Liam Neeson’s 10 Greatest Action Movies, Ranked

Liam Neeson has become a prolific action movie star. He’s an exceptional talent, earning an Academy Award nomination for his role in Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed Schindler’s List. He also has a stellar range, proving hilarious when given the chance to shine in comedies like The Naked Gun and A Million Ways to Die in the West. Whether it’s a dramatic role like Kinsey, a fantasy epic like Clash of the Titans, or a Western like Seraphim Falls, Neeson has brought his talent to every genre.

Many attribute Taken with launching Neeson’s action movie career. While it certainly helped, he made his mark in a few films that debuted earlier in his filmography. To rank Liam Neeson’s greatest action movies, I need to look at his entire career within the genre. Neeson must be the star or a central character who makes a substantial contribution, which eliminates some films from early in his career. The action should also be entertaining, even if through deliberately slower pacing. So let’s take a journey through Neeson’s greatest action movie outings.

Honorable Mentions

• Kingdom of Heaven (2005): Ridley Scott’s epic is packed with great battles and plenty of action, but Neeson’s role is minor in comparison to the scope of the film.
• Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (1999): Neeson’s role as Qui-Gon Jinn is arguably one of the best parts of The Phantom Menace, but it is not the best Star Wars film, nor is he the central focus despite a substantial role.
• Honest Thief (2020): The redemption story feels a little too familiar, but the rare romantic angle for Neeson features great chemistry with Kate Walsh.
• Cold Pursuit (2019): A remake of In Order of Disappearance (2016) by the same director. It is still enjoyable but suffers in comparison to the original.
• The Commuter (2018): Neeson and director Jaume Collet-Serra have made several great films together. The Commuter is merely a fun rehash of their earlier pairings.
• The Dark Knight Rises (2012): Director Christopher Nolan’s trilogy-ending superhero movie is fantastic, but Neeson’s role is negligible.
• Rob Roy (1995): While it features some exceptional sword fighting, the movie is more of a historical character drama than an outright action movie.

10

‘Unknown’ (2011)

The First of Four Great Collaborations With Director Jaume Collet-Serra

Warner Bros. Pictures 

Following Taken, Neeson appeared in several major action movies, like Clash of the Titans. However, Unknown was the first to have the same look and feel as his action hit. It is notable for starting the actor’s iconic pairing with Collet-Serra, showing how well they work together through exceptional tension-building and well-staged action set pieces.

The plot feels familiar, borrowing elements from other spy thrillers like The Bourne Identity, as Neeson suffers amnesia and later realizes he is a skilled operative. Some contrived story elements hinder the overall narrative, as the movie’s late twist is predictable. Still, it features excellent action, with Neeson taking part in shootouts, hand-to-hand combat, and impressive chases that keep the pace up even when the plot falls flat.

9

‘The A-Team’ (2010)

Audiences Deserved More of Neeson’s Charismatic Hannibal

I loved watching The A-Team when I was a kid, catching reruns whenever they appeared. The team dynamic and eclectic mix of work they got involved in made for endless fun. The film reboot had big shoes to fill. Some may not have found it perfect, but director Joe Carnahan’s ensemble action movie deserved better.

The chemistry among the team (Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, and Quinton Jackson) was fantastic, with each actor wonderfully capturing the essence of their characters. Neeson as Hannibal, chewing on his cigar while relishing how his plans come together, felt genuine, like the role was tailor-made for him. The villain and overall plot became convoluted, and the tank-parachuting scene is a bit ridiculous. Still, the action was great, with the shipping-container finale a bombastic delight. Audiences were robbed of the franchise The A-Team should have spawned.

8

‘Run All Night’ (2015)

Neeson’s Most Underrated Collaboration With Director Jaume Collet-Serra

Warner Bros. Pictures 

Run All Night is one of Neeson’s most underrated action-movie performances. He straddles the line between being a despicable figure and a man seeking redemption, leaving the audience wondering if he’ll succeed. When his estranged son comes under threat from Neeson’s mob-boss friend, it sparks a bleak inner conflict, with the character serving as the antithesis of his unstoppable action-hero roles in movies like Taken.

Run All Night is a dark thriller set in an urban environment that feels markedly different from Collet-Serra and Neeson’s other collaborations. The violence is gritty and painful, with every action and injury having grave consequences. The movie also features an exceptional supporting cast, with Ed Harris giving a chilling performance as the central villain.

7

‘A Walk Among the Tombstones’ (2014)

Neeson’s Gritty Detective Thriller Should Have Spawned a Franchise

Universal Pictures

A Walk Among the Tombstones feels like a classic neo-noir, with Neeson playing Matthew Scudder, a private detective hired to investigate the kidnapping and murder of a drug kingpin’s wife. Scudder is a recovering alcoholic who is unlicensed to do his job, making him perfect for the grim case. Still, he’s not a skilled operative, as the character is a physically weathered ex-cop who thrives on his methodical nature.

The movie moves at a slower pace than some of the actor’s more frantic action outings. The story follows a series of clues that ramp up the tension as the truth comes to light. Still, there is plenty of gunfire and brutal, gritty justice to be doled out. Sadly, it didn’t get the results the studio hoped for, even though there could have been sequels. A Walk Among the Tombstones is part of author Lawrence Block’s lengthy series and could have been the start of a franchise for Neeson.

6

‘Non-Stop’ (2014)

The Best of Neeson’s Collaborations With Director Jaume Collet-Serra

Universal Pictures

The setup of Non-Stop is simple, putting Neeson’s air marshal on a plane with terrorists who taunt him with text messages. The setting is claustrophobic, which only heightens the mounting paranoia and the sense of limited options. Each new suspect only raises the stakes, with the tension poised to cut loose by the time the movie reveals who is pulling the strings.

There are exceptional action moments, like Neeson diving through the air to grab his gun as the plane plummets. Elements of the story feel eerily similar to The Commuter, which did not capture the same lightning in the actor-director pairing. Non-Stop also features an impeccable supporting cast, including Julianne Moore and Lupita Nyong’o, helping elevate the movie’s intensity.

5

‘The Grey’ (2011)

The Action Thriller Divided Critics and Audiences Upon Release

Open Road Films

The Grey was advertised as a survival thriller featuring Neeson and fellow plane crash survivors battling the elements and ravenous wolves. On the surface, that description is accurate, but it caused a divide between critics and audiences after the movie proved to be an action-adventure film steeped in raw human emotion.

Neeson plays Ottway, a suicidal man thrust into a leadership role during dire circumstances. Animal attacks and building tension keep the survivors and audience on edge. Still, the movie offers a philosophical examination of grief and mortality versus pure survival instinct. The ending may not be what some hoped for, but director Joe Carnahan’s brutal survival thriller delivers a stellar performance from Neeson. Plus, the image of him strapping airplane liquor bottles to his hand as a weapon is iconic.

4

‘In the Land of Saints and Sinners’ (2023)

One of Neeson’s Best Movies in Years Was Barely Given a Theatrical Release

Netflix

In the Land of Saints and Sinners features Neeson in a familiar role as a retired hitman convinced to do another job. The film moves at a deliberately slower pace, allowing the action beats to carry weight despite their spacing. Neeson faces a fantastic villain in Kerry Condon’s IRA leader, with the movie beautifully capturing the nuances of a small Irish village in the 1970s. In the Land of Saints and Sinners feels like a neo-Western, focusing on great characters and atmosphere rather than heavy action.

Sadly, despite being one of Neeson’s best-reviewed thrillers in years, it received little marketing before its limited American theatrical release in March 2024. Its maximum theater count was 896, and it grossed $3.6 million worldwide. Thankfully, it has found a second life with streaming audiences.

3

‘Darkman’ (1990)

Neeson Delivers a Complex Performance as Director Sam Raimi’s Vigilante

Universal Pictures

Darkman is one of Neeson’s most underrated performances. Raimi wanted to direct a comic book movie, but opportunities were scarce at the time because the genre hadn’t yet skyrocketed in prominence. His solution was to direct and co-write a superhero movie based on an original character. As with most of Raimi’s work, the narrative is tinged with horror. Neeson’s Peyton Westlake is horribly injured and left for dead. Thankfully, he is a scientist who invented a synthetic skin he can wear like a mask.

Throughout Darkman’s revenge-fueled narrative, body horror elements feed into Peyton’s deteriorating mental state. Neeson delivers a tortured performance showing his character struggling to reclaim the life he lost in the attack. Still, every move he makes to hold those who hurt him accountable only leads him to become a more broken and unhinged vigilante. Raimi’s take on character identity and what it means to wear a mask is equally haunting and thrilling, and it was the first time Neeson was a proven action-movie lead.

2

‘Taken’ (2008)

The Action Movie That Changed Neeson’s Career Forever

It’s hard to overstate how impactful Taken was when it debuted. While it premiered overseas in 2008, the movie didn’t arrive in America until January 30, 2009. It had a modest $25 million budget, with January often being a month when movies are sent to die after the studio thinks they will underperform, but Taken silenced any doubt by earning $226.8 million worldwide. It spawned a trilogy and, more importantly, kickstarted Neeson’s action career when he was already in his mid-50s.

Everything changed when Neeson’s Bryan had his daughter kidnapped. He makes a chilling promise over the phone, delivering his famous line about having a “particular set of skills” he’ll use to kill those involved. While the kidnapper wishes him “good luck,” it sparks pure action-movie enjoyment, turning Neeson from an inept father into the skillfully trained operative he was trying to leave behind. The rest is history, with Taken easily being one of Neeson’s greatest action movie rampages.

1

‘Batman Begins’ (2005)

Neeson Terrifies as an Iconic Batman Villain

Warner Bros.

Neeson isn’t the lead of Batman Begins but delivers one of his most calculated and chilling performances as the film’s central villain, Ra’s al Ghul. He initially dupes Bruce Wayne, using the name Henri Ducard, which is part of his disguise as head of the League of Shadows. Ra’s al Ghul trains Bruce Wayne in fighting styles and tactics that are later used against him, thereby proving himself the architect of his own demise.

Throughout the movie, Neeson appears in several action scenes and holds his own against Batman in combat. While it may not be one of the action movies that defined his career after Taken, Batman Begins is hard to top for exceptional character work and action, with Neeson adding value to every scene.

Birthdate

June 7, 1952

Birthplace

Ballymena, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK

Birthname

William John Neeson