10 Movies That Escaped The Dump Month Curse

Taken marked the turning point of Liam Neeson's career where he would become an action star. Sure, the celebrated actor had blockbusters like Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and Batman Begins under his belt, but before January 30, 2009, he was not necessarily known for his fighting skills.

How, then, did Taken shift the trajectory of his career?

A key aspect of the film's success is its simple premise, chronicling a father trying to save his child from the bad guys. Though its basic plot is formulaic and did not impress critics, it was accessible to casual moviegoers which led to the film grossing $226.8 million on a meager budget despite even Neeson himself expecting the film to be released on direct-to-video. In fact, Taken's formulaic nature would lead to ripoffs like Nicolas Cage's Stolen, Mel Gibson's Blood Father, and Sylvester Stallone's Rambo: Last Blood.

And with the financial success of the film, Liam Neeson's career would shift from dramatic works to action-heavy ones. This led to two Taken sequels released in 2012 and 2014, and movies like Run All Night, Non-Stop, and the underrated The Grey.