Knowing doesn't make this any less forgettable.
Released: 2011
Genre(s): Action, Mystery, Thriller
What was it about 2008's "Taken" that made it so entertaining and watchable? For me, it was the fast-paced, vicious action that culminated into one hell of a revenge flick; it was a movie that didn't try to hide itself behind smoke and mirrors, but embraced the fact that it was nothing more than a hyper-violent, trigger-happy power fantasy. Due to this, my reaction to the idea of another action-thriller starring Liam Neeson was naturally a positive one. While the premise of "Unknown" seems to have more in common with films like "Memento" than "Taken," the psychological thrills here are far less twisty and turny than similar entries into the genre: during this movie's entirety, save for a few choice moments, I couldn't help but feel like I'd seen this all before, and it wasn't a beaten path that served up much excitement beyond the by-the-numbers chase scenes of its predecessors. I'm in full support of the willing suspension of disbelief when watching a film, but the events here become increasingly disparaging as the mound of improbabilities relentlessly grows to gargantuan proportions. The action sequences are enjoyable enough, in that "stock footage" sort of way, but they're hampered by a start-stop dynamic that far too frequently rears its ugly head. This would be fine if there was any sort of mind-blowing reveal after all this slow burn pacing, but the ending feels so underwhelming and rushed that it leaves the screen as a generic anticlimax, instead of the sum of all its available parts. It's not bad, but you can rest assured that nobody will chastise you for letting this movie disappear into the unknown.
Rating (out of 5): 2.5
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