Every Actor Who Copied Liam Neeson's Taken Comeback - Ranked

The original Taken was the little engine that could - a medium budget action/thriller from France's EuropaVision that played the familiar tune of ex-tough guy returning to his brutal methods to exact revenge on those who wronged his family - we've all seen this done before.

Yet, the fine twist was instead of digging up Steven Seagal for another paycheque role, they cast respectable and 50+ thespian Liam Neeson, who had been stuck in supporting roles. He was a hulking presence certainly, but one who had made zero hints about being the natural successor to Clint Eastwood's throne.

Suddenly it was fresh this actor fill those shoes and it led to massive success, managing to completely reinvent the actor's twilight career into full-blown action mega-star status. It was a career move that was felt across the industry with several clamouring for a similar rejuvenation.

Whether it be once A-list aged performers looking for a career boost, or completely unorthodox 'respectable' actors looking for a new career path - several have tried and not many have succeeded. So let's take a look at those who attempted to pull a Neeson...

NOTE: The list excludes similar films with actors whose careers were on a steady trajectory (e.g. Idris Elba with The Take, Zoe Salanda with Columbiana), or that weren't an action vehicle built around the star's comeback appeal in itself (Benicio Del Toro in Sicario).

Why The Actor Needed It: A blockbuster hero throughout the 80s and 90s, unlike his other contemporaries (Stallone, Van Damme) Willis was able to stay relevant as a respectable actor once the 'action star' bubble burst in the mid-90s.

Despite this, recent years have seen him drop from box-office draw to 'will-sleepwalk-through-anything -for-a-paycheque' VOD projects. It didn't help that he seemed like an epically unpleasant human being in several recent press appearances as well.

Film In Question: Joe Carnahan had developed a new take on the Charles Bronson 1974 original, attempting to explore the moral conflict of the main character as he becomes a vigilante. The producers instead pictured it as an event movie with Willis making his own Taken-style career resurrection.

Did It Work?: Despite the potential on the page, it doesn't. Carnahan's grey morality script conflicts with director Eli Roth's 'hurray-for-gore!' approach with the thematics, completely muddled as a result.

Still, there are enough thrills and decent moments to make a passable movie, that is, if Willis actually gave a damn. Sadly, he doesn't in the slightest; either looking bored or confused - and very very old.