Taken was a surprise hit in 2008 with Liam Neeson’s ‘very particular set of skills’ giving an otherwise routine revenge thriller some credibility and a ruthless protagonist.
This sequel tries to ratchet up the intensity by having Neeson’s character looking out for himself as well as protecting his daughter and his ex-wife but the plot quickly paints itself into a corner. There’s no real third act. No climax. No satisfying showdown. The killing and disarming of the endless supply of chubby Albanians becomes tediously repetitive to the point that you start noticing details about the decor of rooms, and also there’s a car chase that seems grafted on from another movie.
It has one good idea - Neeson passing on his field craft to his daughter so that she can rescue him - but this ultimately takes us nowhere as he manages to free himself without her help anyway.
The lasting impression is that we’ve jumped straight from Death Wish to Death Wish V in the space of one film.
Better than a Steven Seagal film. But not much better.
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