Unknown is actually an ironic name for this film. I am pretty sure I have seen this somewhere before. A man is pulled out the water (albeit this time after a car accident), can't remember who he is, all of the sudden has assassins chasing him around a European capital (Berlin in this case), and enlists a woman's help to find out just what the hell is going on. Sound familiar? Yes, Liam Neeson's "Unknown" really didn't bother trying to differentiate itself very much from the Greatest Trilogy Ever Made (my own terminology, but you can use it if you like), the Jason Bourne series......
But it is a poorer version. Have you ever been in a Dollar General or some "dollar only" store and seen a package of Oreos (that, oddly enough, are a lot more than a dollar) and then see the cheap knock-off, called Dollar O's or Choco O's are anything else with an O in it? Well, the Bourne trilogy is like the Oreos, and "Unknown" is the cheap knock-off. The storyline was not as good, the choreography and fight scenes were poor, the acting and dialogue laughable at times (one gem: Assassin: You really have forgotten everything haven't you? Neeson: I haven't forgotten how to kill you, ASSHOLE!) and the general flow of the film didn't feel right. Even the obligatory car chase scene wasn't up to the Bourne standard. One advantage though? This movie had Dianne Kruger. She is a cutie. The women from the first Bourne film wouldn't have auditioned well as a Bond girl, if you know what I mean.
I was a fan of the setting, but the only real good shot of the city came at the very end, as the credits were rolling. Despite what I said about the storyline, it is interesting enough to at least make you want to see how things turn out. Unfortunately, again, the acting was really substandard at times, but I blame it on the writers. As evidenced above, the dialogue just could not be taken seriously. Neeson, Kruger, Frank Langella, and Bruno Ganz are decent actors in their own right (lately, the jury has been out on Neeson, he has made some puppy dogs) but this movie didn't really help their cause at all. I thought it would be like "Taken", but it was not as fast-paced and even the action wasn't as good. Fans of that film will probably be disappointed. At least much of the dialogue was in German this time, unlike in "Taken", where there was zero attempt to use the languages of the locales.
Verdict: If you are really desperate, maybe give it a rent, but I can't seriously recommend it. See the Bourne trilogy again instead. Grade: C-
If you liked this movie you might also like: mediocrity in general. Not to beat a dead horse, but if you liked this movie, you will LOVE the Bourne flicks.
But it is a poorer version. Have you ever been in a Dollar General or some "dollar only" store and seen a package of Oreos (that, oddly enough, are a lot more than a dollar) and then see the cheap knock-off, called Dollar O's or Choco O's are anything else with an O in it? Well, the Bourne trilogy is like the Oreos, and "Unknown" is the cheap knock-off. The storyline was not as good, the choreography and fight scenes were poor, the acting and dialogue laughable at times (one gem: Assassin: You really have forgotten everything haven't you? Neeson: I haven't forgotten how to kill you, ASSHOLE!) and the general flow of the film didn't feel right. Even the obligatory car chase scene wasn't up to the Bourne standard. One advantage though? This movie had Dianne Kruger. She is a cutie. The women from the first Bourne film wouldn't have auditioned well as a Bond girl, if you know what I mean.
I was a fan of the setting, but the only real good shot of the city came at the very end, as the credits were rolling. Despite what I said about the storyline, it is interesting enough to at least make you want to see how things turn out. Unfortunately, again, the acting was really substandard at times, but I blame it on the writers. As evidenced above, the dialogue just could not be taken seriously. Neeson, Kruger, Frank Langella, and Bruno Ganz are decent actors in their own right (lately, the jury has been out on Neeson, he has made some puppy dogs) but this movie didn't really help their cause at all. I thought it would be like "Taken", but it was not as fast-paced and even the action wasn't as good. Fans of that film will probably be disappointed. At least much of the dialogue was in German this time, unlike in "Taken", where there was zero attempt to use the languages of the locales.
Verdict: If you are really desperate, maybe give it a rent, but I can't seriously recommend it. See the Bourne trilogy again instead. Grade: C-
If you liked this movie you might also like: mediocrity in general. Not to beat a dead horse, but if you liked this movie, you will LOVE the Bourne flicks.
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