There have been a lot of crime dramas and action features involving fathers and sons with uneasy bonds. The same can be said about films with complex father-daughter relationships. Some great examples include Clint Eastwood and Laura Linney in the thriller Absolute Power, as well as Harrison Ford's tough U.S. President and his young twelve-year-old in Air Force One.
On television, there are also some intriguing fathers and daughters, including Jason Momoa's larger-than-life warrior Baba Voss and his child Haniwa in the Apple TV+ series See. Dads are usually presented as strong protectors willing to do anything to keep their children safe from danger, while daughters are vulnerable but tough individuals who have love-hate bonds with their fathers because they want to act independent most of the time. Here are action movies with memorable father-and-daughter relationships.
Homefront
Jason Statham stars in this action thriller directed by Gary Fleder (Kiss The Girls) with a screenplay written by Sylvester Stallone. Statham portrays Phil Broker, an ex-DEA agent who moves to a small town in Louisiana with his daughter Maddy. While growing accustomed to their new home, Maddy gets bullied by a boy in school, causing that boy's parents to pick a fight with Broker. The boy's mother, Cassie, even has her brother Gator (a drug maker) try and scare off Broker, but Gator becomes fearful for his business when he learns about Broker's history as a DEA agent, including his takedown of an old associate of Gator's (gang boss Danny T).
Statham has some great fight sequences and shootouts in the film, taking down several villainous gang members in bloody old-school fashion. There are also tender moments between Broker and Maddy, such as when they ride on horseback together and discuss memories of Maddy's late mother. Maddy also physically defends herself against the bully in school thanks to some fight moves she learned from her dad. Broker does his best to live a peaceful life and protect his daughter from harm.
The Taken Franchise
When Taken was released in 2008, not many people thought that this film would be a huge success, but it in fact established veteran actor Liam Neeson as a cool action star. The first film stars Neeson as Bryan Mills, an ex-CIA agent who "has a particular set of skills," and tries his best to be a loving and caring father to his daughter Kim. Mills scours through Paris, France to find and rescue Kim after she was kidnaped by Albanian sex traffickers. The second film also involves Mills facing other Albanian traffickers who intend to kill Mills and his entire family, while the third feature has Mills investigating the death of his ex-wife Lenore.
While the plots of these films are fairly simple, it's Mills' skill set that is most impressive (tracking people's movements, sneaking around dangerous places, and taking down villains in martial arts fights and gunplay). Mills' relationship with Kim is also effective due to their affectionate bond. Kim gets mad at her dad for constantly telling her to follow certain rules while traveling or being around other people, but she learns over time that he wants her to stay safe and be aware of her surroundings. Kim also evolves as a character, from being fearful and uncertain in the first film, to applying some of her dad's skills in the sequels (such as smart driving, secret communication methods, and tracking down her parents' location in the second film when they're held captive).
Commando and True Lies
Consider this an action-packed double feature where Arnold Schwarzenegger delivers some of his funniest work and two of his toughest characters. In James Cameron's True Lies, Arnold stars as a U.S. government agent named Harry Tasker, who travels around the world and takes down terrorists, while also caring for his wife and daughter (who think that he's a computer salesman). Harry's family learns about his actual occupation when their lives are threatened by terrorists trying to carry out an attack in Miami. There's also an incredible action sequence in which Harry's brave daughter, Dana, tries to escape from the terrorists and steals their missile control key, while Harry is riding a fighter jet, saving Dana and demolishing the villains in the process.
In Commando, Arnold plays John Matrix, a retired Green Beret who lives with his daughter Jenny at an isolated home in the mountains. Early on in the film, there's a montage that depicts John and Jenny's heartwarming bond (eating ice cream, exercising, doing daily activities outside). After John's former superior officer visits him, John assures Jenny that he has no desire to work with the force again, but when Jenny is taken by John's ex-partner turned enemy Captain Bennett, John skillfully tracks down the villains and goes all-out Rambo style (with lots of guns, explosives, physical fights, and hilarious one-liners). Jenny also outsmarts Bennett when she escapes from a locked room.
Live Free or Die Hard
The fourth Die Hard feature may be rated PG-13 (while the others are R-rated), but there is no shortage of action (along with another dominant performance from Bruce Willis as NYPD detective John McClane). In this sequel, McClane is older (and bald), but his charisma and persistence as a tough cop is still evident. McClane finds himself working with a young computer hacker in order to take down cyber-terrorists trying to wreak havoc and dismantle the U.S. government. McClane has an effective balance of seriousness and humor that's unparalleled when it comes to him threatening and taking down bad guys, along with cracking funny one-liners (Yippee-ki-yay).
This is also the first Die Hard feature that centers more on McClane's daughter, Lucy, who is disappointed with her father in the beginning, especially after he follows her home and catches her making out with a guy. However, when she is captured by the cyber-villains led by Thomas Gabriel, they see how similar she is to her father based on her tough attitude and brash talk. Lucy and John also have the same fighting techniques, such as firing a gun from an opponent's holster and shooting that villain in the foot. Lucy also tells John how many bad guys are left to kill, showing that she still loves and trusts her father in dangerous situations.
Logan
Out of all the X-Men films, this one is the most violent (earning its much deserved R-rating). Hugh Jackman's final portrayal of Logan/Wolverine is his most emotional because the character is getting weaker and nearing the end of his journey. Despite this, he still shows plenty of fighting chops against those trying to eliminate all mutants (the Reavers led by Dr. Xander Rice and Donald Pierce). Logan is accompanied by an older and extremely ill Charles Xavier (who has always been a mentor and father figure to Wolverine) and Laura (a young mutant like Logan who has claws but is more agile and heals quicker).
Logan and Laura have an uneasy bond during their road trip when running away from the Reavers. However, when Logan discovers that Laura is his daughter, he does everything he can to protect her, while she slowly gets used to his company. Since Laura and several other mutant children were used experimentally by the Reavers for their own benefit (until they had no use for the kids anymore), it was difficult for Laura to trust anyone before Logan and Charles helped her. Logan and Laura have some bloody action-packed moments together, especially during the climax in which they both take down several Reavers and fight to the death for their freedom.