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Unleashed
Release Date: May 13, 2005
Studio: Rogue Pictures
Director: Louis Leterrier
Screenwriter: Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamene
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Jet Li, Bob Hoskins, Kerry Condon,
Christian Gazio, Silvio Simac
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
MPAA Rating: R (for strong violent content, language and some
sexuality/nudity)
Official Website:
Unleashedmovie.com
Plot Summary: Written and produced by Luc
Besson, and directed by Louis Leterrier, the action drama headlines
international martial arts superstar Jet Li. On and beneath the meanest streets
of Glasgow, fiery gangster Bart (Bob Hoskins) is merciless with debtors,
would-be rivals, and anyone else to whom he takes even a passing dislike. How
does Bart maintain his chokehold? Through his unwitting enforcer Danny (Jet Li),
who he has "raised" since boyhood. Danny has been kept as a near-prisoner by his
"Uncle" Bart; trained to attack and, if necessary, kill. Danny knows little of
life, except the brutal existence that Bart has so crudely and cruelly fashioned
for him. But when Danny has a chance encounter with soft-spoken blind piano
tuner Sam (Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman), he senses true kindness and
compassion for the first time and experiences the transforming power of music.
When a sudden gangland coup separates Danny from Bart and his mob, Danny is at
last away from the underworld. He takes refuge with Sam and his spunky teenaged
stepdaughter Victoria (Kerry Condon). Sam and Victoria open their home and
hearts to Danny, who begins to envision a new future for himself. However, the
mob will not give up its prize pupil so easily, and Danny must soon fight again,
and fight back, to protect his new family and bury his troubled past.
Reviewed by Peter Veugelaers © 2005
- Almost phony baloney
Unleashed
(also known as Danny the Dog)
is supposed to be an action movie with a soul. Starring and co-produced by
martial arts movie entertainer Jet Li (Hero) it boasts Luc Beeson sharing
the producing credits who has been helming action productions recently including
Kiss of the Dragon, also starring Li, and Transporter. Bring
together talented assets such as the Busby Berkley of kung fu, Yuen Wo Ping, who
choreographed The Matrix franchise and advised on Kill Bill, a
nasty villain played by British actor Bob Hoskins, and a layer of sentiment
found in a Luc Beeson script, but you still get a movie which impacts more on
the basic level of pretension and superficiality than soul.
Danny (Jet Li) is a character
which stretches believability if it weren’t for the theory
of suspending disbelief, which one must do to with movie
illusions none more so than here. He has been nurtured as a
human “dog”, unleashed by his surrogate mobster father Bart
(Hoskins) in kung fu style karate chops on bad payers in his
criminal business. Unable to read and eat normally, when
Bart is gunned done in a revenge shooting Danny escapes and
meets a kind blind man, Sam (a great Morgan Freeman), a
musical teacher, who takes him into his home, and he is
treated well unlike the taunts and violence of his adopted
environment. But Danny’s past will still haunt him.
I am not a fan of the martial arts genre but admired the poetry of Hero
and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I suppose I have grown to like the
fight scenes in these types of movies, but Unleashed still proves I have
reservations with mixed impressions on some of the action and violence here. But
the martial arts choreography, corresponding editing, and the Massive Attack
soundtrack, and of course the fighting, is frenetically spot on (the finale
being such an example).
Novice director Louis Leterrier, who also directed his only other
film Transporter 2 this year, cohesively builds his meagre plot and theme
out of the material. But this is predictable and basic. The movie’s heart, which
is in the right place, is more effective intellectually than emotionally, so a
viewer might have to make the connection. And with Bob Hoskins ranting madly and
in a serious tone it is hard to reconcile the joke at his expense; the
aggression in this movie is stronger than its soul. Worth mentioning is young
actress Kerry Condon who plays Sam’s daughter; she puts in an effortless and
charming performance. However, the movie fails to deliver.
We would love to know what you think, sound off on the
movie message boards and let us know how you liked the movie!
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Trailer A:
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Trailer B - 'Broken 1':
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Internet Trailer - 'Broken 2':
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International Trailer:
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Japanese TV Spot:
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TV Spot 1 - 'Stranger':
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TV Spot 2 - 'Master':
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TV Spot 3 - 'Raised':
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Music Video - 'Atta Boy' by Massive Attack:
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Clip 1 - 'Get 'Em':
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Clip 2 - 'You Borrow Money From Me':
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Clip 3 - 'I've Been Meaning to Ask You':
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Clip 4 - 'Give These Toughs a Bit of a Show':
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Clip 5 - 'Not Big on Asking Questions':
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