In Istanbul, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills and his wife are taken hostage by the father of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter.
"What are you going to do?” wails Maggie. “What I do best!” growls Liam. Yet while it’s fun to watch him take out the Eurotrash, we’ve seen him do it better.
Taken 2 is a pale imitation that tramples over the memory of its predecessor, albeit using that softer, more teen-friendly approach.
As the film chugs along to its lazily conceived showdown between Bryan and his anonymously written nemesis, though, it becomes ever more apparent that this is one action franchise that itself needs to be taken…out of commission.
It's as preposterous as the first movie, with Neeson's humourless hardnut exhibiting the muscle and reflexes of a man half his age (he's 60).
In the end, the door is left open for a Taken 3, although you do rather wish the Mills family would just throw away their passports.
The stop-start narrative fails to build momentum and tension and there are no stand-out action scenes, although Neeson is as commendably straight-faced and determined as ever.
A bit tamer, just as ridiculous, but the premise is looking pretty tired.
Unnecessary, perfunctory, ramshackle: Taken 2 is all these things and less.
Take it away.
There is virtually no plot, just a succession of screeching chases and absurdly violent fights, some risible sleuthing and a great deal of talking on mobiles.
The first one offered the novel sight of Oskar Schindler going Commando. Unfortunately, this half-hearted sequel is low on novelty and lower on fun.
General release. Check local listings for show times.