Unleashed
cast: Jet Li, Morgan Freeman
The good: surprisingly strong drama elements
The bad: surprisingly weak action elements
Jet Li plays a trained (or groomed) martial arts experts who wears a collar which when released, 'unleashes' the beast within him. He is manipulated by a local gang boss who uses him and treats him like a dog.
Powerful in its dramatic elements and lacking in its action sequences, Unleashed is more of a drama as it is a kung-fu film. For instance, much of the story revolves around the transformation of Jet Li's character from ice-cold fighter to a kindly innocent young man after he is treated and taken care of by a blind piano player (Freeman) and his adopted daughter.
The acting is the strongest highlight of the film with Jet Li and Morgan Freeman wonderfully acting side by side with the former in his innocent and curious demeanor and the latter as a all-too kind and caring father figure. The acting gives serious life to the lengthy story elements. In fact I found myself enjoying the dialogue bits more than I did the fight scenes.
Speaking of the fight scenes, they are scattered moderately throughout the film but they never take center-stage. They provide the trademark Jet Li acrobatics and skills but you've seen far better than this.
The movie is coated with a distinctly gray lighting effect which adds to the overall feel of the film.
Surprisingly above-average and dramatic, Unleashed is one of the finer Jet Li films out there and is a good watch for any bored movie-goer. (4/5)
*Fun Fact: Bob Hoskins (the gang boss) last appeared in the craptacular Son of the Mask as Odin.
The good: surprisingly strong drama elements
The bad: surprisingly weak action elements
Jet Li plays a trained (or groomed) martial arts experts who wears a collar which when released, 'unleashes' the beast within him. He is manipulated by a local gang boss who uses him and treats him like a dog.
Powerful in its dramatic elements and lacking in its action sequences, Unleashed is more of a drama as it is a kung-fu film. For instance, much of the story revolves around the transformation of Jet Li's character from ice-cold fighter to a kindly innocent young man after he is treated and taken care of by a blind piano player (Freeman) and his adopted daughter.
The acting is the strongest highlight of the film with Jet Li and Morgan Freeman wonderfully acting side by side with the former in his innocent and curious demeanor and the latter as a all-too kind and caring father figure. The acting gives serious life to the lengthy story elements. In fact I found myself enjoying the dialogue bits more than I did the fight scenes.
Speaking of the fight scenes, they are scattered moderately throughout the film but they never take center-stage. They provide the trademark Jet Li acrobatics and skills but you've seen far better than this.
The movie is coated with a distinctly gray lighting effect which adds to the overall feel of the film.
Surprisingly above-average and dramatic, Unleashed is one of the finer Jet Li films out there and is a good watch for any bored movie-goer. (4/5)
*Fun Fact: Bob Hoskins (the gang boss) last appeared in the craptacular Son of the Mask as Odin.
posted by NaCl at Wednesday, May 25, 2005
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