’s Too Short and see where it goes.

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