Liam Neeson, 60, Proves Action Star Status In 'Taken 2'

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Different guys handle turning 60 differently.

Some may buy a Ferrari, get a tattoo or take up a new hobby. Liam Neeson, on the other hand, likes to beat up bad guys.

He's back to kicking butt and taking names in "Taken 2," the sequel to the 2008 surprise smash which turned Neeson into a full-fledged action star.

And while you may think doing a sequel to a big hit like "Taken" was a no-brainer, Neeson said it wasn't an easy decision.

"I had reservations just because the first film was just a lovely, unique little entity on its own," he said.

The action is amped up in the sequel, including shootouts and a crazy car scene through the streets of Istanbul, which happens to be one of Neeson's favorite cities.

"I've always had a fascination with Istanbul," the actor said. "You know, where the west meets the east, and it has this extraordinary history and culture."

The film is also loaded with patented Neeson beatdowns. But being a 60 year old action star isn't easy, and those fight scenes take a toll - which is why Neeson is glad to have help.

"I don't do my own stunts, I do my own fighting," he said. "I have a great stunt double...he does all the heavy stuff."

This time out the story is about a family vacation gone very wrong. Neeson's on-screen wife and daughter, Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace, are both much more involved in the new movie, which suited Neeson just fine.

"We had got on so well when we did the first movie," Neesonsaid. "We became a little unit, you know?"

So if Taken 2 is a hit, would Neeson do another one?

"I can't see it happening. I just don't," he said. "But who knows? If the scenario is right...I don't know."

If it doesn't happen, Neeson won't be hurting for work. He's got a bunch of movies in the pipeline.

But the actor who trained Obi-Wan Kenobi and Batman, played Zeus and Aslan, fought wolves and run battleships, has an idea of what he'd like to tackle next.

"Maybe a nice, good, funny, rom-com or something like that."

Taken 2 opens everywhere this Friday.