Taken 2
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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.
What critics thought
Critics largely dismissed Taken 2 as a mechanical retread that strips away whatever made the original feel fresh — the action beats are familiar, the villain geography is interchangeable, and the film's attempt to recapture its predecessor's momentum produces diminishing returns at almost every turn. A handful of reviewers found Neeson's committed screen presence and the film's efficient, no-nonsense professionalism just about worth the ticket, but most felt the sequel coasted entirely on goodwill it hadn't earned.
“Taken 2 has a plot that could have been written by a GPS program, and contains all the technical charm that conjures up. Yet somehow, Liam Neeson growls through this just-acceptable action sequel with his dignity intact, his wallet bigger and his movie family oblivious to all that occurred in 2009's Taken.”
Joe Neumaier·Daily News
“Taken 2 is simultaneously silly, nasty, a lazy festival of stereotypes, and a cleverly made piece of merchandise—i.e., it's the devil we know.”
Lisa Schwarzbaum·Entertainment Weekly
“You can't blame Liam Neeson, or the Taken producers, for trying to catch lightning in a bottle again. What you can blame them for is Taken 2, a sequel every bit as clumsy, ham-handed, outlandish and laughable as the original was sleek, tough and efficient.”
Ann Hornaday·The Washington Post
“The first half of Taken 2 is a serviceable action flick, but the second half descends into cliches”
Scott Bowles·USA Today
Genres
Action, Crime, Thriller
Cast & Crew
Olivier MegatonDirector
Liam NeesonBryan Mills
Maggie GraceKim Mills
Famke JanssenLenore St. John
Leland OrserSam Gilroy
D. B. SweeneyBernie Harris
Jon GriesMark Casey
Rade ŠerbedžijaMurad Krasniqi
Luke GrimesJamie
Kevork MalikyanInspector Durmaz
Alain FiglarzSuko
Frank AlvarezCar Wash Attendant
Nathaniel MéchalyComposer
Robert Mark KamenWriter
Luc BessonWriter
Romain LacourbasCinematographyTaken 2
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.
What critics thought
Critics largely dismissed Taken 2 as a mechanical retread that strips away whatever made the original feel fresh — the action beats are familiar, the villain geography is interchangeable, and the film's attempt to recapture its predecessor's momentum produces diminishing returns at almost every turn. A handful of reviewers found Neeson's committed screen presence and the film's efficient, no-nonsense professionalism just about worth the ticket, but most felt the sequel coasted entirely on goodwill it hadn't earned.
“Taken 2 has a plot that could have been written by a GPS program, and contains all the technical charm that conjures up. Yet somehow, Liam Neeson growls through this just-acceptable action sequel with his dignity intact, his wallet bigger and his movie family oblivious to all that occurred in 2009's Taken.”
Joe Neumaier·Daily News
“Taken 2 is simultaneously silly, nasty, a lazy festival of stereotypes, and a cleverly made piece of merchandise—i.e., it's the devil we know.”
Lisa Schwarzbaum·Entertainment Weekly
“You can't blame Liam Neeson, or the Taken producers, for trying to catch lightning in a bottle again. What you can blame them for is Taken 2, a sequel every bit as clumsy, ham-handed, outlandish and laughable as the original was sleek, tough and efficient.”
Ann Hornaday·The Washington Post
“The first half of Taken 2 is a serviceable action flick, but the second half descends into cliches”
Scott Bowles·USA Today
Genres
Action, Crime, Thriller
Cast & Crew
Olivier MegatonDirectorLiam NeesonBryan MillsMaggie GraceKim MillsFamke JanssenLenore St. JohnLeland OrserSam GilroyD. B. SweeneyBernie HarrisJon GriesMark CaseyRade ŠerbedžijaMurad KrasniqiLuke GrimesJamieKevork MalikyanInspector DurmazAlain FiglarzSukoFrank AlvarezCar Wash AttendantNathaniel MéchalyComposerRobert Mark KamenWriterLuc BessonWriterRomain LacourbasCinematographyStream
Rent & Buy