Commentary: ‘Taken 2’ Avoids A Formulaic Sequel Trap

Sequels to plot-oriented films can be difficult to craft. These plots are often built around formulas that work on an individual basis, but can become stale very quickly when trying to create a follow-up tale. A good example of this is The Hangover. The first film — which followed a group of friends with memory loss as they try to piece together what happened the night before — was met with great acclaim. A sequel seemed inevitable, but it essentially followed the same format in a different location. This is in contrast to the film Taken starring Liam Neeson. It also had a sequel, but it took a different approach by extending the story rather than replicating its plot.

Neeson’s character, Bryan Mills, is an ex-CIA operative who flies to Paris to find his kidnapped daughter. It would have been very easy for the sequel to fall into a similar formulaic plot by having either his daughter or his ex-wife also being kidnapped. Mills’s ex-wife is abducted later on in the film, but the movie smartly focuses on a revenge plot driven by the family members of the kidnappers from the first film. They are after Mills rather than his family, who are only caught in the crossfire.

If Taken 2 had followed the same approach that The Hangover Part 2 did, then the film would have been bland and generic. It would have had the daughter or ex-wife going on vacation in some other locale and being abducted in an incident separate from the events of the first film. Instead, the sequel tries to justify itself by expanding upon the events of the first film through villain’s character arc, which gives a more plausible rationale for the sequel’s existence other than another random kidnapping.

Taken 2 is now streaming on Netflix.