High-octane Liam Neeson in Taken 2
Olivier Megaton who helms Liam Neeson’s sequel starrer “Taken 2” panned Istanbul with a fast-moving crew that’s rarely done on this sort of scale of a movie. The director has stripped the crew to its bare essentials and took them into the streets of Istanbul.
Liam Neeson returns as Bryan Mills, the retired
CIA agent who stopped at nothing to save his abducted daughter in “Taken.” When he is targeted by a mysterious figure
seeking vengeance, Bryan must employ his “particular set of skills” to protect
his family against an army out to kill them.
“Taken 2” picks up two years after the events
of “Taken.” Bryan’s relationship with his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) has grown
stronger, and he hopes to reunite with ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen). “Even
before he encounters the new threat to his family, Bryan is on a mission to get
closer to Kim and Lenore,” says director Olivier Megaton.
“I never thought I'd be here for a sequel,”
Neeson says, casting an eye over the setting sun as the ferry crosses the
border between Europe and Asia. Bolstered by its impressive action and wry
humor, the first “Taken” film, directed by Pierre Morel and written and
produced by Luc Besson, was an instant success with audiences all over the
globe. And in Bryan Mills, Liam Neeson created an action hero for the 21st Century,
to rival some of the greatest gun-handlers in cinema history, from John McClane
to Jason Bourne.
“I don't know the statistics for parenthood,
but let's say 8 out of 10 people are parents,” says Neeson. “You'll do anything
for your kids, especially if they're in trouble. I think people just connected
with that, on a real, visceral gut level, and it resonates with men and women.
It wasn't just guys of a certain age; it was ladies, too. And yes, I would do
the exact same thing for my kids.”
Much of the action in “Taken 2” unfolds in
Istanbul, a locale rarely seen on screen. Megaton spent much of his prep time
scouting locations and walking around the city for hours at a time. When principal photography commenced, he knew
Istanbul's streets and passageways better than some of the local crew. Moving
the shoot to Istanbul was crucial to ensuring a distinct personality to the
film. It's also a location not especially well represented in modern cinema, an
opportunity for the film to try something new.
Neeson says shooting in Istanbul was like
nothing he has experienced. “Istanbul is where east meets west – a beautiful
city full of wonderful people,” notes the actor, who has filmed on locations
around the globe but remains most impressed with Istanbul’s singular sights and
sounds.
“Taken 2” on screens nationwide on October 4
from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.
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