BY: Georgia Davis

Liam Neeson is back at it again in another blockbuster action film. This time, it’s The Ice Road, a thriller that puts Neeson, Laurence Fishburne, and others in big-rigs in far northern Canada. Their mission seems simple: get a giant drill to a collapsed mine and save hundreds of lives. There is a catch, though. They have to do it on the iciest roads known to man (all while experiencing explosions and cracking ice).

Neeson has settled into his late-stage career as a man on a mission, but one look at his earlier filmography demonstrates a top-tier actor who found success in many different genres. Here are Neeson’s best five movies ranked:

 

5. LOVE ACTUALLY

Neeson’s best roles, it seems, involve him playing a caring father. That much is valid with the 2003 Christmas classic Love Actually. The film follows several storylines, but Neeson still stands out among the brilliant cast for his sincere portrayal of a father trying to do his best for his son.

4. BATMAN BEGINS

Utterly different from Love Actually, Neeson plays Ducard in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins. Neeson’s character trains Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne in the Bhutan mountains. With an insane twist at the end of the movie, it’s clear that Neeson is even superb at playing the villain.

3. STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE

You know it’s crazy when Star Wars ranks third on a list. Neeson plays Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn, who trains Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor). So even though The Phantom Menace is regarded as the worst Star Wars film, Neeson and McGregor make it worthwhile.

2. TAKEN

The Taken franchise is what kickstarted this stage of Neeson’s career. He became the brooding, protective father who would do anything to keep his family safe. The first Taken film was so successful that it spawned two sequels and a TV series. Neeson delivers a fantastic performance, which can be rare in blockbusters of this nature. 

1. SCHINDLER’S LIST

At last, we’ve come to the one that won him his Oscar. He portrays the real-life Nazi party member Oskar Schindler who saved upward of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust. Steven Speilberg’s monochromatic masterpiece brought out the best in Neeson’s career by far.