Liam Neeson as an Amnesiac James Bond

Rating: 8/10 (9 May 2011)

Unknown was a really solid action thriller. It seems like Liam Neeson has done a lot of these types of movies lately, but I enjoyed this much more than Taken (which was a bit clichéd). Unknown is much more than the story of a man who lost his memory and seems to have been replaced by someone taking his identity. In fact, the sheer amount of plot twists and complexities keep building up, but you never feel too lost (the exposition bordered on making things way too obvious, but always hid something from you). I feel like this movie could have been a James Bond movie, and there's a similar amount of slightly unbelievable moments (Liam Neeson should've been James Bond, he would have been much, much better and funnier than Daniel Craig). The action scenes are clear and well done, and there's tons of suspense and gasp-inducing moments that keep the film's momentum going.
Part of what made this movie different from your usual thriller was the excellent cinematography. Unknown takes place in Berlin, and the gloomy, snow-filled streets and mix of modern and traditional architecture is a really cool environment. There's a bit of CGI that looked somewhat cheap, but for the most part, the visual effects nicely complemented the story.
The acting was better-than-average for a thriller on most parts. Neeson did his usual bad-ass job, and really pulled off having lost his memory. Diane Kruger played a cab driver pulled into the mystery, and she did a great job portraying a sympathetic character and was a strong female lead (also, incredibly beautiful). The minor characters were all very enjoyable, especially Bruno Ganz as a former spy-turned private detective and Frank Langella as -character description removed-.
I have to say, though, the weakest link was definitely January Jones. I have decided that she's actually a pretty bad actress. Now, before all you Mad Men fans get mad at me, Betty Draper is a character that's supposed to be childlike and stiff. Well, apparently Jones isn't really acting. She was the one part of this movie that constantly annoyed me.
Overall, I definitely had fun watching Unknown and liked it a lot. Worth seeing.