The Film
The Liam Neeson of late is a bit of a badass. It started with 2008's Taken and went big with 2010's The A-Team. Now, Neeson has chartered into semi-familiar territory with Unknown.
Neeson plays Dr. Martin Harris, whose first stop in Berlin is the emergency room. The good doctor has been in a major car accident, only to wake up and find that his wife (Mad Men's January Jones) doesn't remember him and some other guy (Aidan Quinn) has assumed his identity. Well, that's a nifty twist, isn't it?
The twists don't stop there, and often get a little ludicrous. It doesn't really matter though, because Unknown is just so darn entertaining to watch. Who says that grandpa can't kick a little ass? Neeson uses everything he's got, and takes Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds) along for the ride. Neeson is the real show, though. He punches, stabs, and even uses his thumb to get the job done. The film doesn't offer much in the way of realism, but it does have enough explosions and car chases to keep you salivating for a full 113 minutes. Set your eyeballs to "glazed," and enjoy the ride.
Want another opinion? Joe Lozito knows all about the theatrical release of Unknown.
The Picture
Unknown is a stylish looking movie. It kicks off with a nice blue tint, which conveys the action and icy Berlin climate quite nicely. Once the characters head indoors, say in the hotel, the colors are rather warm and beautiful. Fleshtones are spot-on, and especially impressive on the porcelain skin of January Jones. Flashback scenes are purposely distorted, but don't be fooled. This 2.40:1 transfer is a sharp one. It also has a lot of great detail, from the beginning slush on the taxi windows to scenery to the numerous action sequences.
The Sound
As a perfect match for the image, this DTS-HD Master Audio track is absolutely stellar. The opening crash scene sets the tone, packing a (literal) wallop. From there, the track doesn't miss a beat, a chirp or a shuffle. It's busting with bass and other audio details, from a chest-pounding MRI to a bit of "sexy time" in an adjacent room. Car chases and explosions should keep your speakers busy and your heart racing. All of the crunches, screeches and booms do follow you throughout the soundfield. However, even amongst the chaos, the track still manages to snag a lot of atmospheric sounds. This is exactly the way an action flick should sound; it's downright demo-worthy.
The Extras
Unknown was no slouch at the box office, taking in over $134 million. That's why it's so bizarre that this release offers so few special features. "Liam Neeson: Known Action Hero" has about five minutes of promotion for the man and the movie. "Unknown: What is Known?" adds another four minutes of very similar material.
Final Thoughts
What's Unknown? Why exactly Liam Neeson continues to take these types of roles. Did Harrison Ford vacate his lead position in the cheesy, cliche action genre? Not that it's a bad thing. Unknown isn't rocket science. It's far from it, in fact. It's got the good and the bad, and both are equally entertaining. Also, despite the sad selection of extras, this is a demo-worthy Blu-ray release that you'll probably want to enjoy more than once.
Product Details
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