Unleashed (DVD)

...something rather curious indeed. Unleashed is curious in the first instance because, in spite of the fact that the vast majority of the cast has a London accent, the film is set in Glasgow. This wasn't initially something that occurred to me, but as soon as the action switched to the very famous jewellery arcade, I realised at once that we weren't in London. To Glaswegians, of course, it will be an entirely offensive observation, born of the fact ...
...comes off, the Dog is Unleashed and the rest is fairly inevitable. It's a grim world. Full of violence, swearing, unhappiness and brutality, Danny's only glimmers of humanity are the smiling teddy bear that peers down onto him and the colourful A-Z book, where he gets to stare longingly at the P for Piano and L for Love pages. We don't even know whether he can talk. Nobody talks to him, you see. Orders are barked, criticisms are hollered and insults ...

LostWitness 13.12.2005 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Unleashed (DVD)

Despite my liking for Steven Seagal action films I'm not what you would class as a huge fan of martial arts films. When I seen that Morgan Freeman was starring alongside Jet Li in his latest Kung Fu film I was intrigued as to the resulting film. I never had Freeman down as a Kung Fu film actor and likewise I hardly expected Li to be in the kind of films that Freeman and Bob Hoskins normally star. In this Luc Besson penned film however all three actors ...
...Whether or not the resulting film would actually be any good would be revealed to me over the next hour and a half. Jet Li stars as Danny a young slave raised by one of the top gangsters in Glasgow, Bart (Bob Hoskins). He doesn't really know where he came from or even the simplest emotions. His anger is controlled and channelled by Bart to obey his every wish. When Danny meets a Piano tuner, Sam (Morgan Freeman), by chance he is shown compassion ...

Andy.mack 26.11.2005 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Unleashed (DVD)

...UNLEASHED was originally titled DANNY THE DOG, a name that refers to the main character (Li) and how he has been brought up as an animal, taught to obey his owner Bart (Bob Hoskins) and kill on command when the collar around his neck is removed. The title was probably changed because most people would hear the title and instantly think kids movie, yet regardless of which one you prefer, both describe the movie efficiently enough (with unleashed referring ...
...from the very first scene, UNLEASHED is an impressive film, kicking off with an incredibly brutal yet skilfully shot fight scene, the movie remains action packed and always visually entertaining (providing you like pummelled heads) throughout. A martial arts flick set in Britain is perhaps something of an oddity, yet director Luis Leterrier's gritty take on both the story and its setting takes the film even further away from the slick antics of Li's ...

moxon123 26.02.2006 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Unleashed (DVD)

Another cracking Jet Li performance. I'm sorry but a lot of my friends do not like Jet Li and I personally think that he is fantastic especially when his predecessor was Bruce Lee. Hard footsteps to follow. Jet teamed up with Morgan Freeman and Bob Hoskins in this intense action thriller. I must start by saying that I have never ever seen any of this directors movies but now that I have seen this one I will definitely be looking out for some more ...
...of an excellent action flick witch was shot in a very stylish way. Well done that man. Bob Hoskins plays character that the would not normally play giving his short and fat frame. He plays a gangster in Glasgow. I know it seems a bit surreal but this man pulls it off to a T. He is like a jack Russel, Small but can bark very loud. He used to see a chinese prostitute and unfortunately for her she passes away by one means or another if you know what ...

buddytheelf 14.02.2007 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Unleashed (DVD)

The plot has a touch of the ridiculous to it and is entirely unbelievable. This isn't a socially aware glance at human trafficking, it is a very unusual fairytale of a man who is is used as a human slave and is saved to go and play the piano and overcome his traumas by the saintlike freeman who takes him in for free to rescue him for his living hell as a slave. The only thing he can do sucessfully is fight to protect his boss, a hard hearted gangster ...
...because it combines so many unusual genres in one film. The martial arts genre where underground fighting is used to protect status. If you like gritty gangster movies like 51 state which focus on the dregs and lowlife in a disturbing yet ironic way. There is plenty of dark humour served by hoskins character who is brilliantly played here. The cast is a real treat with Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins, Jet Li and Morgan Freeman in one film. You see Jet ...

penfold27 16.02.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Unleashed (DVD)

...Morgan Freeman and Bob Hoskins, Unleashed is the story of a Glasgow gangster, Bart (Hoskins), who raised orphan Danny (Li) to help him collect debt, dispose of rivals and is then forced to take part in an underground fight network to make Bart more money. In a chance meeting, Danny finds a friend in Sam (Freeman) who takes Danny in and teaches him about life outside of fighting. The fight scenes in the film are very well done and are sometimes are ...
...to his childhood revealing some of the mysteries of his life and how he managed to come to Bart. Compared to other Jet Li martial arts films (Romeo Must Die, Kiss of the Dragon, The One), Unleashed definately rates as one of the best and is definately worth watching. ...

Seth157 15.01.2006 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Unleashed (DVD)