The “case of mistaken identity” storyline feels very Hitchcockian, and Neeson is the type of sensitive actor that can make the scenes of family strife compelling in their own right, and not just a precursor to a series of shoot ‘em ups. Collet-Serra’s work tends to embrace elements of straight-faced camp with low-scale action, and he directed Neeson in Non-Stop, Run All Night, and The Commuter. Neeson generally appears in at least one action film of this type every year, and he’s frequently associated with director Jaume Collet-Serra. Compared to the other action stars of the time, Neeson’s gruff and grizzled perspective was a breath of fresh air that seemed to fill the void of what John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and Harrison Ford did in their later years. There were few expectations for the revenge action-thriller, but the surprise hit caught on and announced the former award-friendly actor as the action hero of an entire generation. Some of Neeson’s best work in films like Kinsey and Breakfast on Pluto was unfortunately underseen.
Neeson’s leading roles began to shrink as he grew older, and although he took part in major projects like Gangs of New York and Kingdom of Heaven, it was always in minor parts. RELATED: 'Memory': Liam Neeson-Martin Campbell Thriller Sets Release Date
