Taken 2

In 2008, we were given the Pierre Morel film, "Taken," starring Liam Neeson. It told the story of Bryan Mills, a former CIA agent who's daughter was kidnapped, while on a trip to Paris. When Mills finds out about it, he goes the extreme to find the culprits, kill them, and get his daughter back. While it was a simple premise and critics were a bit mixed by it, the film has gained a strong cult following from action fans alike. Not only that, this film is what made Neeson a successful action star, appearing in such films as "The A-Team," "The Grey," and "Unknown."

Now we've come to the 6th, and sadly final, movie that Liam Neeson appears in for this year. The sequel to the film that made him the badass he is today, "Taken 2." How was it? Maybe not as good as the original, but still an enjoyment either way.

"Taken 2," takes place after the first film, with Bryan Mills' daughter and ex-wife coming with him to Istanbul for Spring Break, while he's at work. However, the relatives of the people that Mills killed are hunting him down, and now it's a game of cat-and-mouse for Mills and his hunters. While the plot might be simple, it doesn't mean it's bad if it knows how to make it work right.

As always, Liam Neeson gives a strong performance as he did in the original. He's smart, he's cautious, and he still has the same intimidation factor as with the first movie. I was generally surprised by Maggie Grace's performance, now that she has more to work with, other than being a hostile character from the first film. She does try to keep herself strong, as long as she's following her father's guild-lines  and it works. However, that doesn't quite make up for her atrocious performance in "Lockout." Yeah, thought I forgot about that movie, didn't ya?

As for the rest of the cast...well, not much can be said. The villains wanting vengeance are what they are, so nothing much can be said. The mother played by Famke Janssen, while not bad, didn't really leave much an impression. That might be due to her being a minor character in the first, but thankfully it doesn't take away anything from the film. Many of the other characters, like Mills friends in the CIA, are on the same level, and like I said, don't take anything from the movie.

The action scenes are great, but don't really hold up to what the original had. Instead of Pierre Morel as director, we have Olivier Megaton, who was the director of the Zoe Saldana film, "Columbiana," and it's a vast improvement in terms of action. It was also produced by Luc Besson, producer of the first film, as well as the "Transporter" trilogy, the "Taxi" quadrilogy, and "The Fifth Element," which he also directed. His production value really helps this film, and the shots of Istanbul really work well for this movie.

Overall, "Taken 2" may not be as good as the original, but it's still just as fun watching. If you're looking for a good time, then give this movie a go, and if they DO decide to do a third film, I'll be there for it.

Rating: 8/10