Actor Liam Neeson recently made headlines when he landed a starring role in the forthcoming crime thriller Thug. But with an action pedigree like his, it’s easy to see why he was chosen. Over the years, Neesen has made quite a name for himself as a gritty action hero.
He’s taken on some iconic roles, from an ex-CIA agent looking for his daughter to a Jedi Master, with some equally iconic fight sequences. At this point, he probably has some of the best fight scenes out of most modern-day action stars.
Battle for the Five Points in Gangs of New York (2002)
The opening battle between Neeson’s Priest Vallon and Bill “the Butcher” Cutting is what sets up the drama that follows in the rest of Gangs of New York. After all, if Bill the Butcher hadn’t killed Vallon, his son wouldn’t show up later to avenge his father and claim the Five Points. But Neeson’s brief performance in the opening is fantastic.
He wades into hundreds of people using a sword and a giant cross as his weapons of choice. The massive gang fight itself is incredibly gory, with people losing ears and having their cheeks ripped out. Eventually, Bill ends up sneaking up on and stabbing Vallon, bringing the priest’s life and hopes of victory to a bloody end.
Criminal Hideout Fight in Taken (2008)
The fight scenes in Taken, and the movie as a whole, were so successful that they launched an entire series of Taken films. The premise of the original film is simple: retired CIA Agent Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) uses his skills to find his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), after she’s kidnapped overseas. Eventually, this leads him to the hideout for the group of men responsible for kidnapping, drugging, and selling young women.
Olivier Schneider’s fight choreography in the film is phenomenal, and Neeson’s performance as a father prepared to find his daughter at any cost is dark but gripping. He tears his way through the house, unrepentantly taking out anyone who crosses his path as he closes in on what he hopes will be his daughter.
Qui-Gon Jinn vs. Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode One – The Phantom Menace (1999)
The world was excited when George Lucas announced he would be revisiting the Star Wars franchise with 1999’s Phantom Menace. Despite the initial mixed reviews, there was one thing fans could agree on: the fight between Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn (Neeson) and Darth Maul (Ray Park) was amazing. Unlike the lightsaber battles of the past, Neeson and Park brought much more movement and flair to their fighting.
Jinn and Maul end up going head-to-head during the final battle for the fate of the planet Naboo. As they fly down the halls of the palace, there’s an incredible sense of power and dynamism, the two going back and forth at light speed. Sadly, Maul gets the best of Jinn.
Ra’s al Ghul Train Fight in Batman Begins (2005)
2005’s Batman Begins has a number of great fight scenes, but none quite as memorable as the one between Ra’s al Ghul (Neeson) and Batman (Christian Bale) on top of a Gotham train. After releasing a deadly fear toxin throughout the Narrows, Ra’s is hellbent on spreading the drug throughout the rest of the city.
It's a brutal battle between the two men, made only more poignant by the fact that Ra’s taught Bale’s Bruce Wayne everything he knows. It also is a wonderful callback to their initial fight early in the film, where Ra’s handily defeats Bruce, reminding him to “mind his surroundings.”
The Death of Durant in Darkman (1990)
Equal parts dark and campy, Sam Raimi’s Darkman follows Peyton Westlake (Neeson), a brilliant scientist out for revenge after local crime boss Robert Durant (Larry Drake) attacks him and leaves him for dead. The incident leaves him permanently scarred, but he uses his genius to sneak around, impersonating criminals and infiltrating their organizations using high-tech masks.
In the final act, Durant and his thugs kidnap Westlake’s love interest, and he goes on a rampage to get her back. He impersonates and murders his way through a warehouse of thugs before launching himself at Durant’s helicopter. Eventually, the two duke it out on top of the bones of a high rise where Westlake drops Durant to his death, cementing his status as a morally dubious hero.
Final Train Fight in The Commuter (2018)
Another film where Neeson plays a former cop, in The Commuter he’s a former policeman turned insurance agent named Michael MacCauley. On his routine commute, he’s given a choice by the mysterious Joanna (Vera Farmiga): help find a passenger or bad things happen to his family.
In one of the final scenes in the film leading up to its conclusion, he and his former (and very dirty) partner Alex Murphy (Patrick Wilson) engage in a gruesome hand-to-hand fight. Most of the action occurs on the dimly lit train, and to top it off, there’s the added pressure of a sniper waiting in the wings to try and take MacCauley out.
Airplane Bathroom Scene in Non-Stop (2014)
In Non-Stop Neeson plays ex-cop turned Air Marshal Bill Marks, whose flight becomes less relaxing once he receives a series of texts from someone threatening to kill passengers if they don’t get $150 million. Fairly early on, Marks becomes suspicious of fellow Air Marshal Jack Hammond (Anson Mount). He ends up following him into the cramped airplane restroom, where a violent fight ends up breaking out between the two men.
The choreography for a fight in such a small space is fun to witness, and Mark Vanselow did a fantastic job of coordinating something that feels intense but still dynamic despite the restrictive space. In the end, Marks must take Hammond out, which he does quickly and quietly.
Barn Fight in The Marksman (2021)
Veteran turned ranch hand Jim Hanson (Neeson) spends most of his days reporting people crossing the Mexico-Arizona border in The Marksman. He’s a bitter widower whose life is turned upside down when he ends up rescuing a boy named Miguel (Jacob Perez) from a drug cartel, killing one of the members in the process. Of course, their leader Mauricio (Juan Pablo Raba) ends up wanting revenge because it turns out the dead man was his brother.
The barn fight between Jim and Mauricio is gritty and gripping. Mauricio's choice to include Miguel ups the overall stakes in the battle between the two men, giving it a feeling that they are literally fighting for his future. The scene is fairly tightly shot, too, giving the audience a close-up of the pain and emotion each man faces as they fight.
Basement Scene in A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014)
In A Walk Among the Tombstones Neeson plays the Batman-type figure as shady private detective Matt Scudder. He’s persuaded to help Kenny Kristo (Dan Stevens) hunt down the people who brutally murdered his wife. His investigation leads him to discover a series of murders, the evidence leading back to Albert (Adam David Thompson) and Ray (David Harbour), two men who kidnap, ransom, and then murder relatives of criminals.
The final showdown is an intense scene that leans on the creepy atmosphere of the film, with Albert lurking in the shadows waiting for Scudder. Ray’s body lying in the background ups the unsettling energy that permeates the scene. Their limited weapons lead to some frightening and creative choices.
Wolf Fight in The Grey (2011)
The Grey is a dark, grisly film about John Ottway (Neeson), a hunter for an Alaskan oil company who has lost the will to live following the tragic death of his wife. But after a plane crash, he ends up responsible for trying to keep his fellow survivors alive in the frozen wilderness. Unfortunately, one by one they all end up picked off, leaving Ottway alone.
The audience doesn’t get to see the penultimate fight scene between the wolf and Ottway, though an after-credit scene implies they both lose the fight. It’s a tragic and powerful moment. In many ways, it’s a culmination of Ottway’s despair.