Unknown (2011)

Unknown

5/10

Starring
Liam Neeson
Diane Kruger
January Jones
Aidan Quinn
Frank Langella

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra


This movie is no Taken, but it is intriguing but yet still slow.

The story lacks possibility, but the director finds a way to stretch your imagination a little but still keeping you on track to what the movie plot is about.

The movie’s premise is outstanding, but it all winds up with the saying, “i have seen all this before somewhere.”

The film is based on the 2003 French novel published in English as Out of My Head, by Didier Van Cauwelaert and the movie was shot in Germany.

Liam Neeson plays Dr. Martin Harris, who arrives in Germany Berlin for the SUMMIT. Upon arriving at the hotel he realized he forgot his suitcase in the airport.

He picked a taxi to return to the airport to pick it up, on his way he was involved in an accident where he almost drowned but was saved by the taxi driver Gina (Diane Kruger).

He later wakes up in a hospital after 4 days to discover that no one has looked for him since the time he had been at the hospital. He checks himself out of the hospital and headed to the hotel to meet his wife.

When he arrived he found out that another Martin Harris had checked in and is at the Hotel with his wife.
Confused to what was going on, he found he couldn’t even prove that he was the real Martin Harris.

This movie is much like a rat race, which proved to be full of suspense and fun at the same time.

The downside about this movie is the moments that were meant to help the viewer build a foundation about the character came out dull at times, with the long dialogues...Liam definitely makes up for it in his touch of master piece acting and pulling out a straight face all through.

It may not be fair to compare this movie with the classic Taken three years ago which also starred Liam Neeson, but if you do, you will notice that this movie is just average. Unknown is a financial success making over $130 million compared to its $30 million budget, so i guess the producers will smile to the bank.

Diane Kruger was also exception in this movie, The Inglourious Basterds star will also be starring in the upcoming National Treasure 3 in 2014.

The screenplay is joyous, but the movie itself needed more work and could be better.

The Mechanic (2011)

The Mechanic (2011)

4/10

Starring
Jason Statham
Ben Foster

Directed by Simon West

This movie stars Jason Statham as Arthur Bishop and it is just an action movie made for Jason Statham fans.

I am sure the producer of the movie had a wish list which include, make a movie with Jason Statham in it.

The movie as I said is just an action movie focused mainly on gun battles, killings and not much attention placed on the script or dialogue.

The Mechanic is a remake of a 1972 Charles Bronson picture of the same name, Jason Statham is trying hard to carve his name on the wall as one of the men you’ll be calling when making an action movie a carving that will take a while to stick, but I think and stand to be corrected. Statham is far from the greats of Arnold, Stallone, Jackie Chan, and others you may want to add.





The movie plot goes thus Arthur is (in the film's terminology) a mechanic a.k.a an assassin who carries out assignments for a nameless syndicate which kinda have an endless target list.

He has two bosses, one of whom, Dean (Tony Goldwyn) an uptight looking, Donald Trump talking man and his old crippled mentor Harry McKenna (Donald Sutherland) whom he is quite fond of.
The wheelchair bound, Harry returns his affection and even showing some paternal concern for Arthur during the early minutes of this flick.
The movie starts where we see Arthur in Colombia, where he'd neatly dispatched a drug lord in the film's opening scene which I have to say was masterful way to kill someone.


We then notice a twist of faith which leaves Harry dead as Arthur had to end the life of his mentor, which resulted in a revengful kid (Harry's son) wanting to pick a bone with him.

Arthur then in a way or exactly became the mentor of his mentor’s estranged son Steve (Ben Foster, who starred alongside Woody Harrelson in The Messenger), who is a screw loose and on the edge of a jump off a cliff as his whole agenda is bent on avenging his father's murder.

The movie is actually directed by Con Air’s director Simon West and, seems too conventional to be a movie made in the year 2011.

West's Con Air, is more grounded and shows imagination (although it was done way back when) but here we have a movie lacking what it needs the most, emotions.

Audience like to be in the actors shoes not just watch him act like a Zombie sent to take out people, but The Mechanic deprives you of that feeling and you are left watching a terminator looking assasin, going around feeling like God.