Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Less violent, more sympathetic sequel delivers the thrills.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
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Where to Watch
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Taken 2
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 15 parent reviews
Parents say this movie contains intense action and violence, making it more suitable for mature teens, while some found it enjoyable with a good storyline and entertainment value. However, others criticized its portrayal of certain characters and plot holes, suggesting that while it has its moments, it doesn't quite measure up to its predecessor.
- intense action
- mature audience
- character portrayal
- enjoyable storyline
- plot holes
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 28 kid reviews
What's the Story?
The father (Rade Serbedzija) of the kidnapper from the original Taken wants revenge for the death of his son, so he plots to capture and kill Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) while he's in Istanbul on a business trip. Unfortunately, Bryan's daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), and ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen) also turn up and become targets, too. This time Bryan and Lenore are taken, and Bryan employs Kim for a little outside help. Bryan escapes with Kim, but Lenore is moved to another location, and Bryan must use all his skills to find her again. Unfortunately, he's walking right into a trap. ...
Is It Any Good?
Whenever producer/story writer Luc Besson keeps his low-budget action movies simple, he tends to succeed. The original Taken was both vicious and highly ludicrous, with annoying characters. TAKEN 2 seems to have corrected all of that. The characters find themselves in a better place and are more sympathetic, and the movie seems to have more of an anti-revenge stance.
As directed by Besson regular Olivier Megaton, the suspense is more streamlined this time around, and mostly well-constructed; Megaton uses crafty cross-cutting between mundane and tense scenes to heighten the experience. Unfortunately, his handling of routine action, fight, and chase scenes is terrible. It's all a fast-cut, sludgy blur with no concept of who's holding the gun and where it's pointed. But overall, Taken 2 is a good, solid, "B" level entertainment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Taken 2's violence. How much is shown, and how much is kept off screen? How does that affect its impact? Is the movie still thrilling?
Is revenge considered a wise and appropriate thing to do in this story, or is it frowned upon? How does that compare to the original movie?
Talk about the ethical and moral lines that characters cross in the movie. Are Bryan's actions justified?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 5, 2012
- On DVD or streaming : January 15, 2013
- Cast : Famke Janssen , Liam Neeson , Maggie Grace
- Director : Olivier Megaton
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 91 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : intense sequences of violence and action, and some sensuality
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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