Film Reviews

Unknown

• Rating:
• Director:
• Starring: Diane Kruger
• Details: US/TBC TBC

A euro-set thriller that, on the surface at least, seems like it could be Taken 2, Unknown is far less interested in action and more enthralled with meaningful questions like, "Who am I?" Boasting too many twists amidst an already convoluted plot, it momentarily kicks ass as it moves towards its conclusion, but it's far too late by then. Liam Neeson is still an imposing and commanding presence on screen - even if the script really just calls for him to look perpetually confused.
Neeson is a doctor in biotechnology who travels to Berlin with his beautiful young wife (Jones) for an important conference. But after leaving one of his bags at the airport, he is rushing back from the hotel when the cab he's travelling in is involved in an accident. Four days later he wakes up from a coma, looking for his wife - but she's not by his bedside. Returning to the hotel he finds her with another man claiming to be him; convinced he is who he says he is, Neeson's doctor sets about finding out who's ruined his life, and why spectacled Germans are trying to kill him.
Generally well put-together, and reminiscent of other puzzle-thrillers such as The Game and Frantic, there is enough here to keep the undemanding cinema goer on the edge of their seat for the most part. Neeson plays "what the f**k" extremely well, and has knack of delivering cheesy dialogue in a way that makes it buyable. But there's too much happening around him in too long-winded a manner to engage with his character or what he's going through. His lines become increasingly repetitive as the film moves on - which was fine in Taken because they were broken up by him handing half of Paris its arse.
It's twisty-turny stuff to say the least, but when the reveal finally does happen you probably won't care because you've spent so long waiting for Neeson to chin someone. When a film is marketed in a similar way to Taken - with a similar setting - folks are bound to be disappointed when the content continually hints at a something kick ass, but instead keeps leading them around a maze. On its own merit regardless, Unknown doesn't work particularly well.
Far from awful, but pretty average. Action junkies may be disappointed, but thrill seekers should find enough to distract them for a couple of hours.

Review by Mike Sheridan