Unleashed Movie Review:


Bart, a hot-tempered Glasgow mobster, has a lot of debts to collect and a multitude of scores to settle in “Unleashed.” Being a man of rather diminutive stature, he poses virtually zero threat to those who owe him money. That's why he relies on Danny, his unwitting enforcer on whom he's held a literal chokehold since childhood. "Uncle" Bart, played by Bob Hoskins, has kept Danny, portrayed by Jet Li, as a prisoner and trained him to attack on command with the passion of a bag full of bobcats. Danny wears a collar that acts almost as an "on off" switch. While wearing the collar, he's as soft and mellow as a Mrs. Beasley doll. But remove the collar and Danny becomes a twisting, contorting, whirling-dervish, complete with 12-foot high leaps and wall-walks that would put Lionel Richie to shame.

Eventually separated from his master, Danny meets up with Sam (Morgan Freeman), a blind piano tuner who not only teaches him what it's like to be a real human, but also begins to delve into Danny's psyche to examine his bloody, violent past.

“Unleashed” is really a tale of three separate movies. As an all-out, action-packed, no-holds-barred martial arts flick, it brings the house down with its incredible fight choreography and action sequences. We've mostly seen it all before, but Li and writer/producer Luc Besson, under the direction of Louis Leterrier, do manage to introduce some new and innovative techniques. As an emotional drama, “Unleashed” falls way short with its contrived sentiment and questionable acting. As for the "action/adventure movie with a brain" that it's striving to be, the filmmakers are never able to successfully meld the two hemispheres together. I kept finding myself wanting it to be one or the other. Rather than periodically peppering the plot with bouts of fists-of-fury, Besson and Leterrier sandwich an overly long and schmaltzy tale about how an abused "dog boy" wishes to be left alone to play his piano, between bookends of breathtaking martial arts action. I could just feel the martial arts purists groaning with impatience during the film's middle section

Morgan Freeman gives an admirable performance, however nothing more than what we've come to expect from him. His soft-spoken Sam brings his stepdaughter (Kerry Condon) to Glasgow to attend music school. After her schooling is complete, they are to return to New York and offer to take Danny with them. But Uncle Bart has other plans for Danny.

Bob Hoskins steals the show as Bart. His almost over-the-top performance makes us laugh in all the right moments, yet, when he's on the receiving end of a Beijing pummeling, we savor each and every blow. With his British accent and more lives than a cat, he harkens thoughts of "it's only a flesh wound."

I have trouble accepting Jet Li as an actor despite the more than 30 films to his credit. But here he's not meant to act... he's meant to break bones. His fight sequences are wickedly violent and despite the fact that many of his moves are wire-aided, we never really lose a sense of reality, unless you include the fact that enemies with broken necks, arms and legs continue to fight as if multi-jointed bones aren't a hindrance.

Leterrier's camera work deserves mention here. He has an interesting way of framing shots, and his creative transitions mimic those of David Fincher. His sense of scale is evident, as the inner mechanics of the piano become a playground for the camera lens.

The film's premise is actually quite interesting, and its message -- that violence is not the only answer -- is somewhat unique to a lot of today's martial arts flicks. But I can't figure out how this story ever made it to the big screen. I'm sure the studio suits had to be forcefully convinced to refrain from demanding wall-to-wall action during the film's runtime. Perhaps those execs should have held their ground, because “Unleashed” works better as a kung fu flick.



Frank Wilkins

We have seen what happens when you bring a martial arts sensation like Jet Li to the streets of Europe. In 2001’s “Kiss of the Dragon”, Li collaborated with producer Luc Besson for a gritty conspiracy action film. Now in “Unleashed”, Li and Besson re-team for a new gritty crime drama that finds Jet Li doing some of his best work to date.

“Unleashed” tells the story of Danny (Jet Li), a regressed Chinese immigrant who since he was a small boy has been raised by a vicious mobster named Bart (Bob Hoskins). Bart has trained Danny to become an incredible fighter with the obedience of a dog. When the collar comes off a sort of psychosis takes over Danny as he literally rips through people much to Bart’s glee.

When one of Bart’s deals goes sour, Danny ends up separated from his trainer and meets, Sam (Morgan Freeman), a blind piano tuner and his daughter, Victoria (Kerry Condon). Danny begins to see what its like to be treated as an equal and as part of a family.

Danny must deal with the horrors of his past and finally uncover the secret link between Bart and his true origins.

“Unleashed” isn’t original, brilliant or thought provoking but on some level it does showcase a lot of what makes Jet Li such a great talent. The film seems to be made for him. The little acting that he does in the film does show Li has a tender side and does have potential to be more than the action “pit bull” he is perceived here.

What most impressed me with “Unleashed” was the charisma of relative unknown action director Louis Leterrier who does some utterly brilliant stunt and action sequences in this film. Leterrier’s next film is the action sequel, “The Transporter 2” also produced by Luc Besson.

I also really liked the return of Bob Hoskins. I remember him fondly for a lot of his unscrupulous performances and it seems he hasn’t changed since the 80s.

Morgan Freeman brings a lot of humanity to the film with his blind man but for the most part his role is just a throwaway as the film focuses more on the struggle for humanity than humanity itself.

I liked Kerry Condon as Victoria because she was excitable yet meek. The complexity and development of this young girl seemed to echo beyond what we saw on screen and that impressed me.

If you can put aside the ludicrous idea of what Jet Li’s character is and some of the obvious unoriginality plot points than “Unleashed” is a great action film and time waster.

So Says the Soothsayer.

Dean Kish

This offbeat action movie, like Besson's Leon, mixes sensitive drama, sharp comedy and violent brutality in the story of an innocent killer. Even though it never really explores the premise, the strong visuals and solid performances make it worth seeing.

Danny (Li) has been raised as a dog by his "uncle" Bart (Hoskins), a Glasgow loan shark who sends Danny in to cause physical mayhem when clients don't pay up. Danny has flashes of memory from his early life, including a fascination with pianos that, when he's left on the street alone, leads him to blind tuner Sam (Freeman) living with his prodigy goddaughter Victoria (Condon). They adopt Danny and bring him out of his shell, but violent tendencies lurk under the surface. And they'll come in handy if Bart finds him.

The film's sensitive, emotional heart sets it apart from most action movies (except Leon, of course). There's a genuine yearning in Danny that we can identify with--he wants his humanity to triumph over his animal instinct, and he responds strongly when Sam and Victoria show him some compassion. Li plays it well; we feel his struggle to overcome the ruthless conditioning that forms his interactions, grief and rage. Freeman and Hoskins are polar extremes--warm kindness and vicious greed---and both are as watchable as ever for the tiny details they bring to their roles. And Condon has the best character, as Victoria blossoms from an insecure young woman who's spent her life pursuing a musical dream and understands what it's like to have others controlling your life.

The premise is fascinating, and well worth exploring. But Besson isn't interested in a serious study; he has entertainment on his mind, as usual, so it dissolves into big action set pieces in the end. They're bracingly well-staged (the fierce fistfight in a tiny loo is astonishing), filmed with a gritty texture that keeps things looking edgy and alive. There's something endearing about a movie that can be this gruesome and brutal and yet have a centre so thoroughly sweet. And as we discover, sweet is good.

Rich Cline

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