Liam Neeson was a revered dramatic actor known for playing characters like Oskar Schindler before he took on the lead role in 2008’s Taken. The story of an ex-CIA single father who searches Paris for his kidnapped daughter completely reinvented Neeson’s screen image and turned him into one of the world’s most popular action heroes.
Parenthood is an interesting subject for an action movie. Arguably, the success of Taken is that the audience can relate to Bryan Mills’ quest to reunite with his daughter. There have been plenty of other mom-and-pop action movies that dealt with similar stakes and emotions.
Taken (2008)
The opening scenes of Taken establish Liam Neeson’s Bryan Mills as an ex-CIA badass who loves his daughter Kim more than anything in the world. At the end of the first act, some Eastern European sex traffickers make the mistake of abducting Kim. Since Mills is effectively just a protective father, the audience cheers on his bone-crunching crusade of vengeance.
Director Pierre Morel recognized that the genius of this premise is its simplicity and didn’t overcomplicate things in the execution. A parent’s quest to save their child is universally relatable and by focusing on that aspect, Morel made Taken one of the best thrillers of the decade.
Blood Father (2016)
After the success of Taken, a subgenre of action cinema known as “geriaction” was launched, giving respected dramatic actors like pre-Taken Liam Neeson action-packed starring vehicles. The Gunman, starring Sean Penn, was directed by Taken’s own Pierre Morel.
Based on the novel of the same name by Peter Craig, Blood Father hit theaters in 2016. Mel Gibson stars as an ex-convict who takes his estranged daughter (Erin Moriarty) on the lam when her drug dealer boyfriend (Diego Luna) sends his cartel after her.
The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
Written by Shane Black, The Long Kiss Goodnight is an underrated action masterpiece. Geena Davis stars as a regular suburban mom who discovers her past as a badass action hero that’s been shrouded by amnesia.
The movie pairs her up with Samuel L. Jackson, with whom she shares terrific chemistry and who gives one of his all-time funniest performances here.
Run All Night (2015)
Another Liam Neeson movie, Run All Night tells the story of mob hitman Jimmy Conlon (Neeson), whose longtime friendship with his mafia-connected boss (Ed Harris) sours quickly when the boss kidnaps his estranged son (Joel Kinnaman).
As the story of a father trying to make up for a lifetime of terrible parenting, Run All Night is essentially The Royal Tenenbaums with guns.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
In the first Terminator movie, John Connor’s friend Kyle Reese went back in time to protect his mother Sarah from a killer cyborg and they ended up falling in love and conceiving John. In the second one, John is a foster kid while his mother is confined to a mental institution for insisting she saved the world from a future cybernetic threat.
When another killer cyborg arrives to kill John (and yet another killer cyborg shows up to protect him), T2 becomes a nonstop all-action extravaganza driven by Sarah’s quest to secure a safe future for her son.
Commando (1985)
The Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle Commando is like Taken in the ‘80s if it took the realism way less seriously (and Taken already doesn’t take its realism very seriously). Arnie is able to jump off a enger plane mid-takeoff through the cargo hold, and lands in some reeds down below without a scratch.
The movie also has corny one-liners like, “ when I promised to kill you last? I lied.” It’s anchored by Arnie’s quest to reunite with his kidnapped daughter, played by Alyssa Milano.
The Incredibles (2004)
Brad Bird’s The Incredibles has a universal relatability in that its superpowered heroes are a family. In a Watchmen-esque post-superhero world, the Incredibles are forced to hide their abilities and live like regular civilians.
This is a movie about reliving the glory days, but at its core, it’s a family story. Bob and Helen Parr are just trying to raise their kids the best they can under extreme circumstances.
Lethal Weapon (1987)
The main conflict in Richard Donner’s mismatched detectives Riggs and Murtaugh. Riggs is a lone wolf with a hair-trigger and undiagnosed mental health issues, while Murtaugh is a straight-laced family man looking forward to retirement.
But parenthood plays a big role in the first movie, as the bad guys learn Murtaugh’s identity and target his family. They even kidnap his daughter and take her out into the desert.
Kill Bill (2003 – 2004)
In the black-and-white opening scene of Quentin Tarantino’s action-packed two-parter Kill Bill, Bill shoots “The Bride” in the head at her wedding. When she awakens from a coma years later, her unborn child is gone and she embarks on a blood-soaked quest for revenge.
The stakes are raised at the end of Volume 1, however, as Bill reveals that the Bride’s daughter is alive and well. So, Volume 2 becomes more than just a revenge story as it morphs into a dysfunctional family reunion story.
Aliens (1986)
The original script for Alien was written with unisex roles to allow the casting team to choose either male or female actors to play each part. Making Ellen Ripley female ended up breaking new ground in Hollywood and proving that women could lead action movies.
In his action-packed sequel Aliens, when Ripley’s gender was already established, James Cameron leaned into her femininity more — particularly her maternal instincts, as she learns her daughter has died on Earth and finds a new surrogate daughter in orphaned Newt. Sigourney Weaver plays the motherhood arc in this movie beautifully.
