Taken (2008) vs The Grey (2012) – Face Off

Since Pierre Morel’s Taken was released in 2008, it kicked off the action phase of Liam Neeson’s storied career. The mind-blowing box office success quickly turned the film into a franchise and made Neeson a bona fide action star. He’s showed up in multiple action thrillers pretty much every year since then, including Unknown, Non-Stop, Run All Night, The Marksman, The Commuter, and the upcoming Blacklight.

All of these movies have their charms, but one totally stands out among the pack, and that’s his collaboration with director Joe Carnahan, 2012’s The Grey. While Neeson’s movies typically did well at the box office but poorly with critics, The Grey not only made a solid amount of coin (over $50 million domestic – average for a Neeson movie at the time), but critics liked it as well. It was as much of a meditation on masculinity and the will to live as it was an action-survival film. While both films offer action, badass moments, and thrills, which one had the better set of skills? Only one way to find out: FACE OFF!

This episode of Face Off is edited by John Nguyen, narrated by Shawn Knippelberg, and written by Daniel Woburn. Matthew Hacunda is the producer, and Berge Garabedian is the executive producer. Check out other episodes below: