Whether he defends the galaxy as a Jedi, trains Bruce Wayne to overcome his fear of bats, or tears through Paris trying to locate his kidnapped daughter, few would deny that Liam Neeson is an absolute crowd-pleaser. 2008’s Taken was an undeniable hit, solidifying Neeson as a surprisingly adept action hero, and when early previews for Unknown first hit theaters, it was clear that audiences were expecting a similarly successful film. In fact, it seemed pretty clear that Warner Bros. was positioning Unknown as a mix between Taken and The Bourne Identity, which was more than enough to generate a high level of audience interest. To be clear, regardless of his popular roles referenced above, Liam Neeson remains one of my favorite and most respected actors (primarily due to his Oscar-nominated work in 1993’s Schindler’s List), so I would happily see any film in which he features. While I was fairly sure that this newest thriller wouldn’t be identical to Taken, I was nevertheless excited to see Neeson tear through Europe yet again in Unknown.
In retrospect, even though Unknown is entertaining enough, I was still slightly disappointed in the finished product of the film. Neeson once again aptly proves his competence as an action star, chasing down the truth and dodging mysterious assailants with undeniable tenacity, but the overall story just borrows too heavily from past films. A strong supporting cast that includes Diane Kruger, January Jones, and Frank Langella helps add mystery and excitement to the plot, but as the film unfolds everything just starts feeling a little too familiar. With the unique premise initially promised to audiences, being able to associate so many story elements present in Unknown with past thriller films is especially disappointing. Fans of the conspiracy and spy genre will find plenty to enjoy in Unknown between the car chases and instances of mistaken identity, and Neeson once again delivers another strong and crowd-pleasing performance, but in the end audiences should not go into this film expecting anything terribly unique.
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Overall Recommendation: Medium
