I watched this in the middle of night on a rambling bus heading north on the Philippine island of Luzon. Headlights from the oncoming traffic illuminated the shapes of my fellow passengers in a stroboscopic effect. The Air Con blasted my forehead relentlessly – I was unable to control it. So, I rested my head on my pack and stared down the narrow center pathway, where Taken 2 was playing an on a tiny, blurry CRT screen, with barely readable subtitles. The movie was more unbearable than the bus ride.

Maybe it’s just me, but I just can’t take Liam Neeson seriously as an action hero. I suppose the movie was entertaining for all the usual reasons, but as it went on, it was just too ridiculous to take very seriously. It relied on incredible coincidences that just had me rolling my eyes, saying “come on!” rather than enjoying the movie.