Unleashed [WS] [Unrated]

Director: Louis Leterrier Louis Leterrier

Overview

Two men cut off from the world in different ways become unlikely friends and protectors in this offbeat action drama. Danny (Jet Li) is a physically powerful but emotionally stunted man; never given any sort of proper education, Danny has learned little in his lifetime but how to fight, and his minder, Bart (Bob Hoskins), treats him more like a guard dog than anything else, using him in illegal no-holds-barred brawls that earn Bart plenty of money but only reinforce Danny's violent alienation. When Bart is injured in an auto accident, Danny is left to fend for himself, and stumbles upon Sam (Morgan Freeman), an elderly piano tuner who has lost his sight. Sam is the first person to treat Danny with kindness, and the music he plays soothes the troubled soul of the fighter. However, Danny's fighting skills soon come in handy when Sam runs afoul of a pack of small-time crooks who believe he knows too much about their operations.

Product Details

Release Date:	10/11/2005
UPC:	0025192879326
Original Release:	2005
Rating:	NR
Source:	Universal Studios
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound]
Language:	English
Time:	1:42:00
Sales rank:	43,290

Special Features

Serve No Master; The Collar Comes Off; Interview with director Louis Leterrier; Massive attack and the RZA music videos

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Jet Li	Danny
Morgan Freeman	Sam
Bob Hoskins	Bart
Kerry Condon	Victoria
Vincent Regan	Raffles
Dylan Brown	Lefty,Actor
Tamer Hassan	George
Michael Jenn	Wyeth
Phyllida Law	Distinguished Lady
Michael Ian Lambert	The Stranger
Carole Ann Wilson	Maddy,Actor
Jaclyn Tze Wey	Danny's Mother
Puthirith Chou	Teen Danny
Tony Theng	Little Danny
Owen Lay	Baby Danny
Franck Xie Cheng	Baby Danny
Georgina Chapman	Floozy 1
Danielle Louise Harley	Floozy 2
Andy Beckwith	Righty
Michael Webber	Boxing Boss
Jeff Rudom	Boxing Giant
Laurence Ashley Taboulet	Shower Woman
Alex Lawson	Maddy's Market Fighter
Alain Figlarz	Boss First Fight
Maurice Chan	Tough Man
Santi Sudaros	Swimming Pool Fighter
Christian Bergner	Raffle's Thug
Joseph Beddelem	Jewelry Security Man
Ksenia Zarouba	Sales Person
Pascaline Girardot	Customer
Nic Stevens	Brute
Gregory Loffredo	Bart's Thug
Scott Rider	Trainer Brute
Pascal Lopez	Bart's Young Thug
Pascal Lavanchy	Bart's Driver
Laurence Ashley	Shower Woman
Vanessa Mateo	Maddy's Market Cashier
Emmanuel Lanzi	Tough Man
Affif Ben Badra	Tough Man
Cyrille Hertel	Tough Man
Sedina Balde	Swimming Pool Fighter
Silvio Simac	Actor
Jaclyn Lee	Actor
Neil Davidge	Composer
Nicolas Trembasiewicz	Composer

Technical Credits

Luc Besson

Robert Mark Kamen

Louis Leterrier	Director
Luc Besson	Screenwriter,Producer
Jet Li	Producer
Steve Chasman	Producer,Producer,Executive Producer
Robert Mark Kamen	Screenwriter
Bernard Grenet	Executive Producer,Producer
Mehdi Sayah	Producer
Pierre Spengler	Producer
Lucien Balibar	Sound Effects
Capucine Courau	Sound Effects
Anne Delacour	Sound Effects
Virginie Allal	Special Effects
Patrice Fauquemberg	Special Effects
Maurice Chan	Stunts
Gilles Conseil	Stunts
François Mequer	Stunts
Pierre-Ange Le Pogam	Producer
Vincent Tulli	Sound Mixer,Sound Editor
Cyril Holtz	Sound/Sound Designer
Jet Lee	Producer

Editorial Reviews

An action movie that attempts to balance bone-crunching brutality with considerable heart and soul, Jet Li's second teaming with French action icon Luc Besson blends some genuinely exciting fight scenes with a refreshing sincerity rarely seen in high-octane Hollywood blockbusters. Borrowing considerably from Besson's own Léon (albeit turning the concept of that earlier effort on its head in favor of exploring the plight of a lost but essentially innocent soul sadistically manipulated for evil means rather than an innocent soul corrupted by tragedy), this variation on the familiar theme may ultimately prove too emotionally heavy-handed for hardcore action fans, though the thoughtful balance of tear-jerking and tough-guy posturing may be the ideal compromise for those nights when couples can't seem to choose between explosions and emotions. By now, even the most casual American action fan is well aware of star Li's remarkable skills as a martial artist, and though Transporter director Louis Leterrier shows considerable skill in staging a stylish and spatially believable action scene, his MTV quick-cut sensibilities ultimately undermine the star's considerable natural abilities. Unlike many modern-day action stars, Li has trained his entire life to perfect the fighting skills that have elevated him to international superstardom; when the camera angle changes every tenth of a second, much of the joy of watching him perform ends up getting lost in the shuffle -- and while Li's transformation from killing machine to ice-cream-loving puppy-dog may be a bit too rapid for some, his natural humility makes the transition relatively painless while keeping the pace of the film well on track. Though a phoned-in performance by supporting player Morgan Freeman ultimately lends little to the film's emotional impact, a snarling, scenery-chewing performance by screen veteran Bob Hoskins offers a sadistic and viciously manipulative villain who's easy -- and fun -- to hate.