12 Films Featuring Fathers Rescuing Their Daughters
Happy Father's Day! To celebrate dads, here are 12 films featuring fathers rescuing their daughters in peril.
The theme of fathers saving daughters is one of the most enduring elements in action cinema, and it’s easy to grasp why: there's no stronger motivation than safeguarding your children.
These films also delve into generational differences, social commentary, and the anxieties of middle-aged men regarding a world that appears to be moving on without them. On some level, they serve as fantasies of wish fulfillment.
Here are 12 action films centered on dads saving daughters.
Lone Wolf McQuade (1983)
Orion Pictures – Credit: C/O
Lone Wolf McQuade features Chuck Norris as an ex-military Texas Ranger living in solitude with a wolf. He soon faces off against a criminal gang led by the villainous Wilkes (David Carradine).
Tension builds until Wilkes kidnaps McQuade’s daughter Sally (Dana Kimmell) and takes her to Mexico. This sets the stage for an epic martial arts battle between McQuade and Wilkes, which was quite a spectacle in 1983—Chuck Norris taking on the star of Kung Fu!
While wearing a preppy sweater, Wilkes nearly triumphs, but his foolish decision to hit Sally unleashes McQuade’s protective instincts.
Commando (1985)
20th Century Fox – Credit: C/O
Commando is like a pumped-up, streamlined, and much more humorous version of Lone Wolf McQuade. It was among the first films to showcase the simple yet effective premise of a retired military dad with a tough daughter in peril—a perfect setup for an action movie.
Arnold Schwarzenegger delivers memorable one-liners as John Matrix, arguably the best-named action hero. Young Alyssa Milano shines as Jenny Matrix, and Rae Dawn Chong is fantastic as one of the quintessential action-movie sidekicks.
At just 90 minutes, Commando stands out for its tight plot and rapid pace within the daughters in distress genre.
True Lies (1994)
20th Century Fox – Credit: C/O
So, why not repeat the formula?
Schwarzenegger returns, this time alongside Jamie Lee Curtis, in this James Cameron film focused mostly on the deceptive marriage of Harry and Helen Trasker (played by Schwarzenegger and Curtis), culminating in their daughter Dana (Eliza Dushku) being kidnapped.
It features one of the most memorable climactic battles in films about dads rescuing daughters, involving Dana, a skyscraper, a jet, and a helicopter.
Air Force One (1997)
Sony Pictures Releasing – Credit: C/O
In Air Force One, Harrison Ford portrays James Marshall, a down-to-earth president whose plane is hijacked by terrorists, led by Ivan Korshunov (Gary Oldman).
Things get dire when Ivan threatens the First Daughter's life, stirring Marshall’s protective instincts, prompting him to fight back with the iconic line, “Get off my plane.”
While we wish the plane’s special effects had more polish at the end, we’re primarily there for President Ford.
Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
20th Century Fox – Credit: C/O
The fourth installment of Die Hard elevates the stakes with John McClane’s (Bruce Willis) estranged daughter getting kidnapped by cyberterrorists.
She is Lucy Gennero-McClane (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and if you’ve seen a Die Hard movie, you know that a daughter rejecting McClane’s surname symbolizes his feelings of inadequacy as a man. However, everything turns out alright.
The following Die Hard film features McClane teaming up with his son, but that's a tale for another time. To die hard.
Taken (2008)
20th Century Fox – Credit: C/O
The definitive film in the dads saving daughters genre, Taken stars Liam Neeson as Brian Mills, a father who must utilize his "very particular set of skills" to rescue his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) from being sold by truly despicable individuals.
Unlike any other film on this list, Taken plays out as a potent divorced dad fantasy: when his ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen) marries a seemingly better provider, Brian asserts his value in ways the new husband cannot.
Although Mills remains cordial to Lenore’s new spouse Stuart (Xander Berkeley), by Taken 2 their marriage is failing—presumably due to the new husband's inability to cope with the blows to his masculinity from being overshadowed by Lenore's ex.
The beauty of Taken lies in how effectively it establishes familial dynamics before diving into exhilarating action sequences, all within a tight 90 minutes. Bryan is the ultimate dad saving daughters, so compelling that he inspired two sequels.
Taken 2 (2012)
20th Century Fox – Credit: C/O
Taken 2 raises the stakes: this time, both parents are
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12 Films Featuring Fathers Rescuing Their Daughters
Fathers rescuing daughters is one of the most classic themes in action films. We've compiled a list for Father's Day featuring some of the best movies where dads save their daughters.