Movies Inspired by the Commando/Man on Fire/Leon: The Professional/Taken Movie Formula
While some of these are easily just mash-ups of The Bourne Identity, D.O.A., Die Hard, The Fugitive or the TV show "24" and all their respective formulas, most of these are done in a similar style to the material found in the hit films Commando, Man on Fire (2004), Leon: The Professional and 2008's original Taken.
Many of these take-offs on the formula have starred the likes of Denzel Washington, Jason Patric, Salma Hayek, Bruce Willis, Gina Carano, Pierce Brosnan, Ashley Judd, Nicolas Cage, Mel Gibson and Keanu Reeves.
Many of these take-offs on the formula have starred the likes of Denzel Washington, Jason Patric, Salma Hayek, Bruce Willis, Gina Carano, Pierce Brosnan, Ashley Judd, Nicolas Cage, Mel Gibson and Keanu Reeves.
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- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsDenzel WashingtonMarton CsokasChloë Grace MoretzA man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him cannot stand idly by when he meets a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters.
- DirectorOlivier MegatonStarsLiam NeesonFamke JanssenMaggie GraceIn Istanbul, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills and his wife are taken hostage by the father of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter.
- DirectorChad StahelskiStarsKeanu ReevesMichael NyqvistAlfie AllenAn ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters who killed his dog and stole his car.
- DirectorJaume Collet-SerraStarsLiam NeesonEd HarrisJoel KinnamanMobster and hit man Jimmy Conlon has one night to figure out where his loyalties lie: with his estranged son, Mike, whose life is in danger, or his longtime best friend, mob boss Shawn Maguire, who wants Mike to pay for the death of his own son.
- CreatorGregory PoirierStarsAshley JuddCliff CurtisAdriano GianniniWhen a woman's son goes missing under suspicious circumstances, she will do anything it takes to find him.Short-lived TV series.
- DirectorBrian A. MillerStarsJason PatricBruce WillisJohn CusackWhen his daughter is kidnapped, a retired assassin is drawn back into the life he gave up. To rescue her, he must confront his former rival.
- DirectorJoe LynchStarsSalma HayekHiroyuki WatanabeLaura CepedaA kidnapped woman faces down hitmen sent by a mob boss/her captor while trying to protect her family from his wrath.
- DirectorPhilipp StölzlStarsAaron EckhartNick AlachiotisLiana LiberatoAn ex-CIA agent and his estranged daughter are forced on the run when his employers erase all records of his existence, and mark them both for termination as part of a wide-reaching international conspiracy.
- DirectorJaume Collet-SerraStarsLiam NeesonJulianne MooreScoot McNairyAn air marshal springs into action during a transatlantic flight after receiving a series of text messages demanding $150 million into an off-shore account, or someone will die every 20 minutes.
- DirectorJaume Collet-SerraStarsLiam NeesonDiane KrugerJanuary JonesWhen a man awakens from a coma only to discover that someone has taken on his identity, he teams up with a young woman to prove who he is.
- DirectorPaul SchraderStarsNicolas CageAnton YelchinAlexander KarimWhen a devastating illness threatens to end Evan Lake's career in the C.I.A., he goes rogue to hunt down a terrorist who tortured him during a mission gone awry years ago.
- DirectorSimon WestStarsNicolas CageMalin AkermanJosh LucasA former thief frantically searches for his missing daughter, who has been kidnapped and locked in the trunk of a taxi.
- DirectorJohn StockwellStarsGina CaranoCam GigandetIsmael Cruz CordovaWhen her husband goes missing during their Caribbean vacation, a woman sets off on her own to take down the men she thinks are responsible.
- DirectorFred CavayéStarsVincent LindonGilles LelloucheNadine LabakiFranck and Simon are both good cops and partners. Simon has been troubled since he killed three in a drunk driving accident, but when Simons son witnesses a murder, and is hunted by ruthless killers, he's efficiently back.
- DirectorPaco CabezasStarsNicolas CageRachel NicholsMax RyanWhen the daughter of a reformed criminal is kidnapped, he rounds up his old crew and seeks his own brand of justice.
- DirectorOlivier MegatonStarsLiam NeesonForest WhitakerMaggie GraceAccused of a ruthless murder he never committed or witnessed, Bryan Mills goes on the run and brings out his particular set of skills to find the true killer and clear his name.
- DirectorRoger DonaldsonStarsPierce BrosnanLuke BraceyOlga KurylenkoAn ex-C.I.A. operative is brought back in on a very personal mission and finds himself pitted against his former pupil in a deadly game involving high-level C.I.A. officials and the Russian President-elect.
- DirectorBoaz YakinStarsJason StathamCatherine ChanChris SarandonMei, a young girl whose memory holds a priceless numerical code, finds herself pursued by the Triads, the Russian mob, and corrupt NYC cops. Coming to her aid is an ex-cage fighter whose life was destroyed by the gangsters on Mei's trail.
- DirectorBrian A. MillerStarsCraig FairbrassJames CaanJason PatricThe plot revolves around British military contractor Lex Walker, who is told his daughter has died. When he arrives in Los Angeles and discovers the body is not hers, he begins an investigation.
- DirectorPhillip NoyceStarsAngelina JolieLiev SchreiberChiwetel EjioforA CIA agent goes on the run after a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy.
- DirectorMcGStarsKevin CostnerHailee SteinfeldConnie NielsenA dying CIA agent trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter is offered an experimental drug that could save his life in exchange for one last assignment.
- DirectorHong-Seung YoonStarsRyu Seung-ryongYoo Joon-sangLee Jin-wookAn ER doctor teams up with an assassination target to rescue his wife, held hostage by corrupt criminals and, in the process, uncovers a conspiracy.
- DirectorJames McTeigueStarsMilla JovovichPierce BrosnanDylan McDermottA Foreign Service Officer in London tries to prevent a terrorist attack set to hit New York City, but is forced to go on the run when she is framed for crimes she did not commit.
- DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsChris PineKevin CostnerKeira KnightleyJack Ryan, as a young covert C.I.A. analyst, uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack.
- DirectorDaniel EspinosaStarsDenzel WashingtonRyan ReynoldsRobert PatrickA young CIA agent is tasked with looking after a fugitive in a safe house. But when the safe house is attacked, he finds himself on the run with his charge.
- DirectorCourtney SolomonStarsEthan HawkeSelena GomezJon VoightTo save his kidnapped wife, Brent Magna must drive at the orders of a mysterious man.
- DirectorMabrouk El MechriStarsHenry CavillBruce WillisSigourney WeaverAfter his family is kidnapped during their sailing trip in Spain, a young Wall Street trader is confronted by the people responsible: intelligence agents looking to recover a mysterious briefcase.
- DirectorMartin CampbellStarsMel GibsonRay WinstoneDanny HustonAs homicide detective Thomas Craven investigates the murder of his activist daughter, he uncovers a corporate cover-up and government conspiracy that attracts an agent tasked with cleaning up the evidence.
- DirectorRuba NaddaStarsAlexander SiddigJoshua JacksonMarisa TomeiYears after he left Damascus under suspicious circumstances, Adib Abdel Kareem must confront what he left behind when his daughter goes missing.
- DirectorFred CavayéStarsGilles LelloucheRoschdy ZemGérard LanvinSamuel, a male nurse, saves the life of a thief whose henchmen take Samuel's wife hostage and force him to spring their boss.
- DirectorPierre MorelStarsSean PennIdris ElbaJasmine TrincaA sniper on a mercenary assassination team kills the minister of mines of the Congo. Terrier's successful kill shot forces him into hiding. Returning to the Congo years later, he becomes the target of a hit squad himself.
- DirectorDon Michael PaulStarsJulie BenzAmy BaileyJeffrey MeekAfter her daughter is abducted in Russia, an NYPD detective goes out of her way to find and save her.
- DirectorRoger DonaldsonStarsNicolas CageJanuary JonesGuy PearceAfter his wife is assaulted, a husband enlists the services of a vigilante group to help him settle the score. Then he discovers they want a 'favor' from him in return.
- DirectorAdrian GrunbergStarsMel GibsonKevin BalmoreDaniel Giménez CachoA career criminal nabbed by Mexican authorities is placed in a tough prison where he learns to survive with the help of a young boy.
- DirectorMatthew VaughnStarsColin FirthTaron EgertonSamuel L. JacksonA spy organisation recruits a promising street kid into the agency's training program, while a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.
- DirectorLee Jeong-beomStarsWon BinKim Sae-ronKim Tae-hoonA quiet pawnshop keeper with a violent past takes on a drug-and-organ trafficking ring in hope of saving the child who is his only friend.
- DirectorLuc BessonStarsScarlett JohanssonMorgan FreemanChoi Min-sikA woman, accidentally caught in a dark deal, turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic.
- DirectorStephen S. CampanelliStarsOlga KurylenkoJames PurefoyMorgan FreemanFour criminals steal diamonds from a safety deposit box in Cape Town, including a drive containing a US senator's evil plans. He'll do anything to get it back from Alexis.
- DirectorJuan Felipe OrozcoStarsEdgar RamírezRicardo VélezCarolina GómezA former guerrilla is reluctantly drawn into the vengeance scheme of one of his victims.
- DirectorDanny LernerStarsDolph LundgrenGina MayMichael ParéAn American prisoner in a Russian jail is given a chance at freedom if he can rescue a kidnapped American woman.
- DirectorDolph LundgrenStarsDolph LundgrenStefanie von PfettenSamantha FerrisA Soviet-trained assassin is determined to escape his double life as a hitman and as a husband-father.
- DirectorWalter HillStarsSylvester StalloneJason MomoaChristian SlaterAfter watching their respective partners die, a New Orleans hitman and a Washington, D.C. detective form an alliance in order to bring down their common enemy.
- DirectorGeorge Tillman Jr.StarsDwayne JohnsonBilly Bob ThorntonMaggie GraceAn ex-con gets on a series of apparently unrelated killings. He gets tracked by a veteran cop with secrets of his own and an egocentric hit man.
- DirectorErnie BarbarashStarsJean-Claude Van DammeJoe FlaniganAnna-Louise PlowmanAn ex-mercenary known for finding missing children is hired by a mixed martial arts fighter whose daughter has been kidnapped.
- DirectorOlivier MegatonStarsZoe SaldanaMichael VartanCallum BlueA young girl in Bogotá witnesses her parents' murder and grows up to be a stone-cold assassin.
- Plot unknown. Sequel to the 2014 action film, "Lucy".
- DirectorMichael BrandtStarsRichard GereTopher GraceMartin SheenA retired CIA operative is paired with a young FBI agent to unravel the mystery of a senator's murder, with all signs pointing to a Soviet assassin.
- DirectorPrachya PinkaewStarsDjimon HounsouKevin BaconVithaya PansringarmAn assassin is hired by a businessman to avenge the murder of his daughter by white slave traders in Thailand.
- DirectorHany Abu-AssadStarsJeffrey Dean MorganJosie HoTil SchweigerA specialist carrier is hired to deliver a mysterious case to the underworld's most dangerous hitman.
- DirectorGary FlederStarsJason StathamJames FrancoWinona RyderA former DEA agent moves his family to a quiet town, where he soon tangles with a local meth druglord.
- DirectorRichard BerryStarsJean RenoKad MeradJean-Pierre DarroussinA retired mobster goes on a revenge spree after being left for dead with 22 bullets in his body by his former childhood friend.
- DirectorNeil JonesStarsMartin KempDani DyerDonna AirA black ops sniper is blackmailed by a psychotic international terrorist into killing 6 unrelated people in 6 hours... but there is more to the victims than meets the eye.
- DirectorNick LyonStarsDanny TrejoJonathan BanksJulia DietzeA tough cop takes the law into his own hands when his grandson is kidnapped.
- DirectorPradeep SarkarStarsRani MukerjiJisshu SenguptaAnant VidhaatA female cop Shivani Shivaji Roy, working at a Mumbai Crime Branch, who sets out to confront the mastermind behind a child trafficking mafia.
- DirectorDaniel BarberStarsMichael CaineEmily MortimerDavid BradleyAn elderly ex-serviceman and widower looks to avenge his best friend's murder by doling out his own form of justice.
- DirectorIsaac FlorentineStarsScott AdkinsNick ChinlundCaitlin KeatsA rogue soldier turned outlaw is thrust into a fight with a dirty sheriff and the cartel he works for to protect his niece and sister.
- DirectorWilliam KaufmanStarsCuba Gooding Jr.Dolph LundgrenClaudia BassolsAn assassin playing both sides in a Russian gang war becomes the target of an unknown enemy.
- DirectorAra PaiayaStarsMickey RourkeEric RobertsDaryl HannahTraumatized by the death of an innocent, Bradley, a killer for hire, falls from society and roams the dangerous streets of a tough inner city ghetto looking for meaning in his life.
- DirectorSteven C. MillerStarsBruce WillisKellan LutzGina CaranoA former CIA operative is kidnapped by a group of terrorists. When his son learns there is no plan for his father to be saved, he launches his own rescue operation.
- DirectorChuck RussellStarsJohn TravoltaChristopher MeloniAmanda SchullStanley Hill opens a can of brutal vengeance on the thugs who murdered his wife and the corrupt cops who are protecting them.
- DirectorR. Ellis FrazierStarsGary DanielsVannessa VasquezMichael GrecoHardened DEA agent, Cole, descends into the dangerous underworld of Tijuana, Mexico in search of his journalist ex-wife who he believes has been abducted by a charismatic Cartel boss with aspirations for public office.
- CreatorLuc BessonAlexander CaryStarsClive StandenJennifer BealsAdam GoldbergAs former CIA agent Bryan Mills deals with a personal tragedy that shakes his world, he fights to overcome the incident and exact revenge.
- DirectorAndrew DavisStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerJohn LeguizamoFrancesca NeriAfter his family is killed by a terrorist act, a firefighter goes in search of the one responsible.
- DirectorTim MathesonStarsJoe ManganielloKen AndersonChannon RoeNavy SEALS mount an attack on Colombian special forces to clear their names and rescue a hostage.
- DirectorJohn BonitoStarsJohn CenaKelly CarlsonRobert PatrickA group of diamond thieves on the run kidnap the wife of a recently discharged marine who goes on a chase through the South Carolinian wilderness to retrieve her.
- DirectorAndrzej BartkowiakStarsJet LiDMXMark DacascosA jewel thief's daughter is kidnapped after he steals a collection of prized black diamonds, which aren't at all what they seem.
- DirectorDanny LernerStarsOlga KurylenkoNinet TayebHenry DavidA woman forced to work for the Russian Mafia as an assassin agrees to help her next-door neighbor kill her abusive husband.
- DirectorXavier GensStarsTimothy OlyphantDougray ScottOlga KurylenkoA gun-for-hire known only as Agent 47 hired by a group known only as 'The Organization' is ensnared in a political conspiracy, which finds him pursued by both Interpol and the Russian military as he treks across Russia and Eastern Europe.
- DirectorAleksander BachStarsRupert FriendHannah WareZachary QuintoAn assassin teams up with a woman to help her find her father and uncover the mysteries of her ancestry.
- DirectorJohn GlenStarsTimothy DaltonRobert DaviCarey LowellA vengeful James Bond goes rogue to infiltrate and take down the organization of a drug lord who has murdered his friend's new wife and left him near death.
- DirectorMarc ForsterStarsDaniel CraigOlga KurylenkoMathieu AmalricJames Bond descends into mystery as he tries to stop an organisation from eliminating a country's most valuable resource.
- DirectorYossi WeinStarsMichael ParéLinda HoffmanJohn Simon JonesJim Rendall (Michael Pare) is 6 when his family gets killed. 25 years later he finds out why.
- DirectorGary JonesStarsPaul LoganMartin KoveRobert DaviA man has been trained in a deadly form of hand-to-hand combat using ballistics and firearms. He is one of the few Americans who has perfected it, which makes him the CIA's best weapon against International Terrorism.
- DirectorJosef RusnakStarsWesley SnipesEliza BennettLena HeadeyEx-C.I.A. Agent James Dial (Wesley Snipes) is asked to take out terrorist Ali Mahmud Jahar (Nikolai Sotirov), only to realize he's been set up by his former employer, Jeremy Collins (Ralph Brown).
- DirectorDamian LeeStarsCuba Gooding Jr.Christian SlaterKim CoatesA tough undercover cop inadvertently gets involved in a dangerous heroin ring when a young defector of the drug trade leaves his five year-old sister in his care.
- DirectorEkachai UekrongthamStarsDolph LundgrenTony JaaRon PerlmanAfter his family is killed by a Serbian gangster with international interests, NYC detective Nick goes to S.E. Asia and teams up with a Thai detective to get revenge and destroy the syndicates human trafficking network.
- DirectorJoseph MerhiStarsRobert PatrickTitus WelliverMick FleetwoodJeff is an FBI agent sent to pick up Ray Manta, a member of the White Hand drug cartel, from a Mexican jail. Manta escapes, and gets revenge by killing Jeff's family. Kowalski, another member of the White Hand, is sympathetic to Jeff as he hunts down the other members of the Hand one by one, getting vengeance for his family, eventually leading to a battle with Manta.
- DirectorAnoop RangiStarsTom SizemoreVivica A. FoxBai LingWhen a team of assassins botches a hit, legendary hitman Vet Jones gets an ultimatum from his former boss - kill the target or his son dies.
- DirectorVondie Curtis-HallStarsTyrese GibsonMeagan GoodLarenz TateAn ex-convict (Tyrese) gets tangled up with a gang after his car is hijacked with his son inside.
- DirectorSylvester StalloneStarsSylvester StalloneJason StathamJet LiA CIA operative hires a team of mercenaries to eliminate a Latin dictator and a renegade CIA agent.
- DirectorWych KaosayanandaStarsDustin NguyenSahajak BoonthanakitScott AdkinsJohnny and Peter, former paramilitary operatives, search Bangkok - leaving carnage in their wake - to find the men who killed Johnny's daughter, Angel.
- DirectorJesse V. JohnsonStarsRick YuneRoger YuanDania RamirezIn Bangkok, an assassin who turns down a job that hits too close to home finds himself targeted by the elite members of his profession.
- DirectorPeter BergStarsDwayne JohnsonSeann William ScottChristopher WalkenA tough aspiring chef is hired to bring home a mobster's son from the Amazon but becomes involved in the fight against an oppressive town operator and the search for a legendary treasure.
- DirectorGuddu DhanoaStarsBobby DeolRani MukerjiAshish VidyarthiA contract killer with a tragic past trains a teenage girl to avenge the murder of her family and falls for her in the process.
- DirectorJohn AsherStarsLee TergesenReno WilsonLauren StamileTooken - The spoof on the popular Taken franchise.
- DirectorChris FisherStarsFrank AlvarezClifton Collins Jr.Brittany DanielTwo gangbangers-turned-cops try and cover up a scandal within the LAPD.
- DirectorErnie BarbarashStarsJean-Claude Van DammeJohn RalstonAki AleongA man's heroic attempt to help a woman in distress ends up with him waking up the next day without a kidney and plotting his revenge.
- DirectorJeff KingStarsSteven SeagalMike DopudIgor ZhizhikinAn ex-Russian mobster who is now a crime novelist must confront his past when his family is targeted by violence.
- DirectorKeoni WaxmanStarsSteven SeagalLiezl CarstensArron ShiverCorrupt cop Sallinger, nearly killed by crooked partner, retires to San Antonio as bodyguard for businessman's daughter.
- DirectorKeoni WaxmanStarsSteven SeagalByron MannHoward DellContract killer John Alexander (Steven Seagal, "Under Siege") has a chance to save an innocent girl from a powerful mob boss, but protecting her means betraying the government agency that hired him and putting his own life at risk.
- DirectorRobert CrombieSofya SkyaStarsChristian SlaterSofya SkyaCole HauserMaya becomes the target of the Russian mafia after her husband, a successful American businessman, is killed.
- DirectorJames GlickenhausStarsChristopher WalkenMaria Conchita AlonsoMichael Joseph DeSareA former Vietnam War lieutenant reforms his old team in order to help a revolutionary's sister overthrow a ruthless dictator.
- DirectorRobert HyattStarsLoren AvedonLisa K. CrosatoBrion JamesA wealthy banker and his daughter are kidnapped by a gang of thugs. The girl's boyfriend, who serves in the special units of the US Navy, is in possession of particular psychic powers. It will be thanks to these powers he will discover the place where the two abducted were locked.
- DirectorMark L. LesterStarsDolph LundgrenBrandon LeeCary-Hiroyuki TagawaTwo L.A. cops with opposing views on what is the best way to uphold the law have to work together to bring down the Yakuza, while trying to protect a beautiful woman.
- DirectorDavid WorthStarsDaniel BernhardtBeverly JohnsonMiles O'KeeffeAn ex-naval intelligence officer is forced to assassinate a CEO when his daughter is kidnapped by the Yakuza.
- DirectorJonathan HensleighStarsThomas JaneJohn TravoltaSamantha MathisAn undercover FBI agent becomes a vigilante and sets out to unleash his wrath upon the corrupt businessman who slaughtered his entire family at a reunion.
- DirectorLexi AlexanderStarsRay StevensonDominic WestJulie BenzFrank Castle, known as the Punisher, ruthlessly demolishes organized crime, but it starts an even bigger war.
- DirectorMark GoldblattStarsDolph LundgrenLouis Gossett Jr.Jeroen KrabbéWhen Frank Castle's family is murdered by criminals, he wages war on crime as a vigilante assassin known only as The Punisher.
- DirectorChuck RussellStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerVanessa WilliamsJames CaanA Witness Protection specialist becomes suspicious of his co-workers when dealing with a case involving high-tech weapons.