Contraband
An on-screen male reaches the summit of attractiveness when he goes to any length and any place to save his family and loved ones – the best kind of hero.
Contraband is releases on Blu-ray, DVD and Ultraviolet on July 16th, and as we count down to watching Mark Whalberg’s character defeat mobsters, drug-lords, death and more, we’re inspired to take a look at other characters who undertook the impossible, and risked it all to keep their loved ones safe.
- Taken
One of the first to spring to mind is Liam Neeson’s chilling character, ex-CIA operative Bryan Mills in Taken.
Even the audience got goose bumps when he directly told his daughter’s kidnapper over the phone that he has “a very particular set of skills” and “I will find you and I will kill you”.
We believed him from the start, and he didn’t disappoint. The man travelled across the world and with his astonishingly terrifying skills and did just that – and he’ll likely do it again in Taken 2.
- Trapped
No matter how many times one watches Trapped, audiences still hold their breath while watching the action-thriller.
This movie had an incredible cast to keep the adrenaline running throughout the film, including Kevin Bacon, Charlize Theron, Courtney Love, Stuart Townsend and Dakota Fanning.
Bacon (proving even the bad guys can be attractive) and Love play experienced kidnappers who make their next victim Fanning’s character – but her father and mother, played by Townsend and Theron, don’t let her go without a fight.
- Man On Fire
Though strikingly handsome, Denzel Washington has a certain ‘don’t mess with me’ look – we wouldn’t want to kidnap anyone he knows.
In Man on Fire, Washington plays ex-CIA operative John Creasy who is in charge of protecting a businessman’s daughter named Pita (again, Dakota Fanning) from danger. Pita ends up getting kidnapped in broad daylight – and Creasy shot multiple times – but it doesn’t stop him.
He vows to save Pita and makes a promise to her mother he will kill everyone involved. His journey to fulfilling that promise reveals shocking twists, turns and a tear-jerking fate.
- The Day After Tomorrow
Taking on kidnappers, mobsters and crazed criminals is one thing. Taking on a storm that has potential to wipe out humanity? That’s another.
Dennis Quaid plays Jack Hall in The Day After Tomorrow, a world-saving climatologist and blindly devoted father to his son Sam (played by the handsome Jake Gyllenhal).
Quaid trecks through a freezing super storm to a Manhattan library where Sam and his friends are desperately trying to stay alive. The strong likelihood of being killed by the humanity- destroying storm doesn’t faze him, as the only thing on his mind is his son’s safety.
- Contraband
It isn’t hard to take Mark Wahlberg seriously as a fearless man who would do some terrible things to protect his loved ones. He does just that in Contraband as an ex-smuggler.
After his brother-in-law gets caught up with drug lords and debt, Wahlberg’s character Chris Farraday goes to great lengths to settle the debt and keep his young family from harm. A task that pushes him to smuggle one last haul of contraband.
Contraband is available on Blu-ray, DVD and Ultraviolet on July 16th from Universal Pictures UK.
Tagged in Dennis Quaid Liam Neeson Mark Wahlberg