10 Movies You Wrongly Thought Were Innovators

10. Man On Fire Made "Geriaction" Popular Before Taken

In recent years the geriaction genre has really come into its own, where classy dramatic actors are hired to play badass action heroes, despite being well into their fifties. The success of Liam Neeson in Taken soon lead to other actors, including Kevin Costner in Three Days To Kill, Sean Penn in The Gunmen and even Helen Mirren in RED.

These movies typically feature a retired assassin or spy called out of action, usually to seek revenge. While Taken is credited with kicking off this subgenre, it really started with Man On Fire. That movie had Oscar winner Denzel Washington as an over the hill bodyguard, cutting a bloody path through the villains that snatched the girl he was hired to protect.

He’s a fifty plus alcoholic, skilled in the use of firearms and explosives. Hell, he even makes a couple of threatening calls. Man On Fire also gave Washington a second wind playing action roles, going on to star in Deja Vu and The Equalizer.