Movie · 2012 · Action, Crime, Thriller · 1h 31m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 0.9/10 (508.8K ratings)
First they took his daughter. Now they're coming for him.
Overview
In Istanbul, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills and his wife are taken hostage by the father of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter.
Ratings
Curator score: 0.9/10
IMDb: 6.2/10
Letterboxd: 2.66/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 22%
Metacritic: 45
TMDB: 6.4/10
Director
Olivier Megaton
Production
EuropaCorp, Grive Productions, M6 Films, 20th Century Fox, Karma Film Prod, Taken 2
Cast
Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Leland Orser, D. B. Sweeney, Jon Gries, Rade Šerbedžija, Luke Grimes, Kevork Malikyan, Alain Figlarz, Frank Alvarez, Murat Tuncelli, Ali Yildirim, Ergun Kuyucu, Cengiz Bozkurt, Hakan Karahan, Saruhan Sari, Naci Adıgüzel, Aclan Büyüktürkoğlu, Mehmet Polat
Where to watch
fuboTV
Curator Review
Verdict
A serviceable but noticeably weaker sequel that mostly replays the first film’s hostage-revenge formula with less tension, sloppier action, and more accidental comedy than suspense. It can work as undemanding late-night noise if you enjoy Liam Neeson’s stern-dad mode, but it’s hard to recommend as a standout action thriller.
Best for
Viewers who want a familiar, low-stakes revenge-thriller follow-up
Fans of Liam Neeson’s gruff, efficient action persona
People in the mood for unintentionally funny, overcooked action
Skip if
You want tightly staged action scenes
You’re looking for originality or a fresh premise
You disliked the first film’s formula and want something more inventive
You prefer suspense that feels grounded and coherent
Overview
Taken 2 is the rare sequel that makes the original look sharper by comparison. It keeps the same basic machinery—family in danger, phone calls, improvised violence, relentless pursuit—but stretches it thinner, with action scenes that often feel more clumsy than thrilling. The Istanbul setting gives it some visual variety, but not enough to disguise how recycled the story feels.
Worth noting
What it does have is a kind of shameless momentum. Liam Neeson still sells the role with absolute conviction, and the movie’s absurd logistics can become part of the appeal if you’re willing to laugh at it rather than with it. Several set pieces play less like suspense and more like a running joke about how badly things can escalate.
Bottom line
As a straight action thriller, it’s a downgrade. As a piece of glossy, overconfident sequel cinema, it’s at least watchable in a “how did this get made?” sense. If you want polished thrills, there are much better options; if you want a familiar franchise rerun with a few accidental laughs, this will do.
Top Letterboxd reviews
adambolt (2.5★) · 1754 likes
Kim, listen to me very carefully. I need you to build LEGO Minecraft 21155 The Creeper Mine and follow my instructions very closely. First, open the box. You need to take all of the bags and open them, and then sort all the pieces together. Bring the phone closer so I can hear you do it. Now, open the instruction manual and complete the first step, following what it says very carefully. Kim we don't have much time so I… more Kim, listen to me very carefully. I need you to build LEGO Minecraft 21155 The Creeper Mine and follow my instructions very closely. First, open the box. You need to take all of the bags and open them, and then sort all the pieces together. Bring the phone closer so I can hear you do it. Now, open the instruction manual and complete the first step, following what it says very carefully. Kim we don't have much time so I… more
Jay (2★) · 620 likes
Trailer
Six Things I Learned from Taken 2:
1. Randomly chucking grenades around in a crowded city is the best way of gauging someone’s location.2. American citizens are free to kill random, innocent police officers provided one of their mates has contacts at the American Embassy.3. Typing “US Embassy” into the GPS works every time.4. Slamming the gearstick of a taxi down will make it go faster.5. Albanians speak English in their own country but speak… more
grace (3.5★) · 610 likes
this family really needs to stop taking vacations
matt lynch (1.5★) · 332 likes
this would be fine except god dammit come on i mean how the fuck hard is it to SHOOT A FUCKING ACTION SCENE. asshole
1998 · Action, Drama, Thriller · 2h 12m · R · Curator 4.8/10 (392.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Offers surveillance paranoia and nonstop pursuit with much better suspense construction.