He's avenging a dog
I thought John Wick was on par with the first Taken if not better. Don't watch it for the plot, but the action is really well done and it's self-aware enough to know its own strengths and limitations
I reckon saying that is fair enough if the choreography in the action scenes and how complex and dancey they get is the measure

. I didn't mean that entirely sarcastic!, because like in a bad film like hero or crouching tiger or that super gay trapez show in las vegas, people are genuinely entertained by it and see it as thrilling or whatever - which is just taste.
But it would unfair to film in general, not to nod it's hat to making Liam Neeson an action guy now. That was a great idea, underlined by how many similar roles he's had recently. But we are talking film and there's just more film in a film like taken than wick. The dialogue was 'cool' the first time around. It's become a line what he says, already.
They are definitely similar but the things that doesn't work in Wick are the strongest bits about Taken and the rest they can compete on at least...
(I assume some dance expert might have a say

.. ...
lol so unfair I'm sorry i'm using dirty tricks now

).