Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of violence and action, and brief sexual content.
Starring Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger and January Jones
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan and House of Wax)
Unknown is NOT Taken.
Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife (January Jones) suddenly doesn’t recognize him and another man (Aidan Quinn) has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by mysterious assassins, he finds himself alone, tired and on the run. Aided by an unlikely ally (Diane Kruger), Martin plunges headlong into a deadly mystery that will force him to question his sanity, his identity, and just how far he’s willing to go to uncover the truth.
Most will compare Unknown with Taken and there’s really no comparison. Sure both were on the unbelievable side when it comes to the action scenes, but Taken was grounded in a simple, universally appealing plot device (father rescuing helpless daughter) and its seedy subject matter (teenage prostitution). That superior premise and terrific pacing made for a more entertaining film.
And while Unknown is not a bad ride, you eventually come to the realization that it’s all about the reveal. The big who dunnit? And how’d they do that?
The great thrillers hook you at the beginning, and keep you right to the end. The average ones make you realize that you are desperate…just get to the end. Unknown is average. It goes through the motions of a thriller but it all feels done before. People are constantly in the right place at the right time. A gun always gets knocked loose, someone is barely spotted at the last second…I needed more. More shocks, more surprises. Unknown just didn’t have enough. Plus, while they did have a decent twist, they gave it away a little too quickly. After that we’re stuck in just another action movie.
Unknown is worth watching…but only as a Rental.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Unknown is Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of violence and action, and brief sexual content and that’s an accurate rating…so my 13 year old daughter won’t be watching it.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
Q: What’s the message/theme of this movie?
A: In the movie Dr. Martin Harris wakes up not sure who or where he is. Hopefully none of us will ever experience that type of trauma, but aren’t there times in our day-to-day life where we “forget” who we are? Not that we forget our names or where we live…but we forget who we really are in Christ.
Q: How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
A: We need to read, reread and reread and reread Romans 5:8 “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
Ask your child/student, “What does that verse say about your worth to God?”
Q: How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
A: Knowing who we really are will affect every aspect of our lives. It will help us make better or wiser decisions, it will affect how we treat others, and it will strengthen our relationship with Jesus.
Discuss how it will help us make better or wiser decisions this week.
Discuss how it will affect how we treat others this week.
Finally, discuss how it will strengthen our relationship with Jesus this week.
