Taken 2 (2012)

"Your mother and I have been taken.  They are going to come for you." (Liam Neeson)

I agree with a friend of mine who stated that he would have like the movie more if it had been titled "ReTaken".  I also like "Taken......Again".

Sad to say that there was little to no value to be found in the sequel to the forgettable film Taken.  It is a comfort that no one should be ashamed of having written, starred in, produced, or worked for an aspect of Taken 2, but the fact remains that I basically nothing this movie.

I will take the time out to point out a plot whole (Something that I am loath to do on a review blog but....meh) At one point in the film, Liam Neeson instructs his daughter to throw grenades on rooftops so he can hear the explosions and echo-deduce his location.  It was a slightly amusing ploy.  However, I found it weird that there were no consequences for throwing grenades on the roof of a major metropolitan city.  Additionally, If someone was throwing grenades on rooftops. They would very quickly become a target of well all law enforcement.  (Isn't that how one maxs out the police meter on GTAIII?)

I also had the thought about half way through that if this movie was made in 1993-8 it would have starred John Claude Van Dam.  No question.  The script, plot, and action sequences are all JCVD-esque.

Ratings:

Brawler:  Skip it

CIA spooks:  Skip it

Thinking of going to Istanbul?:  Skip it (What was the Istanbul branding and tourism council thinking when they allowed their city to be in the film?)

Famke Janssen:  See it.  (You did a very reasonable job.)

Liam Neeson:  Skip it (Not your best role.)

On a scale from living revenge to revenge from beyond the grave, I give Taken 2 2.35 out of 5 stars.