UNKNOWN 3.0*** (but barely)

If you go in expecting a nice ride with a couple of twists somewhat similar to, but not as good as "Taken”( the excellent thriller movie also starring Liam Neeson"), you'll get what you want. But if you go in expecting more, you’ll be disappointed. How the story ends is somewhat cliché and the movie includes the almost always mandatory never-ending car chase that we’ve all seen so many times before… although it is fairly good. The movie would have been great if "Unknown" had actually dealt more in-depth with the terror of memory loss and identity theft .

Originality definitely isn't a problem for this film because of its vast ambiguity. Therefore, that aspect will not disappoint those looking for an original film. Also, there are fine performances by Diane Kruger and Frank Langella, and a standout performance by German actor Bruno Ganz. But it is Liam Neeson, who makes the movie.. The reason Liam Neeson is an A-list actor is his ability to play very balanced roles. He always goes as far as he can with a role without overdoing it and thus making himself relevant and believable. He plays Dr Martin Harris, a researcher invited to a bio-technology congress in Berlin. After arriving at but before checking in the hotel with his lovely wife (January Jones) ,he realizes he left his briefcase at the airport and jumps in a cab to return to get it only to have the cab get involved in a near fatal accident. He suffers a bad concussion and is in a coma for 4 days. And if his week had not been bad enough, it culminates in his wife no longer recognizing him and, instead, she acknowledges another man as her husband. Talk about a major identity crisis and theft !

“Unknown" tries way too hard to be ambiguous and original when a better and clearer plot development would have helped. Too many twists and turns sometimes send the plot into nearly opposite directions. Unfortunately the film concludes leaving numerous loose ends which causes a lot of things to remain "unknown."

“Unknown” is good, but not great. It's worth a go at the theatre, but if you're expecting “Taken”, you’ll be disappointed..
Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of violence and action, and brief sexual content.

Clark