5. Taken (2008)
Until 2008 Liam Neeson was mainly known for dramas such as Schneider's List and Rob Roy, or as a sage mentor figure in films like Batman Begins or Star Wars: Episode 1. So it was a bit of a surprise when Taken came along, casting the 55 year old actor as a distraught special forces agent who must punch his way through Paris to rescue his daughter from human traffickers. And shoot. He does a lot of that too. His character is resourceful and uncompromising, and from the various punch ups and car chases he endures to recover his daughter he's a sure fire contender for the Father of the Year award. And let's not forget the famous phone call scene that has inspired countless hilarious answer machine messages the world over. Neeson's gruff performance cemented him as a late blooming action star overnight, and has led to similar roles in The A-Team and Unknown. But the less said about Taken 2, the better.