If you’ve been extending Father’s Day activities this month with some thematic movie viewing, you’ll have noticed that Hollywood fathers are often bad dads (alcoholics, too wrapped up in their work or just plain absent) or comic bumblers like Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) in the National Lampoon “Vacation” series. More recently, though, fathers like Liam Neeson’s character in the “Taken” movies employ “a particular set of skills” to protect or rescue their families or else avenge any wrongs done them. But Hollywood also is partial to near-dad experiences, dad-adjacent movies, action comedies featuring characters who are essentially tough-guy babysitters.
Some sort of secret agent or warrior must safeguard one or more kids because they know some sort of valuable secret or else villains can use them to force their parents to comply with evil demands. He doesn’t really care about them as people and often simply doesn’t like kids and just tries to impose his own sense of order on them. That doesn’t work as the kids ignore him or play emasculating pranks on him.
Finally, though, there’s a reconciliation, often after a few car chases and the kids helping the bodyguard defeat the villains. Usually, the film’s star has already gained a real-life reputation as an action star or else has established a tough-guy persona in another field requiring a muscular build. The humor comes from the disparity in size, shape and personality between the hero and the kids.
