(Long Island, N.Y.) Oh, man, I loves me some Liam Neeson. He’s one of the few actors walking the Earth that can class up just about any movie he sees fit to appear in. In fact, I think he’d even make a navel lint documentary pretty darn entertaining, if he chose to go that route.
Okay, so, with that opening statement, it’s probably more that readily apparent that I’m going into today’s review of Unknown pretty biased, as it stars Neeson. Also, long-time readers of mine know of the deep, deep affection and love I hold for 2008’s Taken, a film that blissfully recalled the supreme ruthlessness of 80’s Action movies as Liam Neeson systematically tortured and slaughtered most of Europe with his bare hands to get his beloved kidnapped daughter back. Now, along comes Unknown, and while it’s not the Taken 2 that has been rumored for ages, it’s still an excellent little action/mystery flick kicked up a few notches by Mr. Neeson’s undeniable charisma and acting abilities.
Unknown starts out with Dr. Martin Harris (Neeson) and his wife, Elizabeth (January Jones, who’s way too young and hot to be the hitched to any man pushing 60…but Liam’s so damn cool that we’ll just suspend disbelief in this case) arrive in Germany for a biotechnology summit that Harris is due to speak at. Once they reach their ritzy hotel, Harris realizes that he forgot his briefcase at the airport and quickly hops a cab back to get it. However, a wayward refrigerator sends his taxi cab off a bridge and into the drink, and Harris only narrowly escapes death when the cab driver, Gina (Diane Kruger), hauls him to safety after a bump on the noggin sends Harris to dreamland.
Harris wakes up in the hospital after spending several days in a coma, and, thinking it odd that his wife never came to see him, sets out for his hotel, only to discover her with another man…a man who claims to be the REAL Martin Harris! With his own wife seeming not to know him, Harris finds himself torn between wondering if that blow he took in the car crash scrambled his noodle or if something fishy is going on. Eventually, after fending off mysterious men who try to kill him and an encounter with the cabby who saved his life, Harris sets out to discover what’s going on…but he might not like the answer, provided he lives long enough to get it.
Now, a lot of people have seen the trailer for Unknown and compared it to Taken, and by doing that they’re wrong. Dead wrong. While yet another European production, Unknown is actually more of a whodunit that shares similarities with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s awesome 1990 hit Total Recall than anything else. Neeson spends more time trying to figure out what’s going on with his identity crisis than pummeling, slicing, and shooting bad guys, but don’t worry, children…eventually, the blood starts flowing, and while it only takes up a mere fraction of Unknown’s running time, the suffering to humanity that Mr. Neeson manages to pack into this small time frame is truly impressive.
Otherwise, Unknown is an intense and fast-paced thriller that will really pull you in to the main character’s plight. Liam Neeson, at 58 years old, remains today’s top action great, in my opinion. When the chips are down, most of today’s stars will go soft and let the bad guys live, but you know that Liam will always finish ’em off. It’s interesting that, later in his career, Neeson seems less picky about the roles he takes, opting for more action-oriented films than dramatic ones, but hey, that’s fine with me. His acting ability still manages to shine through, giving each character he portrays a realistic and emotional edge that other actors lack.
The rest of the cast do a solid job of backing Neeson up. January Jones isn’t really given much to do other than act like your usual damsel in distress, but later in the film she’s given the chance to show a bit more range. Diane Kruger brings a plucky and streetwise attitude to her role as the cabbie that eventually is dragged into Harris’ quest to reclaim his identity. And a special note must be made of the performance of Bruno Ganz as Ernst Jürgen, an elderly German detective who also joins Harris’ cause.
Director Jaume Collet-Serra has crafted a great little mystery here, with a twist that is actually rather satisfying and plenty of action to keep you on the edge of your seat the whole way through. Until Liam Neeson finally fulfills my every birthday and Christmas wish since 2008 and makes Taken 2, this will remain a solid little film to tide me over. Highly recommended.
