Taken movies in order Taken Marathon
Page Last Modified:
9 December 2025
Most Recent Release:
Taken 3 - 2014
Total Runtime:
294 Minutes
Total Items:
3
Average User Score:
(6.3)Taken movies in order
One phone call. One iconic quote. A whirlwind of fistfights, chases, and explosive rescues. The Taken franchise is the epitome of a modern action classic, making it the perfect choice for an adrenaline-fueled movie night. If you're planning a Taken movie marathon, you'll want to know the right order to watch them. Don't worry, we've got you covered. From the initial abduction in Paris to the intense escapes in Istanbul and the high-stakes chase through Los Angeles, here's the definitive way to watch the Taken films.
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1
Taken Movie 94 min. 2008Bryan Mills, a former government operative, is trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter Kim. After reluctantly agreeing with his ex-wife to let Kim go to Paris on vacation with a friend, his worst nightmare comes true. While on the phone with his daughter shortly after she arrives in Paris, she and her friend are abducted by a gang of human traffickers. Working against the clock, Bryan relies on his extensive training and skills to track down the ruthless gang that abducted her and launch a one-man war to rescue his daughter.USER SCORE 7 -
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Taken 2 Movie 91 min. 2012In Istanbul, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills and his wife are taken hostage by the father of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter.USER SCORE 6 -
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Taken 3 Movie 109 min. 2014Ex-government operative Bryan Mills finds his life is shattered when he's falsely accused of a murder that hits close to home. As he's pursued by a savvy police inspector, Mills employs his particular set of skills to track the real killer and exact his unique brand of justice.USER SCORE 6
Why This Order Works for Your Marathon
The Taken trilogy is tight, fast-paced, and straightforward. No prequels, no side stories, just three films that follow each other directly in time. This makes for a clear and linear marathon. You follow ex-CIA operative Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson at his unstoppable best) as he goes to great lengths to save his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) and ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen) time and again. It's the ultimate revenge thriller, with a father-daughter relationship at its emotional core and a world of abduction, vengeance, and hand-to-hand combat that grows increasingly intense.
Watching these films in chronological order, as they were released, allows you to witness the evolution of Bryan's tactics from hand-to-hand combat to tactical driving and see how his world spirals further out of control. This makes his iconic "I will find you" quote even more powerful. So, grab some popcorn, dim the lights, and brace yourself for three rounds of pure action.
Taken (2008)
The film that started it all. Directed by Pierre Morel and produced by Luc Besson's EuropaCorp, Taken is a neo-noir action thriller where we first meet Bryan Mills. A retired CIA agent trying to build a normal life and reconnect with his daughter Kim, Bryan's world collapses when Kim travels to Paris and is kidnapped by an Albanian human trafficking ring. Bryan switches to survival mode, embarking on a lightning-fast rescue mission across Europe filled with intense interrogations, brutal fights, and one of the most legendary phone scenes in film history.
This film is raw, muscular, and surprisingly emotional. The focus is on the hunt: clue by clue, with each obstacle a chance for Bryan to showcase his "particular set of skills." You learn not only who Bryan is but what he's willing to do for his daughter. And trust us, you'll finish this first film eager to see what happens next. Fortunately, the story continues.
Taken 2 (2012)
Next stop: Istanbul. Directed by Olivier Megaton, Taken 2 picks up right where the first film left off. Bryan is trying to get his life back on track after the events in Paris, but the relatives of the criminals he took down have other plans. This time, Bryan and Lenore are the ones kidnapped, and it's up to Kim to initiate the rescue. It's a reverse rescue storyline, and it works surprisingly well.
What makes this film particularly thrilling is seeing Bryan improvise in an unfamiliar city without preparation. His escape techniques, tactical thinking, and use of everyday objects as weapons reach new heights. The chases, especially the tactical car ride through Istanbul, are tightly choreographed, and the action is relentless. The film also expands the franchise's world, providing more context about the enemies Bryan faces. And yes, he's as ruthless as ever.
Taken 3 (2014)
Finally, Taken 3. The most explosive and emotionally charged film of the trilogy. Set in Los Angeles, Bryan is framed for a crime he didn't commit. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game with the police as he tries to prove his innocence and track down the real culprits. This time, there's no international travel, but a high-stakes escape story.
Forest Whitaker adds depth as Inspector Franck Dotzler, a worthy adversary. The film stays true to the franchise's style: quick cuts, brutal action, and a father pushed to his limits. But Taken 3 is also more personal. Bryan's relationship with Kim takes center stage, and the psychological tension is palpable. You feel that this is the end of a story, making the climax all the more intense.
Why You Should Plan This Marathon
The Taken franchise is short but powerful, making it perfect for a night (or weekend) binge. In just a few hours, you're plunged into a world of abductions, chases, brutal action, and a father who literally breaks through walls to protect his family. The films are tightly directed, with a gritty European style and a protagonist who is anything but ordinary. Bryan Mills isn't a superhero, but his "deadly set of skills" make him legendary.
If you love action-crime thrillers with an emotional core, intense choreography, and a hint of nostalgia (because yes, 2008 feels like a lifetime ago), this is your perfect movie night. And remember, it's not just what Bryan says, it's how he says it. His speeches, his gaze, his moves they're all iconic. With this order, you'll watch everything as intended: fast, intense, and with a story that digs deeper each time.
In Conclusion: What You Take Away from Taken
Some phone calls change your life. A retired CIA agent should probably avoid vacations. And a father missing his daughter is more dangerous than any crime syndicate. The Taken trilogy is a modern classic in the action genre, short, powerful, and 100% binge-worthy. So invite your movie-loving friends, stock up on snacks, and dive into a night of adrenaline, chases, and hard-hitting payback.
Put your phone on silent (unless your name is Bryan Mills), switch to movie mode, and get swept away in a story that starts simply but ends in an explosive finale. Taken is more than a film series. It's a statement. And it says, "I will find you... and I will binge you."