15 Best Action Movies Like ‘Taken’

Revenge movies have been a staple of the motion style for a few years. It fills viewers’ hearts with pressure and craving as they see a humble hero preventing to take again what was as soon as theirs. When Liam Neeson starred in Taken in 2008, the motion film style noticed a surge, and movie-goers who could have chosen different genres began watching films of the type. The motion, the household bond, the revenge, and the fights are what saved viewers on the sting of their seats and wanting extra. It wasn’t simply Neeson’s efficiency, however the sort of story he was telling.

Earlier than and since Taken, there have been different films that maintain audiences on their toes with their motion, storylines, and performances. From The Grey Man, bringing a recent breath to a crowded style, to John Wick, considered one of Keanu Reeves most beloved revenge movies, these films are jam-packed with comparable themes and gadgets used within the Taken films.

15 ‘Prepare to Busan’ (2016)

Directed by Yeon Sang-ho

A workaholic divorced fund supervisor, finds himself watching his estranged daughter over the weekend of her birthday. She begs him to take her to Busan so she might be along with her mom on her birthday. Whereas on the practice from Soel to Busan, South Korea, a zombie apocalypse breaks out, and now he should defend his daughter in any respect prices as he is on a rushing practice towards Busan.

The household bond is what makes this film a lot like Taken. A father defending his daughter irrespective of the fee. Prepare to Busan sits at a powerful 94% on Rotten Tomatoes with most critics praising the totally fleshed out characters and spectacular motion scenes. An animated sequel titled Soel Station, additionally directed by Yeon Sang-ho, was launched one month after Prepare to Busan. There was additionally purported to be an american remake of the movie titled The Last Train to New York, and it was set to release on April 21, 2023. Nonetheless, it was pulled from the schedule with no rationalization and changed with Evil Useless Rise.

14 ‘The Commuter’ (2018)

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

One other motion thriller starring Liam Neeson, The Commuter, follows a person who’s tricked right into a homicide conspiracy whereas he is on a practice to work. He meets a mysterious girl named Joanna (Vera Farmiga) who proposes he discover a sure man on the practice and kill him for 100,000. Being an ex-cop, Neeson has the talents to take out this man, however is uncertain of the motives of Joanna. He tries to depart the practice, however his household is threatened, and he is pressured to remain.

A person with many abilities is Liam Neeson’s favourite archatype, and he performs it nicely. Very like Taken, The Commuter is about a median man with a subdued set of abilities that erupt on the most action-packed moments. Whereas the film was met with combined critiques, most followers consider it suits completely into their assortment of Neeson classics.

13 ‘Harry Brown’ (2009)

Directed by Daniel Barber

Harry Brown (Michael Caine), a retired Royal Marine, lives in a London housing property that has fallen into crime and despair. After a gang murders considered one of his shut associates, he turns into fed up with the dearth of safety from legislation enforcement, so he decides to take the legislation into his personal arms and get revenge on the gang.

A traditional revenge story just like Taken, Harry Brown was met with combined critiques, coming in at 63% on Rotten Tomatoes. Nonetheless, Roger Ebert gave the film three out of 4 stars, calling it a traditional revenge thriller, “poised someplace between Demise Want and Gran Torino,” which is by all accounts a optimistic assessment. Michael Caine is a good motion hero and is equally matches Liam Neeson’s depth.

12 ‘The Foreigner’ (2017)

Directed by Martin Campbell

Ngoc Minh Quan (Jackie Chan), a Chinese language-born ex-soldier and present restauranteur residing in London, has his world turned the wrong way up when the one individual he loves, his teenage daughter, is killed in a political terrorist assault. He meets with Liam Hennessy (Pierce Brosnan), a former political activist, to get info, however when he denies Quan any names of the bombers, Quan is pressured to take his revenge.

The Foreigner is such the same film to Taken in {that a} retired veteran takes revenge for the issues evil folks have carried out to his daughter. The film relies of a novel titled Chinaman by Stephen Leather-based, and it was produced by Jackie Chan. The movie was given principally optimistic critiques and was even in talks to have a sequel. The sequel would reveal that Quan’s daughter was truly not lifeless and was truly kidnapped and saved alive by the political terrorists. Nonetheless, producer Adam Fogulson stated in the event that they went in that route, the sequel can be, “characterised as a lazy, grasping bastardization of the artistic course of.” The challenge was rapidly scrapped.

11 ‘Unstoppable’ (2018)

Directed by Kim Min-ho

On the surface, Kang Dong-cheol looks like a easy seafood salesman in search of offers and tries to strike it wealthy to impress his unhappy spouse. After an opportunity encounter with a villainous human trafficker who takes a liking to Kang’s spouse, she’s kidnapped. Little do the abductors know, Kang is a person with a selected set of abilities and a former fighter and gangster. He units out on a violent thrilling journey to rescue his spouse and get revenge on the abductors.

With a rating of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, Unstoppable is nearly a South Korean remake of Taken, and has stunning similarities to Neeson’s film. Revenge, violence, a person with the talents to kill, it is all there, and it is a improbable action-packed thriller.

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10 ‘A Day to Die’ (2022)

Directed by Wes Miller

The best way wherein Neeson has been acknowledged for his function in motion films is identical means wherein Bruce Willis’s profession has been. He has been in lots of motion films together with Die Hard and Red. In A Day to Die, he brings his motion abilities to the display as soon as extra.

A Day to Die follows an ex-military ops officer who has to pay $2 million {dollars} in reparations in 24 hours. Brooke Butler, Leon Robinson, and Kevin Dillon be a part of Willis’s latest journey. The movie has been criticized for its formulaic and predictable plot, however followers of Willis will probably nonetheless discover some leisure worth there.

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9 ‘Taken 3’ (2014)

Directed by Olivier Megaton

The Taken sequence allowed Maggie Grace and Famke Janssen to make the most of their very own particular set of abilities. Sadly, Janssen’s Taken journey ends throughout Taken 3 as her character is murdered by Stuart’s enemies. Following the revenge plot, Bryan Mills goes on a chase to seek out the lads who killed the lady he cherished. Whereas doing so, he has to verify he is ready to defend his pregnant daughter.

Taken 3 brings an finish to the sequence (not less than for now). Out of all three Neeson movies, that is the saddest one, as followers need to say goodbye to one of many foremost characters. Whereas the movie was met with destructive critiques, followers nonetheless maintain it as an essential a part of the sequence.

8 ‘Taken 2’ (2012)

Directed by Olivier Megaton

Taken left viewers wanting extra, and the sequel didn’t disappoint. Taken 2 follows the Mills household throughout their journey to Istanbul. Whereas the primary film had Bryan Mills chasing after the unhealthy guys who had kidnaped his daughter, the second has him needing to flee kidnappers who caught him and his spouse.

Kim goes from being the sufferer to being the one who will help her father and mom come house secure on this entertaining sequel. Taken 2 depicts the right arc for Kim’s character improvement, permitting Maggie Grace to showcase her appearing abilities.

7 ‘The Grey Man’ (2022)

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

For many who cherished Taken as a result of it was a father making an attempt to guard his household with badass combat scenes, they’ll love The Gray Man simply as a lot. Though Six doesn’t have a blood-related household, he has created a household of his personal in his very harmful line of labor. Within the film, viewers see him preventing towards all odds – together with various armed teams in Prague – to avoid wasting the niece of the person who employed him. She is his solely household.

Followers get to see Ryan Gosling combat a number of bad guys who stood no chance in the movie stuffed with amazingly lit and coloured scenes. Additionally it is the right film to observe Chris Evans play the villain for a change (which he does exceedingly nicely).

Directed by Sam Hargrave

Rescue missions make for a number of the greatest plot strains in motion films, and so is the case of Extraction. Within the film, a black market mercenary goes on a mission to rescue the kidnaped son of against the law lord. Normally, audiences don’t care about crime lords, however the focus within the film is on the mercenary and the son.

Extraction gave viewers, notably MCU followers, the chance to see Chris Hemsworth as one thing apart from Thor. He might undoubtedly discover his place within the motion style after this. Hemsworth was given optimistic critiques for his function within the film, though it acquired combined critiques.

5 ‘The Equalizer’ (2014)

Directed by Anton Fuqua

The Equalizer has had a number of renditions throughout its cinematic historical past. The well-known 2014 model had Denzel Washington entrance and heart as an avenging angel serving to those that can’t assist themselves. The Equalizer follows McCall (Washington) as he comes out of his retirement to assist a youngster mistreated by the Russian mob.

The movie relies on a present from the Nineteen Eighties of the identical identify. Identical to in Taken, the principle character presents a set of abilities that make him one of the best within the recreation. In fact, it is Denzel Washington’s incredible performance that makes The Equalizer films price watching. The movie went on to have two sequels, each with Washinton because the star.

4 ‘Promising Younger Lady’ (2020)

Directed by Emerald Fennell

For many who cherished Taken due to its revenge plot, Promising Young Woman will likely be proper up their alley. Written and directed by Emerald Fennell, it tells the story of Cassie (Carey Mulligan), who’s on a mission to avenge her buddy. Going out with “good” guys, she finally ends up taking good care of those that attempt to make the most of her.

Promising Younger Lady supplies a much-needed highly effective message about how society acts in the direction of ladies who come ahead about their experiences. Mulligan’s highly effective efficiency far outweighs any criticism in regards to the movie’s divisive ending, which is simply extra purpose to observe it.

3 ‘The Bourne Id’ (2002)

Directed by Doug Liman

Matt Damon has performed many characters all through his profession, from loving household males to motion heroes. All of them are nice in their very own means, however one of the vital memorable ones will all the time be his function in The Bourne Identity. With a set of specific abilities, identical to Bryan Mills, Jason Bourne units out on a search to seek out out who he actually is and why there are assassins after him.

That is the primary film of the sequence, which was quickly adopted by: The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Bourne Legacy (wherein Jeremy Renner is the principle character), and Jason Bourne. With an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, the Bourne films have develop into a beloved franchise within the motion thriller style.

2 ‘No person’ (2021)

Directed by Ilya Naishuller

In Taken, Mills has to rescue his daughter whereas in Nobody, Hutch Mansell has to avoid wasting his spouse and son. After a break-in, Mansell’s rage involves the floor and viewers see him combat together with his fists and with weapons. Automotive chases and combat scenes make this film a top-tier contender within the motion style.

Nobody puts the one-man army, Bob Odenkirk, in the midst of the motion, and he performs the function of Hutch to perfection. Like Taken, it will provide you with a household man making an attempt to avoid wasting his household, nice combat scenes, chase scenes, and a specific set of abilities that will impress anybody. It was confirmed in 2022 {that a} sequal to No person can be taking place and now in 2024 it was introduced that manufacturing will likely be beginning.

1 ‘John Wick’ (2014)

Keanu Reeves is among the most beloved actors in Hollywood it doesn’t matter what he does. Whether or not he’s preventing to avoid wasting the world in The Matrix or enjoying Diane Keaton’s love curiosity in One thing’s Gotta Give, he brings an viewers into the theater. He did so as soon as once more when John Wick premiered.

John Wick tells the story of a former murderer as he hunts down the individuals who broke into his home, stole his automotive, and killed the pet his deceased spouse had given him. A traditional revenge movie that hits the center. Who would not go on a killing spree to avenge your lifeless canine that was a present out of your lifeless spouse? Followers ended up loving the film a lot that it grew to become a world field workplace hit and a massively in style movie sequence with the fifth movie being introduced in 2024 with no official launch date deliberate.

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