Joey Magidson
Few actors have made the late act career pivot that Liam Neeson has. Going from prestige dramas to an action hero with the Taken franchise has defined Neeson in a way that, at least initially, pumped new life into his career. A few too many have diluted a bit of his shine, though this week’s release of The Naked Gun should right the ship. Mixing action and comedy, it’s a perfect role for him. As such, it also felt like time to rank his career best work, so that’s what I did today.
In my review of The Naked Gun (here), I had the following to say about Neeson’s comedic turn:
Liam Neeson is so funny here, never needing to imitate Nielsen to capture the spirt of what playing Frank Drebin (or his son) requires. What he does with the role honors the past, to be sure, all while being funny in his own way. Neeson is even poking fun at his recent run of action flicks.
Below, you can see how Neeson’s best line up for me. Schindler’s List has to be at the top, though Kinsey isn’t far behind. The next tier for him has The Grey and The Naked Gun. Then, your mileage may vary, though for me, something like Love Actually is a bit underrated. How does my full list stack up compared to yours? You’re about to find out…
Here now is my ranking of the best performances so far from Liam Neeson. Behold:
Honorable Mention: Batman Begins, Gangs of New York, Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White HouseA Monster Calls, and Seraphim Falls
10. Chloe
9. Cold Pursuit
8. Silence
7. Rob Roy
6. Love Actually
5. Michael Collins
4. The Grey
2. Kinsey
1. Schindler’s List
What are your favorite performances from Liam Neeson? Let us know!
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