Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) is back for yet another action packed movie in Taken 2 but this time instead of Kim (Maggie Grace), Bryan and his ex-wife Lenore are the one kidnapped by the Albanians seeking revenge for their families killed by the retired CIA agent. Will he escape the hands of the people who are thirsty for his blood or will he do what he is best for?

Taken 2 is probably one of the most anticipated movie of the year mainly because of the big success of the first movie.  Though he already played quite numerous amount of roles in action movies, this film established Liam Neeson's action star status by playing a retired CIA agent which is in my opinion is even better than James Bond.  How good?  Well Bryan Mills is practically not an ordinary man who has plenty of strange but amazing set of skills.  Hey he can even calculate his direction and distance just by listening to sounds.  And his fighting skills didn't even diminished since the last time.  He is still the same Bryan Mills who took down all those Albanians in the first movie and that is where all the bad things about Taken 2 starts.


When the movie starts, the film introduces these elderly Albanians burying their love ones who are the same people Bryan killed in the first movie.  Imagine how angry are they.  And I as the audience felt that.  I feel scared for Bryan.  The tension goes intense when they killed (or probably not because it is not shown) Bryan's friend in Paris.  Ok, I'm convinced they are scary and angry.  But it turns out these villains are just a bunch of stupid idiots who embarks on a mission without even planning everything.  And we know Bryan, he is a God.  He easily escaped and went back killing every single Albanians without even shedding a sweat.  In a nut shell, audience still root for the underdog.  No matter how strong your protagonist, we still want to see them fall.  Even the Avengers are almost defeated right?  The movie could be much better if the writer put somebody who can match Bryan's skills.  And these villains are definitely not them.  Believe me you won't even believe how Bryan defeated the leader of his captors. 


Lastly, I'm so disappointed that Kim didn't do some butt kicking action.  Running on rooftops and throwing grenades on an empty car park is kinda meh for me.  I can practically do that... well except hopping from rooftop to rooftop.  I'm actually expecting more from her character.  Maybe Bryan should start training her, teach her all that he knows and create his own Hit-Girl who can defend herself from any threat.

Taken 2 served practically everything what the first Taken movie gave us but it comes short on serving something new and exciting.  As much as many thinks that a third installment is quite a stretch for the franchise, I would be happy to see another one... a BETTER one.  I want to know more about Bryan's past and maybe an intense finale to wrap up the series.


Still watchable, but if you really like the first, you may find Taken 2 boring and flat.  Take your chances.  Taken 2 is now showing in all cinemas from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.