I had the chance to see Taken 2 on its opening night at Rave at Streets of Southpoint in Durham. I was a huge fan of Taken, the original storyline, great action sequences, lots of twists and turns and Liam Neeson kickin alot of ass.

I've been pretty amped to see the sequel since the trailer came out.

Taken 2 started out alright with Famke Janssen separating from her second husband and meeting up with Liam Neeson and their daughter in Istanbul after a security job he completed. What the family doesn't know is that the Albanians (that Liam took out in the first movie) have disgruntled family members who want to avenge them. Guess Albania is a road trip from Turkey, so they begin following the family around Istanbul.

Shortly thereafter, the action scenes begin, and they're quality. While the action scenes are still strong, the story line is a straight line and the twists and turns aren't there like they were in the first one. There are too many coincidences and although they try to explain it with a count that Liam Neeson does when he gets kidnapped, things don't add up when he looks for his ex wife.

It wasn't the worst movie I've seen, but if you are expecting another Taken then you'll be disappointed. The action is good but they leave alot to be desired with the storyline. They do leave room for a third Taken and maybe they can go back and find the magic from the first one (like they do in alot of trilogies).

Not surprisingly, Liam Neeson still kicks ass.

I give it a "C".

-Zac