Taken 2

Taken 2 was released on DVD this week. I was a fan of the first film. I thought it was fast paced and a good solid action film. When I heard Taken 2 was being made, I was really fearful they really didn't have anywhere to go with a new plot. I was right.

Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) is a retired CIA operative who is divorced from Lenore (Famke Janssen, X-Men) and has one daughter Kim (Maggie Grace, Lost) who he so daringly rescued from an Albanian sex slave trader in the first film. The entire cast is back in this sequel and this time they decided to "clear their heads" and head  Istanbul for a vacation. The Father of one of the men he killed in the first film is able to pull some political strings and locates Neeson and his family while in Europe.

First off, it's always good when a sequel is able to bring back the whole cast. I hate when they just substitute a new person into the sequel without explanation (like what they did with Vivian on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, for those that are my age). Other than that the movie disappoints. Everything works out so seamlessly for him and he is able to kill hundreds of people without even breaking a sweat or really getting in that much life threatening danger. I know Bryan Mills is good...but come on! Many parts of the movie left me rolling my eyes and saying yea right.

Improvements: I mean did he live in Istanbul half his life? How in the world does he know the in and outs of every street, alley and building in that city?

1-10: 4

SRC