Movie review: Taken 2 and The Bourne Legacy
I missed Taken on the big screen but really enjoyed it when I caught it on TV a few years ago. It was an unexpected surprise as I was pleasantly taken aback at its awesomeness... even if it did terrify me about travelling in Europe on my own.
As a result, I was looking forward to the sequel, and well, to be honest, even if the movie had been awful, I would have sat through it just to hear Liam Neeson. Man alive, that is one voice that can certainly talk the birds out of the trees (and girls into massive sighing fests).
Taken 2 was good, I spent a good portion of it on the edge of my seat, squeeling and making motions at the screen - Move, no, drive! ARGHHH! However, it lacked some of the suspense of the first movie for one main reason. You spent the first movie wondering if Liam would save his daughter. In number two, you are quite confident he will succeed, and it becomes more a matter of waiting to see 'how' he does it. Still very enjoyable and I recommend it :)
If there was a downside to the movie, it was a minor one. The plot itself was fairly brief - as in not overly complicated. Suspense until bad guys strike. They strike. Liam strikes back. the end.
Compare this to Bourne Legacy .. and its chalk and cheese
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I saw Bourne Legacy tonight (Taken 2 yesterday) after a lot of internal debate. I love the Bourne trilogy. Bourne Identity was such a pleasant surprise. So intense and awesome and well... Matt Damon <3. So I was hesitant about Legacy especially when I heard Matt had been dumped in favour of Jeremy Renner, but I like Jeremy as well... so I caved and watched it.
On the whole, it was a good movie. Great cast with Renner, Weisz and Norton - and I liked the interweaving story at the tail end of the Bourne movies. It felt like a well written, intelligent movie. It was :) There however is the root of my main concern... it wasn't a Bourne movie. Jason Bourne is all about action and fast fights and wow moments. Legacy had a few of those but they were too few. Legacy felt like: the Bourne Exposition. A lot of story telling and building up to .... nothing. The climax was cool but hardly emotionally engaging. As wonderful as all the characters were (and I liked the dynamics and inter-relationships) it felt sidelined in favour of exposition. No, no, the movie felt like a pilot show for the new spin off Bourne series (Which Would Be Awesome if it were true.... sigh)
But its not and I felt that it lacked the right level of intensity and action for a Bourne movie. I wanted more... even if we got shirtless, hawt Renner a few times.
sigh - oh well.'
In summation, to make the perfect action movie - combine the action and pace of Taken 2 with the awesome plot of Bourne Legacy and you'd have a winner! A confusing story winner, but lots of hawt men and sexy voices :)