Taken 2Movie Reviews

So-so

Avg. Critic Score: 45 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore^® based on all critic reviews

Information for Parents:

Iffy for 13+

Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

75

San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle
Taken 2 is like a textbook on how to make beautiful, successful and highly satisfying junk-food cinema. When it's just a plot point, the information gets tossed out as fast and as forcefully as possible. Time is lavished only on the things that matter. Read full review
70

The Hollywood Reporter |
Moviegoers who liked Taken and want more of the same will get precisely that. Read full review
63

USA Today | Scott Bowles
The first half of Taken 2 is a serviceable action flick, but the second half descends into cliches. Read full review
60

Wall Street Journal | John Anderson
Less magical is the blind adherence to formula evident in most of Taken 2. As they might say in the advertising department, it's an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride. But it could have been much more. Read full review
55

NPR |
On the plus side, the action sequences - desaturated, chopped up and herky-jerky as they are - are mildly thrilling. Read full review
50

Philadelphia Inquirer | Steven Rea
The moral of Taken 2? If you're going on a family vacation, be sure that the human-trafficking ring you put out of business in that far more satisfying and suspenseful thriller from a few years ago doesn't know how to find you. Read full review
50

Boston Globe | Wesley Morris
It's a stupid movie by smart people who aren't smart enough to realize it's stupid. Read full review
50

Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum
You know what happens in Taken 2, don't you? The same thing that happened four years ago in Taken, but different. (But the same.) Read full review
40

New York Daily News | Joe Neumaier
Taken 2 has a plot that could have been written by a GPS program, and contains all the technical charm that conjures up. Read full review
30

Movieline |
Taken 2 grabs everything that was surprisingly enjoyable about the original film and batters it into the ground. Read full review

Metacritic link View more reviews for Taken 2 on Metacritic

Information for Parents

Common Sense Media says Iffy for 13+ Less violent, more sympathetic sequel delivers the thrills.

What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that Taken 2 is the sequel to the 2009's hit thriller Taken, but it's less mean and vicious than the original, with more sympathetic characters and a more anti-revenge stance. Still, there are plenty of fights, chases, and shootouts, as well as torture scenes, though most of the really brutal stuff occurs off screen. A teen girl is shown making out with her boyfriend, with the boyfriend working at the buttons on her dress, but they're interrupted. Another kiss is shown, as well as the girl wearing a bikini. Language is very infrequent but includes about four uses of "s--t" (three of them during an intense chase scene).

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?

The good stuff

Positive messages: Compared to the first movie, Taken 2 has a more anti-revenge stance. The main character takes the law into his own hands, but he's also a supreme problem-solver, using his head and the resources at his disposal. During this process, he learns how to better communicate with and trust his daughter, and they work together well. Additionally, through patience and understanding, he re-connects with his ex-wife. Love of family is a powerful theme.
Positive role models: The main character is resourceful, tough, brave, kind, and a problem-solver. He resorts to violence, but mainly as a last resort. Though divorced, he tries his best to be involved in being a good role model for his daughter. She, likewise, demonstrates bravery and strength over the course of the movie, though she's not as cool and collected as her father.

What to watch for

Violence: Lots of shooting, fighting, chasing, and explosions, though much of the blood and death occurs off screen. The main character's ex-wife is kidnapped and tortured, though not extensively or gruesomely. (Potential spoiler alert: The bad guys cut a slit in her throat and hang her upside down so that she'll die slowly, but this gives the hero plenty of time to rescue her.) Other medium-level torture scenes (some in flashback); stabbing with scissors takes place off screen. One villain makes a vague threat of rape in regards to the daughter ("Your daughter will be abused by so many men, she will be like a piece of meat").
Sexy stuff: Kim is shown making out with her boyfriend on a couch. He fumbles with the buttons of her dress, but they're interrupted. She's later shown wearing a bikini. (The actress playing Kim is 29, but it's suggested that the character could be as young as 17 or 18.) Otherwise, an ex-husband and wife appear to be considering getting back together. The ex-wife kisses the husband in one scene.
Language: Infrequent language includes a few uses of of "s--t," plus "bastard," "goddamn," and a couple of uses of "oh my God."
Consumerism: Many Mercedes-Benz vehicles are seen, particularly in a key chase scene.
Drinking, drugs and smoking: The main character and his ex-wife share a glass of wine in one scene. The bad guys drink and smoke.

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