If you're familiar with Liam Neeson, you'll probably note how unlikely of a choice he is for the lead role in an action/thriller film, but if you've seen Taken, you'll know he's actually quite a perfect fit. He's got a likable, disarming nature about him, but at the same time is capable of flipping a switch and becoming a very convincing killer with deadly calculation. Unfortunately, if you have seen Taken, you'll likely be very unimpressed with his new film, Unknown.
Liam Neeson stars as Dr. Martin Harris, a scientist arriving in Berlin with his wife Elizabeth (January Jones) so he can give a presentation on a new scientific breakthrough that will revolutionize the world and hopefully end world hunger. But before he can even check into his hotel in Berlin, Dr. Harris experiences a very brutal car accident, bonks his head on the window and winds up in a coma for four days. After waking up, he realizes he doesn't have any identification on him, and being in a foreign country, has difficulty proving who he is to the doctors.
It gets worse when he leaves the hospital and his wife and colleagues fail to recognize him. Not only that, it seems another man has already filled his role, claiming to be Dr. Martin Harris. The authorities deem Liam Neeson's character as deranged, and without access to his luggage and passport, it's as if he never really existed. Liam Neeson goes on a wild chase through Berlin trying to prove who he is, and uncover why his wife and so many people have turned against him.
It takes a lot of attention to the writing to make a plot like this work. Unfortunately, the film is full of scenes and devices that exist simply to make the movie look cooler, and all the while subtract from the movie its ability to make sense. The most obvious example is on the Blu-ray case and the Blu-ray menu, where we see Liam Neeson's character looking all action hero-ey and holding a gun. Intimidating, yes, but Liam's character never touches a gun in the whole film. I'm not disappointed that I didn't get to see Liam bust any caps, but it's one of the film's many tacky attempts at being a different thriller than what it is.
Other examples include: a several-minute-long car chase through Berlin that should have lasted thirty seconds; a completely inexcusable detour to a European nightclub to accentuate its sexy, European spy thriller-ness; spy thugs who make attempts on Liam Neeson's life with stealthy, quiet gadgets but will in the same scene use guns on other people in the same room at the same time; and most of all, a bloated plot involving the cure for ending world hunger. The filmmakers really wanted to escalate all the risks, possibly because they thought that would make the movie have more weight.
Ironically, for a film that tried so hard to feel and look like Taken, its mistake is a plot that involves outlandish consequences and characters, unlike Taken, which owes a lot of its greatness to its simplicity. Liam Neeson, who plays, in a lot of ways, the same character he did in Taken, does so with that same calm-but-calculated quality. If he wasn't already so established as a versatile actor, Liam Neeson would have been in danger of becoming typecast for the rest of his life. Even though Unknown lacks a lot in terms of story, it's still enjoyable to watch Liam do his thing.
Unknown is a very ambitious film -- it tries so very hard to be more than what it is or should be. The comparisons between it and Taken are inescapable, and that's not just me saying that: if you watch any of the special features, you'll see interviews with cast members and producers who admit it's more or less styled the same way as Taken. So, if they're inviting the comparison, my advice is to buy that instead.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
Two behind-the-scenes featurettes: one is "Liam Neeson: Known Action Star," that goes into Liam's character and how adept Liam is at playing characters like this, and "Unknown: What is Known?" which is a making-of bit with cast and crew interviews.
The Blu-ray also comes with a DVD copy, as well as a digital copy you can download.
Also, I should say, don't watch either of the extras before watching the movie, as both of them reveal the movie's big twist ending right off the bat.
"Unknown" is on sale June 21, 2011 and is rated PG13. Thriller. Directed by Jaume Collet Serra. Written by Oliver Butcher & Stephen Cornwell (screenplay), Didier Van Cauwelaert (novel). Starring Bruno Ganz, Diane Kruger, Frank Langella, January Jones, Liam Neeson.
