TAKEN 2 (F)

Bottom Line: The greatest comedy of the year!  This sequel to 2008’s surprisingly huge action-thriller goes out of its way to simultaneously bring nothing new to the table and not satisfy fans of the original.  Sadly, it stupendously succeeds on both fronts.  Where the first was slick, kinetically energetic, raw, action-packed and over-the-top…TAKEN 2 metaphorically takes a cinematic ‘#2’ on the expectations of its adoring fan base and lazily serves up an uninspired, over-produced and downright hilarious, wannabe actioner (yes, there is action...but it moves with the fluidity of a baby deer on ice).  This movie has no specific set of filmmaking skills – it will look for you, it will find you…and it will bore you to death.

Starring: Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace
Directed by: Olivier Megaton (TRANSPORTER 3 and COLUMBIANA)
Rated: PG-13
Running time: 91 minutes
Story: As a retired CIA agent with a particular set of skills, Bryan Mills stopped at nothing to save his daughter Kim from Albanian kidnappers. When the father of one of the kidnappers swears revenge and takes Bryan and his wife hostage during their family vacation in Istanbul, Bryan enlists Kim to help them escape, and uses the same advanced level of special forces tactics to get his family to safety and systematically take out the kidnappers one by one. (20th Century Fox)

Trailer: www.facebook.com/takenmovie