Taken 2 (2012)

Taken 2

Directed by Olivier Megaton

Starring: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen

Grade: C [47]

I don’t know how much of a compliment it is to opine that Megaton’s sequel is better than Morel’s original, given that the 2008 film hammered us over the head with conservative paternal knowhow, while finding a way to bookend its turgid misadventures with Holly Valance as a rich-bitch-turned-Samaritan. What’s presented here is just as ludicrous, but far more straightforward, with a rounded sense of location and eminently more personal motive helping to offer some accessibility. But the absurd plot points override most of what’s going on here: casual terrorism is an orienteering exercise; slapdash city-roaming is a supposed logistic marvel. The parody here is too pallid to suggest genuine self-awareness, making this seem all the more unnecessary an addition to Liam Neeson’s portfolio of mediocre action movies.