Taken 2
Two years ago, retired CIA agent Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) used his "particular set of skills" to rescue his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), from kidnappers. Since then, Kim has been learning self-defense from her father, and Bryan has been on a personal mission to reunite with his ex-wife (Famke Janssen). In Istanbul, Bryan and his family cross paths with Murad (Rade Serbedzija), whose son died at Bryan's hand during Kim's rescue. Murad wants revenge, and he'll stop at nothing to get it.
Release Date: October 05, 2012
Runtime: 1 hr 32 min
Director: Olivier Megaton
Cast: Liam Neeson, Leland Orser, Famke Janssen, Rade Sherbedgia, Maggie Grace
(less)Ok for ages 14+ . What would you rate it?
Rated PG-13 Intense Sequences of Violence|Intense Sequences of Action|Some Sensuality
- Sex & Nudity
- Violence & Gore
- Profanity
Content details via Kids-In-Mind
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Reviews
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Here's the deal- Liam Neeson has become an action hero. And I like it!
If you saw Taken, then Taken 2 will seem familiar. But, if I'm a Hollywood executive and I find a formula that works, I stick with it. Many viewers seemed to enjoy Taken, so why not give them more of the same?
A few differences from the first movie, but the formula is the same. No sex, language wasn't overly bad, it's really the violence (implied or seen on screen) that make this a PG-13 or a bit more, but none of it is terrible.
I enjoyed it, as did my wife and kids, and most will as long as they know that it's along the lines of the first film. -
“Taken 2” had to happen. The notion that Liam Neeson could kill three dozen Albanian gangsters and a billionaire oil sheik in the first film and then return to a normal life is absurd. Eventually, someone was going to come after him.
As “Taken 2” opens, that someone turns out to be the father of one of those gangsters. Standing stoically over his son’s grave in one of the most picturesque cemeteries to ever hold the bodies of dead sex traffickers, he swears vengeance on his son’s murderer, casually ignoring the circumstances that got him killed in the first place. Because when you’re a parent, you tend to overlook your kids’ shortcomings, right?
Back home in Los Angeles, Neeson’s relationship with his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), is about what you’d expect between a teenager and an ex-government operative: She loves her daddy, but wishes he wouldn’t use her cellphone to track her movements when she’s trying to make out with her new boyfriend. And thanks to a convenient separation from Kim’s stepdad, it looks like love might bloom a second time between Neeson and his ex-wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen).
Things are looking so good, in fact, that Neeson invites the two of them to go to Istanbul with him. Now, you’d think that at least one of the three would see a red flag here, but Kim and Lenore accept, and in no time those gangsters show up looking for a little payback.
The first film had a simple plot: The bad guys kidnapped Kim, and Liam Neeson seemingly killed half the population of Europe to get her back. It was a point A-to-point B straight line that perfectly underscored the driven nature of Neeson’s character.
But “Taken 2” doesn’t have that same luxury. This time the bad guys are after Neeson, his daughter and his ex-wife, and the effort to shepherd everyone to safety amounts to a juggling act that breaks down the momentum of the plot. First Neeson and Lenore are kidnapped. Then the bad guys go after Kim. Then Neeson breaks out, and has to get Kim to safety. But in the meantime, the bad guys have moved Lenore. And so on and so on. A few of the new twists are fun — such as Kim making the improbable jump from petrified victim to grenade-chucking stunt driver — but they come at a cost.
“Taken 2” also lacks the tension of the first film, which was built on the horrifying notion of having a child stolen and sold away into the underworld. In “Taken,” Neeson had 96 hours to get Kim back before she was lost forever. But after seeing his superhuman performance in the first film, there’s never any doubt in “Taken 2” that Neeson won’t be up to the task again.
To be honest, though, most of this is beside the point. Whether it’s catharsis, facing our fears or a need to see justice met on screen when it’s so hard to come by in real life, moviegoers want to see the good guy take out the bad guy. That’s why “Taken” became such a fan favorite, and that’s why fans will enjoy “Taken 2.” Both films would be utterly forgettable without Neeson and his “particular set of skills.”
Interestingly, “Taken 2” isn’t quite as violent as its predecessor. The first film had a dark, oppressive tone that felt more appropriate for an R-rated movie. “Taken 2” has plenty of action violence, but it’s mostly bloodless, and the PG-13-level profanity doesn’t even feature a single appearance of the F-word.
It’s still not a family film, but “Taken 2” doesn’t have any scenes that parents will have to fast-forward through when they rent the DVD, either. -
The best way to describe the movie is to say that Taken 2 is like The Bourne Trilogy without the slow parts. Taken 2 is a bit violent, with people being shot at point blank range and necks being snapped. The language was relatively clean with a few swear words here and there but the swearing never got anywhere past the, “d-word”. Anyone fifteen and older would be able to handle the material of the film and enjoy it.
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This was a pretty good movie but not near as good as the first one. I actually thought the plot was better than the fight scenes. I still don't know how Liam Neeson killed two of the bad guys.
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Just to much death and violence. I thought it was more R.
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I think the whole story line behind these movies is dumb. A guy that goes and kills countless men in order to save his daughter and there is no sort of punishment from the law? Taken 2 felt just like the first movie. If you've seen the first, you've pretty much seen Taken 2 as well.
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If you like the first Taken, Taken 2 is right up your alley. If you haven't seen the first one, you should know these are pretty violent films.
May 2nd, 2013 Details -
If you watched the first one this will definitely makes sense. It has very good action scenes and good acting . The movies flies by quick because you will very into it.
October 10th, 2012 Details -
Lots o' killing.
November 16th, 2012 Details -
It seemed like they were trying too hard, wasnt bad, just not worth the time unless you were channel surfing on a Sunday morning...
April 6th, 2013 Details -
Although I am not a big fan of Liam Neeson I enjoyed both the original Taken and this one as well. Lot's of action and Neeson plays his part well as a former CIA agent become bodyguard for special clients.
Add in sultry Famke Janssen and easy on the eyes Maggie Grace as his family coming under attack and you've set the scene for someone with Neeson's character's particular set of skills.
An awesome car chase and foot chase, fights, and gun play provide more than enough action. My wife was tired just from watching the film.
Only one thing missing from this film which is actually quite refreshing. Foul language. Definitely no F or S-bombs or SOB's and I don't recall even the slightest vulgarity at all. Which just proves what many people, including yours truly, have said for years. Just actors acting and proving that sometimes a picture IS worth a thousand filthy words.
I commend the screen writers, director, and anyone else connected with this film that had anything to do with the elimination of the vulgarities that stream from the mouths of so many people today. This movie was just as enjoyable if not more so than many R rated movies and without the unnecessary cursing it opens itself up to a much wider audience.
Bravo!December 15th, 2012 Details -
Lots of Killing. I thought it was just a one time watch.
December 16th, 2012 Details -
Family, this is what the movie is all about. All the dad wants is to be able to bring his family together and have a happy safe family. The fun guys keep taking the family members (you would have thought he would have learned after the first time). If you go around kidnapping people then you should expect to have unpleasurable things happen back to you in return. This is a heart touching story of how one family was able to overcome a trial placed in front of them and come back together. I would recommend anyone who enjoys family oriented movies to watch Taken 2.
April 19th, 2013 Details