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Unleashed 2005 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Louis Leterrier
R, 103 min. (strong violent content, language, sexuality/nudity) |
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Starring: Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, Bob Hoskins, Kerry Condon
Producers: Luc Besson, Steve Chasman, Jet Li
Screenplay: Luc Besson
Cinematography: Pierre Morel
Distributor: Rogue Pictures
Released: 5.13.04 (Wide) |
Rating:
  (out of ) |
Unleashed uses both convention and inspiration to create an almost unsettling but satisfying motion picture experience. Written by Luc Besson, the man behind such
unique films as The Professional, The Fifth Element, and the extremely underrated The Crimson Rivers,
the film tells the story of a man who is trained to be an attack dog, suddenly finds kindness and love, and eventually must make a choice between his master and a new life.
Directed by Louis Leterrier, Unleashed is a strange dichotomy of the action and drama genres. Starring Jet Li and choreographed by martial arts master Yuen Woo Ping,
it feels like it should be a non-stop testosterone injected fight scene, but it unexpectedly takes a gentler turn with a touching story of how a man can betray his training and
choose an adopted family over the only thing he's ever known. Because the film takes chances when it could have stayed in neutral, it elevates a mundane storyline to the level
of curiously ingratiating cinema.
A Glasgow mobster, Bart (Bob Hoskins), collects debts via his one-man wrecking machine, Danny (Li), who wears a collar to signify not only his canine demeanor but also the
dangerous prospect of being unleashed upon somebody. Enter Sam (Morgan Freeman), a blind piano tuner who shows Danny kindness and a life previously unthinkable.
Danny begins a new life with Sam and his sweet-hearted step-daughter, Victoria (Kerry Condon), learning the piano and confronting his haunting past. But when Bart comes
to claim his "property," Danny is forced to choose his own destiny.
Although the choice seems an easy one, given the life-long obedience and loyalty to a master who has been the only father-figure he's ever known, Danny must summon the
courage to challenge the morality of a man whom he thought was his friend and benefactor. Leterrier is adept at handling the slight transformation from animal to human being
with newfound feelings without pandering to unnecessary melodramatics, and seems to keep the focus clearly centered on Danny. Had he decided to move beyond the
central character, the film would have spiraled into chaos. Yet the peripheral characters, specifically Hoskins, who gives a chilling performance, and Freeman, wisely keep their
roles at a one-note level in order to give Danny the chance to compare and contrast his surroundings. Condon's character is where things get tricky; too much romance
risks a different type of story, and Leterrier fortunately keeps them at a brother/sister level of commitment.
Unleashed becomes a successful amalgamation of action and humanity because of its willingness to challenge the notion of conformity within genres. The film is
such a breath of fresh air that its many stock pieces of entertainment are easily overlooked for the unique approach of its subject matter. Viewers will almost certainly
appreciate the wry humor and pathos amidst the sometimes gruesome violence that inhabits its geniunely dark origins. Admittedly, there is a certain suspension of belief that
comes with the territory here, and while more than few contrivances induce some laughs, the film never abandons its quest to find peace in a world of ugliness.
© 2005 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
| Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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