Taken 2
Metascore
45 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 35
  3. Negative: 8 out of 35
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  1. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    Oct 6, 2012
    30
    Luc Besson and Liam Neeson and the rest of the furriners who made the inept and offensive Taken 2 don't seem to have gotten the memo from Jason Bourne: Americans don't think our spooks are good guys anymore.
  2. The Playlist
    Reviewed by: Gabe Toro
    Oct 6, 2012
    33
    It's not a surprise that he most resembles an older Charles Bronson in Taken 2, as both found the enthusiasm to soldier on in the action genre well into their old age. Bronson had a bit more patience with these films: after this, it's doubtful Neeson will.
  3. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    Oct 5, 2012
    38
    When Neeson engages in bare-knuckle fisticuffs at the climax of the cartoonish Taken 2, I honestly couldn't figure out if the 60-year-old actor was actually present at all except for the close-ups.
  4. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Ann Hornaday
    Oct 4, 2012
    25
    A sequel every bit as clumsy, ham-handed, outlandish and laughable as the original was sleek, tough and efficient.
  5. Movieline
    Reviewed by: Alison Willmore
    Oct 4, 2012
    30
    Taken 2 grabs everything that was surprisingly enjoyable about the original film and batters it into the ground.
  6. Time Out New York
    Reviewed by: Tom Huddelston
    Oct 4, 2012
    20
    A cynical film which has only been made, apparently, to squeeze the pockets of anyone who enjoyed the first movie. Why give them the satisfaction?
  7. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    Oct 4, 2012
    25
    Revenge is a dish best served cold, as some Albanian dramatist once said, but Taken 2 isn't good-cold, as in steely and purposeful; it's cold as in "lost the scent."
  8. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: John Semley
    Oct 3, 2012
    38
    Some of the basic pleasures of the original remain intact (nobody shoots up a small room of bearded Eastern European men like Neeson), but ultimately the film feels compromised.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
5.5 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 188 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 61
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 61
  3. Negative: 19 out of 61
  1. Knicksfan7
    3
    I went into this movie expecting a brainless but fun action film. Well all i got was brainless. This movie wasn't even fun. I'm a big Liam Neeson fan, especially when hes kicking ass and honestly the action sucked in this sequel to the overrated but fun first entry into the series. I even think im being generous giving it a 3. I'm not one to look for believability in a movie like taken 2 but come on, some of the crap was unbearable. The daughters using fregen grenades and nobody in istanbul seems to give a crap like chicks chuck grenades around the city on a daily basis, and how the daughter who keep in mind has failed her road test 3 times as was mentioned earlier in the film, all of a sudden becomes the worlds best getaway driver in this seemingly indestrcutible taxi that no matter what it crashes into there will never be a scratch on it. It was just unbearable. I'll give it a 3/10 which is definitely being more than generous, don't waste your time or hard-earned money!… Full Review »
  2. kaozgamer
    2
    Great acting and casting BUT it still managed to be the biggest disappointed so far. Taken is a kind of movie that don't need a sequel. Oh well, I guess they wanted to milk the cash cow. The biggest problem was with the story. Why would the enemies go after him and his family AGAIN? I mean didn't they already learn their lesson from the first film. The way the action sequences were edited was terrible. You couldn't tell who was punching whom and who was getting hit. Every half a second they would cut to another shot. It was painful to watch. Stay away from Taken 2.… Full Review »
  3. beladrim
    5
    Loved the first movie, struggled to enjoy this one. In the first one, you experience almost everything from Neesons point of view. You have no idea of where the girl is, and who took her. You don't even know if she is still alive. This is what made the first movie very enjoyable to watch. This made the quest of finding his daughter way more dramatic and thrilling as you never knew what to expect. After watching the first 10 minutes of this movie (and the trailer) i knew i was going to be disappointed. Taken 2 detaches us from the protagonist this time, giving us the point of view of the villains, the daughter and the ex-wife. This breaks all the drama of the first one. They are no surprises, you know exactly where the bad guys are holding them, and what they are doing to them. At this point, the only way this movie could save itself is by delivering a lot of action. The actions scene are alright but they are far from amazing. They are mostly chip tricks we have all seen before. A car chase that ends with a train nearly missing the good guys and hitting the bad guys is nothing original. The action doesn't make up for the lack of drama and suspense. Taken 2 clearly doesn't live up to it's predecessor.… Full Review »
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