Derivative movie that pushes suspension of disbelief

Rating: 6/10 (5 August 2012)

Unknown is not a bad movie. However, the good parts are generally stolen from other movies, and it can be somewhat distracting to constantly be thinking to yourself, "They stole this from Frantic" or "They stole this from Total Recall". Ostensibly a thriller, it veers from action to thriller to psychological thriller and back to action. With a skilled director, I think this could have been handled a bit better -- or entirely avoided. Thriller fans, who are expecting more realism than action fans, have less tolerance for over-the-top, unrealistic plot lines and stunts that characterize action movies. Also, with the classic 80s and 90s action stars starting to push 60, it's getting a bit more difficult to believe that they're fighting off assassins and seducing 30 year old women. Liam Neeson does a credible job, but I think a younger actor would have been better.
If you're looking for an over-the-top action/thriller hybrid, you could do much worse. It's well-made and has a pretty good cast. I found this movie to push my suspension of disbelief to the breaking point, while being derivative of several classic action and thriller movies. If these issues don't bother you, then I'd recommend Unknown.