Review
Liam Neeson shines in 'Unknown' while plot falls short
March 3, 2011
When a man awakens from a coma, only to discover that someone has taken his identity and that no one believes him, not even his wife or best friend, he must figure out what has happened since the car wreck that put him in this situation. The man is Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) who is on a business trip with his wife (January Jones) in Berlin, only to forget his bag at the airport as they are checking into their hotel.
In a rush, Dr. Harris rushes to get a cab so he can retrieve his bag, but on the way the cab loses control in an accident and tumbles off the side of a bridge. The doctor hits his head on the cab window, which knocks him out, and he is saved by Gina (the cab driver played by Diane Kruger).
He then wakes up four days later from a coma to begin a game of chase to figure out what has happened and why even his own wife does not even recognize him. He then teams up with Gina to put together all the pieces of the puzzle which takes the viewer on the ultimate thrill ride to figure out what has turned this doctor’s life upside down.
From the first car crash to the seventh one, Liam Neeson is great. With his very straight forward attitude that is so likable, much like many of the other characters he has portrayed in the past, Neeson bring light to the screen in an overall very dark movie. As many before me have already stated, this film reminds them much of his 2008 flick “Taken.” While “Taken” was great, “Unknown” is just average. Though the story is a different concept, there are many holes that don’t get filled so the plot at some points even falls apart. It is also a little too over-the-top to really give the audience and sense of realism that this movie is striving to achieve.
The action was well done overall, but became too much and really took away from the main story of the film. The only movie in recent memory that may have had more car crashes was “Bad Boys II.” With a story that is so based around its characters, “Unknown” has to remain on track with a steady plot, while throwing in some action. “Unknown” often time strays away from that concept.
Even with some rough plot points and some overdone action sequences, “Unknown” is still worth checking out solely because Neeson and Kruger are so great. You really see their chemistry on the screen come alive in every scene. Neeson continues to amaze moviegoers like me with his aura on the screen that I just can’t get enough of, and hope there is more to come.
Dustyn Dubuque is a history major and geography minor that has a love and passion for film. He watches over 100 films each year and loves Academy Awards season.