Luc Besson is a man with talent, there is no denying this fact, not only is he a great director but he has also managed to spend the last six years of his life making a living by doing nothing but writing and producing the kind of screenplay I probably could have wrote when I was six years old. So he's either some what of a genius, or just a lazy git who is cashing in on his own successes. Either way though you can't deny that the movies he has been involved with lately have been entertaining enough. Not only is he still managing to find Jean Reno work seven years after GODZILLA made a mockery of the guy, but he's also turned British born Jason Statham into an American action hero that can make his car do the kinds of things that would even probably impress Penelope Pitstop. But then talent is perhaps somewhat a subject term, for no matter how utterly stupendous those two feats may be, they are also somewhat ridiculous and aren't exactly helping to develop cinema as an art form… well, no more than the Spongebob Squarepants
movie did anyway.
And so here we are, 2005 and Luc Besson does it again, Jason Statham got his sequel and in turn probably sent Miss Pitstop rocketing into orgasm while another star got a break of a different kind. Jet Li had his first critically acclaimed American picture… or well while I say American, this is actually a British set film that is directed by a French man, but still, no doubt most of the props were bought with US cash, and that's what's important in movies you know..
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 to both the removal of Danny's collar and his subsequent escape from the world he has been trapped in, half way through the film).
It has to be said that 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 previous western orientated attempts. Though as violent and foul a film as UNLEASHED may seemingly be, that isn't to say it lacks heart. Once Danny escapes Bart's clutches and ends up staying with Sam, a blind piano tuner (Played with ample glee by Morgan Freeman, who was obviously looking for some light relief after recording what sounded like the final words of a suicidal depressive for the WAR OF THE WORLDS narration) our hero learns friendship, love and all that other slushy stuff for half an hour before he goes back to kicking ass. Yet having said all this, I still found it hard to care that much about Danny's predicament.
Its funny, this is by far the most technically accomplished movie that has featured Jet Li speaking in the English language for its duration but I still found the film far too cold to ever fully appreciate. No one is really to blame for this, Besson's script is certainly adventurous and both Li and Hoskins give highly credible performances, yet its so hard to engage with these characters when the film itself is, for most part, so dedicated to creating nothing but foul images for the viewer to absorb. It gets to the point when you're just expecting the whole thing to end in tragedy, so much so that the films unfittingly happy ending, while somewhat of a blessing, seems like something of a perversion in itself.
Overall if you are going to see this movie, its best to do so knowing full well that it is suppose to be a pretty gruelling ride. If you're a Jet Li fan then chances are you'll get some enjoyment out of the fight scene, and this really is a better written and acted film than a lot of its type, but its also so unrelentingly depressing that it is hard to see the good stuff lurking underneath. As a result, Luc Besson has once again helped to create an interesting work, but only the curious (and horny martial arts based cartoon characters) really need apply.
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Luc Besson wrote and directed the stylish thrillersLa Femme NikitaandThe ... more
Professional;though he didn't directUnleashed, the script has his trademark fusion of outrageous sentimentality and over-the-top violence. Hong Kong action superstar Jet Li (Romeo...
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Martial-arts superstar Jet Li stars in this action-packed adventure as Danny, a slave ... more
raised by a gangster (Bob Hoskins) to be a violent fighting machine and compete at illegal gladiator-style fight clubs.When Danny has a chance encounter with a blind ...
Luc Besson wrote and directed the stylish thrillersLa Femme NikitaandThe ... more
Professional;though he didn't directUnleashed, the script has his trademark fusion of outrageous sentimentality and over-the-top violence. Hong Kong action superstar Jet Li (Romeo...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Serve no master. Written and produced by Luc Besson and directed by Louis Leterrier ... more
Unleashed features a fantastic performance from martial arts superstar Jet Li. On and beneath the mean streets of Glasgow fiery gangster Bart (Hoskins) is mercil...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Advantages: cinderella story where cinders is a human slave and the fairygodmother is morgan freeman Disadvantages: implausibility of plot - human slave saved by a piano tuner
penfold27 16.02.2006 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Unleashed (DVD)
Advantages: cinderella story where cinders is a human slave and the fairygodmother is morgan freeman Disadvantages: implausibility of plot - human slave saved by a piano tuner
penfold27 16.02.2006 ·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Unleashed (DVD)
![Unleashed [DVD] [2005]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78487738.jpg "Unleashed [DVD] [2005]")
Feb 26th, 2006
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