Trailer Tuesday: Taken 2 and Monsters University

     It's Tuesday again, so it's time to talk about all the new trailers, and today we have some very exciting prospects. A sequel has been announced for Liam Neeson's heart-pounding action-romp Taken, and a new trailer has been released for the film. Pixar has also announced their next project, which will be Monsters University. I talk about both new previews for the upcoming films after the jump.
     Taken boasted explosive action and extreme thrills, the kind that is all too often substituted by shaky cam shots in modern cinema, but thankfully it looks as if Taken 2 will promise the same type of quality adrenaline-infused fist fights, heart-pounding car chases, and teeth clenching gun fights. This all looks fantastic, but the trailer showcases the unique path the film has chosen to take.
     The trailer starts out from the perspective of the human-traffickers and criminal scum which Neeson's Bryan Mills took to slaughtering. This makes an interesting point, as the film recognizes that the 'bad guys' have families too. Mills has finally made peace with his family, and he seems to have mellowed out from his more melancholy persona, but this doesn't look to last for too long however. 
     The fathers and brothers of downed comrades have now vowed revenge on Mills and his family, which will certainly make for some interesting thrills and worrisome suspense. I think Taken 2 looks like it will at the very least have the same exciting action as it's predecessor, but it looks as if the film will have a stronger story to back up the thrills. Rade Serbedzija will play the head of the crime ring out for vengeance against Mills, and I think he should bring more character to what was just a group of faceless criminals in the first film. Whether or not Taken 2 delivers a more extensive story than the first, what it lacks in background it makes up for in it's intense action scenes, which this film looks to have in spades.
     At this point all we have for the upcoming Pixar project Monsters University is a teaser, but even at that, it looks promising. Pixar seems to be targeting it's original audience that enjoyed their films as children, who are now older and on their way to tackling their own independence. Much of the audience that enjoyed the original Monsters Inc. will likely be in college or well on their way at this point, so it is possible that the self awareness that worked so well in Toy Story 3 could pay off again. 
     The teaser shows Mike and Sully again at what seems to be the beginning of their friendship, and I think the film could be very strong if it focuses on that aspect, as their chemistry is largely what made Inc. work so well. Monsters University shows Pixar tackling a front that it never has before, and it will be interesting to see how it all plays out.
     Both new trailers have me rather excited for their feature film debuts, and I look forward to hearing and seeing more about both as they come closer to their respective release dates.