Every Actor Who Copied Liam Neeson's Taken Comeback - Ranked
10. Pierce Brosnan - The November Man
Why The Actor Needed A 'Neeson': Neeson's good mate and fellow Irishman, Brosnan, was a solid Bond throughout the 90s - despite the receding quality of the movies during his run.
When he was free from his contract, he turned in a series of impressive against-type performances (Seraphim Falls, The Matador) that won over critics but not audiences. He eventually had fallen into the type of paycheque supporting roles Neeson had been doing before his career resurgence.
Film In Question: Adapted from a series of pulpy spy books, The November Man was intentionally meant to give Brosnan his own Taken-style movie franchise of harder-edged mature thrills, whilst also taking its hat off to Jame Bond. The hype train was high for this one pre-release.
Did It Work?: Not really. This was another case of the main stars gravitas not matched by the movie they starred in. Despite some solid production value and action, the script was a mess of familiar twists and plot tropes. Brosnan was great as an older, bitter and ruthless version of Bond but his screen-time was compromised by the way less interesting co-star Luke Bracey.