Defined a subgenre

Taken not only made Neeson a brand but also coined the term “murder‑dad” storyline in pop culture.

Its tight pacing, globe-trotting revenge plot, and realistic violence launched imitators and solidified its legacy - despite criticism around its depiction of trafficking.

Even so, Neeson had no idea Taken would transform his career.

He recalled: “I thought, ‘This is going to go straight-to-video’, but Fox took it. It just had this extraordinary cycle.”

Suddenly, age didn’t matter, and Mills became the prototype for older action protagonists.