"Unleashed" Surprisingly Good
We decided not to fight the "Sith" crowds and instead caught a matinee showing of "Unleashed" this afternoon. It was a good call; we shared the theater with only a handful of other folks, and the movie turned out to be very entertaining.
Anyone who follows movies is already familiar with the plot. Jet Li plays an "enforcer" in the employ of a ruthless gangster (is that redundant?) portrayed by Bob Hoskins. Only the employment status is more akin to slavery, with Li's character ("Danny") sleeping in a cage and wearing a metal collar. The unlocking of his collar is his cue to wreak havoc on anyone unfortunate enough to cross Bart, the gangster. The unfolding of the plot reveals no great surprises, but the uniform excellence of the performances was unexpected.
Well, we'd expect nothing less from Morgan Freeman, a blind piano tuner who befriends Danny, or from Hoskins, who always brings energy to his roles. But we never expected the engaging and even moving performance that Li provided. To be sure, it's his martial arts skills that provide the movie's initial attraction, but he transcends that stereotype, as we watch an almost feral personality experience for the first time a taste of freedom.
Given that Li is still far from fluent in English, much of his performance is via facial expressions and body language, and the results are occasionally delightful (for example, his first encounter with braces adorning a young lady's teeth). Surely director Luc Besson can take credit for some of this skill, but it appears that Jet Li might actually have the soul of an actor, after all. Whether he'll ever have the American box office appeal of Jackie Chan (the comparison's inevitable, isn't it?) remains to be seen, but this performance seems to make him the superior actor.
My main complaint about the movie is that the ending left a couple of unresolved loose ends. But that's a minor shortcoming in the overall scheme of things.
I can't conclude this review without addressing one of the trailers we saw, because if there's any justice, there will be a special circle of hell for whoever decided that the world needed this movie.
You mean there were crowds for ROTS?
Gee... After the first two, you'd think they would learn. They probably didn't hear the news that Jar-Jar's in it (yep, that makes all 3).
Condemning movies to the Inferno? Your nomination will probably be found blowing around the Second Circle.
I'll definitely be adding your nomination along with my own. I'm not sure which circle the Z-boys should be consigned to or if a special circle will be added just for them.
Movies like that are shown at "break time" to those folding fitted sheets.
Btw. I heard your white paper was read by the "main man" himself prior to being forwarded to the Institute of Sisyphean Studies.
Posted by: Mr. Freen at May 22, 2005 12:39 AMI think the movie poster pretty much says it all.
Actually, Julie, the poster is a work of art of Michelangeloan proportions compared to the movie itself...especially if they really put the best scenes into the trailer.
You mean there were crowds for ROTS?
To be honest, I didn't see any actual crowds; I was basing my opinion on the packed parking lot. I just assumed they were all there to see ROTS.
I don't fault Lucas for keeping JJB in the movie. He's probably good for another $25 mil in merchandise licensing, and, really, at this point that's what it's all about, isn't it?
I do make a distinction between movies like "Deuce" and the Z-boys' offering, in that I suspect the latter was a sincere effort that wasn't backed up by talent or a quality product; there's absolutely nothing sincere about Deuce other than the horribly astute perception that some people will pay money to see anything.
Posted by: Eric at May 22, 2005 04:48 PMAbout the publisher
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I think the movie poster pretty much says it all.
Posted by: Julie at May 22, 2005 12:31 AM