Though it was released in 2009, the first “Taken” still stands as a wonderfully entertaining film. The movie is pure adrenaline, with plenty of surprises and energy to spare. Sadly, its sequel is devoid of most of the elements that made the original such a breath of fresh air. Director Olivier Megaton does little to change the conventions set by Pierre Morel, director of the first film. Megaton’s action sequences are choppily edited and likely to leave the viewer wondering what is going on. Where “Taken” was happy to innovate on action movie conventions, Megaton is content to let “Taken 2” sink to the levels of a subpar action flick. Despite all this, it’s still entertaining to watch Liam Neeson kill people with his bare hands. Neeson and the rest of the cast deliver solid performances, saving the film from being a complete mess. “Taken 2” may be entertaining, but it falls far short of the expectations established by the first film.

Grade: C-