DVD Review: Unleashed

Advertised horribly, Unleashed is hardly the action film it was made out to be. It definitely has action (and superb sequences of it as well). This is a drama however, one that switches in tone twice before ending in a basic revenge tale.

Before all of that, you'll need to swallow a rather ridiculous plot device, putting Jet Li in the hands of a crime boss, ruthlessly turning Li's character Danny into a lethal killer, much like a dog and complete with collar (hence the international title of Danny the Dog). It's hard to believe that for his entire life, Danny was never found, rescued, noticed or searched for, but once you get past that hurdle, the film takes shape.

There's not much time spent on trying to explain the past, other than Danny's mother. Unleashed begins with a brutal fight sequence, and like the rest of them included here, they'll be hard to watch even for seasoned action fans. Li pulls of excruciating (and viciously repeated) maneuvers when he's on the offensive with a fury and brutality rarely seen in martial arts films. It doesn't feel choreographed, especially an intense battle in the small confines of a bathroom later in the film.

Those sequences are surprisingly rare though. Once the character is established, Danny is allowed to move on, discovered by Morgan Freeman's blind character. What that begins is an oddly touching tale a human being brought up to normal civility, while discovering his past through piano playing.

Freeman's stepdaughter, played by Kerry Condon, is the weak link in the film. She's obviously playing a character who is far from the age she's meant to be, and takes on the role of an "annoying teenager" without much success. Still, it's through that character that Danny learns some of the world that was foreign to him previously.

It leads to some traumatic moments as Danny comes to terms with himself, interspersed with some well done comedy that takes the edge off some of the sheer brutality to come. Even those expecting an all-out martial arts action epic will be drawn in, which is assuming they bought the premise in the first place. Li is capable in his role with limited dialogue, and very little of the "wire-fu" he's known for.

That makes Unleashed better than expected even though what you're expecting may be something else entirely. This is a wonderfully written drama, perfectly melding multiple genres. If you can buy the concept, you should buy this movie. (**** out of *****)

Article Author: Matt Paprocki

Matt Paprocki is a 12-year movie and game critic. He currently freelances for Blu-ray review site DoBlu.com and video game site MultiPlayerGames.com.

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