Taken 2, review

Taken 2

2012, *, PG-13

Starring: Famke Janssen, Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace

This time CIA operative, Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson, “Taken,” Battleship,” “The Grey”) and his family are targeted by the relatives of the terrorists he killed while trying to save his daughter from the human trafficking crisis, in the first film, “Taken.” In “Taken 2,” Neeson is sent to Istanbul, Turkey for a security job and invites his daughter and ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen, “The Faculty,” “Taken”) who is having marital difficulties with her second husband; along for the trip. They decline, however, show up to surprise him in Istanbul.

Soon, enough craziness ensues and we are on another chase. This go-round, Bryan’s daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) has to help her parents out of the mess. Via cell phone Kim, along with her father try and figure out where he and his wife were “taken.” It’s like all of a sudden his moronic daughter gets some smarts. Hard to believe, but she is supposed to be a few years older in this film, I’m assuming. It is unclear because the families of the terrorists are burying their men in the beginning of the film, so maybe it’s only a few months later?

The film is more hand to hand combat, and one crazy driving scene to the US Embassy in Turkey. I however, was very disappointed because it seemed like a quickie way of making extra money, and should have been a made for TV movie special, and those are typically much better than this movie!

Wait for DVD.