'Taken 2' -- 1 star

PG-13; 1:34 running time

Extending a work trip to vacation with his ex-wife (Famke Janssen) and daughter (Maggie Grace), Neeson's ex-CIA op, Bryan Mills, is kidnapped and held captive in a hellhole somewhere in Istanbul by murderous Albanians, out for revenge for all the Albanians slaughtered in the first "Taken" four years ago. The script of "Taken 2" inserts an occasional plea for peace, love and understanding in the mouth of Mills, but it doesn't believe them for a second. There is no "Taken 2" without Neeson shooting, stabbing, strangling, mixed-martial-arts-ing and generally destroying dozens of Albanians who want him dead, and want his ex-wife dead, and want his daughter as a sex slave for hire. Albanians really don't come off well as a people in this franchise. -- Michael Phillips

Read the full "Taken 2" movie review

October 4, 2012