Movie Review: Unknown (2011)
Tedious, redundant and rather dumb... but not awful
Photo: Warner Bros.
While Unknown is not a terrible movie, comparing it to Taken, Liam Neeson's previous old man actioner, is setting the bar way too high. This is a formulaic thriller and one you've seen before, from the twist ending to the car chases where cops can only be bothered to respond once the carnage is complete. Unknown is one of those films you can't help but nitpick because the plot has you bouncing between tedium and disinterest to the point the only thing left to do is find entertainment in pointing out plot-holes until the credits roll.
The cast includes Liam Neeson, January Jones, Diane Kruger, Aidan Quinn and Bruno Ganz. For more information on this film including pictures, trailers and a detailed synopsis choose from the following menu.
Review
"Unknown" is a Warner Bros. release, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and is rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of violence and action, and brief sexual content. The running time is 1 hour 49 minutes.
As luck would have it, a rogue refrigerator bounces on the highway causing the taxi to swerve and fly off a bridge and into the river where Martin is knocked unconscious. Four days later he wakes from his coma, and while he remembers his name, his wife doesn't remember him. It even turns out someone else is claiming to be Dr. Martin Harris. What the what?
Bad guys pursue, Martin evades and in the process of getting to the bottom of the mystery, several city blocks and at least one Berlin hotel will be destroyed. It's just the way it goes when it comes to C-level thrillers that would best be left to DVD.
Perhaps the most entertaining aspect of the film is the life Bruno Ganz (Downfall) brings to Ernst Jurgen, a former Stasi agent hired by Martin to help him get to the bottom of his identity crisis. Ganz seems to realize he's in a bit of a ho-hum film and brings an air of playful realism to his character that's more than welcomed.
Neeson, now 59-years-old, is also solid despite the material. This is a role he's proven he can wrap his stubby fingers around, but no matter the performance there are some things that just can't be improved on. Aside from plot-holes and general bad decision making, it's the fact we watch him tell everyone he's Martin Harris to no avail that the film grows increasingly tiresome. He has no identification, which is to say he's nothing more than a well-dressed bum and yet he seems to think just saying, "I'm Martin Harris!" is going to get him somewhere. This guy is a menace to society and the destruction he delivers proves it.
The first big action piece is a car chase through the streets of Berlin and it seems to never end. I don't how many times director Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan) cuts to a shot of Neeson shifting gears, but he makes sure we see every shift, swerve and stomp on that gas pedal. Vroom, vroom, crash, "Watch out for that train!" Yeah, yeah, I've seen it all before. Got anything new? Not even John Ottman's score brought much tension to the metal crunching pursuit.
I did, however, take one thing away from Unknown. This was yet another lesson in how lazy storytelling can give away a film's supposed twist long before it's ever revealed.
You'll begin by asking yourself why no one remembers Martin Harris is who he says he is. You'll next be wondering why people are trying to kill him, and in-between these two questions you'll wonder where he gained the skill to expertly race around the streets of Berlin in one of the many Mercedes placed front and center. Can this be a plot hole or is it just an aspect of the film that pretty much gives away the next 50 or so minutes?
I'll save the answer to that last question for you to figure out for yourself, but I will add that while I am being extremely negative toward this film, it isn't the worst I've seen all year. It's just that it's one of those movies you'd feel better about yourself if you rented it at home rather than paid top dollar to see it in the theater.
Links from Other Sites You May Like
Showing 9 Comments
~ PLEASE NOTE ~
If, in any way, your comment is an attack on the author of this post or a previous commenter, your comment will be deleted without question.
Add a New Comment |
Click to Read Our Commenting Rules & Guidelines
Yeah, I felt the same way about THE KING'S SPEECH.
Saying in the first few lines of a movie review that there's a twist ending takes away any form of surprise.
Your reviews are very well written. It's just that even though you rarely, if ever, give away spoilers, mentioning that is a form of spoiler no?
You didn't know there would be a twist ending when the story is about a guy whose wife suddenly doesn't know who he is and people are suddenly trying to kill him? I totally agree saying there's a twist can be a spoiler, but the plot of this one says twist. It's no secret. At least that's how I saw it.
Roger, I don't think that's entirely accurate. There are films that from the onset are meant to keep you guessing.
"What the What?"
Lol 30 Rock
Ticket prices over here in Puerto Rico range from $3.50 to $5.25. Seeing that I don't have to spend top dollar to go watch a movie, do you recommend I go see this or should I just wait until DVD?
Hmm, I disagree. I saw this film in theatres pretty recently and, for once, did not see the ending coming. I could tell you the end of almost every film that came out last year within the first ten minutes. I figured this would just merely be just another film commentary on just another contemporary issue, but as it happens, it was not. Your review was very well written, however, the rating is just a touch unfair, as I'm sure I'm not the only one who didn't expect the "surprise ending".
Maybe I'm a dumb rube, but I just saw this film recently and didn't expect the surprise ending, either.
Then again, I don't go into every film trying to immediately decipher the ending, or figure out where the movie is going. Usually, I just try to take the movie in as it goes, let the plot unravel, and then see how I feel about the film once it's over.
I enjoyed Unknown, although I must admit I am a big fan of Liam Neeson. I would give the movie a B rating.
I can see people not expecting the surprise ending, but simply because a film ends with twists and surprises doesn't warrant it to be a good film. That is all.