Liam Neeson's Old Man Action Movies Ranked

Welcome to the latest edition of "Ranked", where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out related accolades. This week, I'm profiling Liam Neeson's Old Man Action Movies to celebrate the release of his latest geriatric action extravaganza "Honest Thief"-which hits theaters on Friday.

Liam Neeson's Old Man Action Movies Ranked:

8.Taken 2 (D)

7.The Commuter (B)

6.Run All Night (B)

5.Unknown (B+)

4.Cold Pursuit (B+)

3.Non-Stop (B+)

2.A Walk Among the Tombstones (B+)

1.Taken (A-)

Top Dog: Taken (2009)

As the 2000's winded down, it was clear that Neeson was in a great place as a performer. He had been a respected force on stage and screen for nearly 30 years that had picked up several award nominations for his dramatic work and got the opportunity to work with everyone from Steven Spielberg to Kathryn Bigelow to Neil Jordan. So what was missing? If you guessed a particular set of old man ass-kicking skills, you're absolutely right. Not only is Taken an electric action thriller that served as a terrific example of how far a lean premise can go if it's executed well, it added another wrinkle to Neeson's acting arsenal-which in turn lead to a nice string of similarly successful projects over the next 10+ years.   

Lowlight: Taken 2 (2012)

Taken 2 epitomizes the dreaded stereotypical sequel that soils the reputation of the brand. It's a bigger and dumber project that trades the original's tight pacing and relentless bonecrushing action for joyless setpieces and a bloated overly serious story that features plenty of unintentional comedy. 

Most Underrated: A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014)

A Walk Among the Tombstones was a bit of a detour from the other projects in the Neeson action canon as it's more of a mystery thriller than a constant shootouts and/or fistfights type of movie. Pair this refreshing stylistic change with Scott Frank's grimly atmospheric noir-inspired storytelling and a terrific somber performance from Neeson ,and you have a deeply overlooked gem that's sadly become a forgotten footnote in his massive filmography. 

Most Overrated: None

If anything, all of Neeson's work in this space save for Taken 2 is underrated. Through his commitment to playing these hard-edged roles and the work of the talented filmmakers he's collaborated with (Jaume Collet-Serra, Frank, Pierre Morel), Neeson has consistently been apart of energetic, efficient action movies that get the job done. 

Best Transportation-Set Action Affair: Non-Stop (2014)

Neeson's ass-kicking hits its peak when it occurs on a mode of transportation. To date, his finest work in the world of handing out beatdowns in an ultraspecific location came on a plane in Non-Stop. Watching Nesson as an alcoholic Air Marshall trying to get to the bottom of a series of on-board murders he's being framed for alongside Julianne Moore, Scoot McNairy, Michelle Dockery, Corey Stoll and Lupita Ny'ongo while providing complementary in-flight knuckle sandwiches to the people that set him up is high adrenaline entertainment in its purest, most joyous form.