No, on closer inspection, it was Taken 2, starring Liam “Badass” Neeson:

Can I just take a moment here to complain about the German person they put in charge of naming movies? Why the hell would you change an English name to another English name, and then link the two with a dash? The stupidest example I can think of off the top of my head must be “Kick It Like Beckham-Bend It Like Beckham,” but this isn’t that much better.

We just got back to Costa Rica early this morning. We took the only direct flight from Denver to San José, which is a Frontier flight that leaves at midnight and arrives at about 6:00 am. It’s faster than a layover, but I’m pretty wiped out now. Especially since I spent the first two hours of the flight watching a movie on Frontier’s free Direct TV, when I should probably have been sleeping. But oh well.

“You’ll have to speak up; I’m holding a gun.” Liam Neeson demonstrates two things you’re not allowed to use on a plane.

The movie was pretty good, I guess, especially considering that it was free and I was watching it through a 5-inch screen mounted in the back of an airplane seat. If you’ve seen Taken or Unknown, though, it’s not nearly as good as those.

You see, these days, what Liam Neeson does best is beating the crap out of Eurotrash who try to mess with him or his family. That’s what he did in the original Taken, and it’s also what he did in this one. There are some twists, but on the whole it’s basically a rehash of the first movie, and it’s not nearly as interesting or fun the second time around. Plus, it’s got Rade Sherbedgia (see picture) who is a great villain, but then again, it seems like he’s every villain –and sometimes also a good guy– in almost any movie that calls for a vaguely Eastern European guy with a beard. In this case, his recognizable face actually works against him, since you don’t think, “Oh man, an evil terrorist has Liam Neeson!” but rather, “Hey, it’s that guy from Snatch!” and then you start thinking of his roles in other movies.

Rade Sherbedgia (right) and Nina Dobrev. I realize this isn’t the best picture of Sherbedgia, since he doesn’t have his trademark beard. Nevertheless, my wife loves “The Vampire Diaries,” so this is just bait to try to get her to read the blog. (Picture from Zimbio.com; April 14, 2008 – Source: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images North America)

Anyhow, that’s about all I have to say about this movie. It’s title and its very concept is in the passive voice (“You will be taken”), so as a result, I find it hard to actively endorse this movie. But if it’s showing for free on a plane, you have my blessing to passively watch it over a cup of tomato juice or ginger ale.