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Collaborating again with French super-producer Luc Besson, Unleashed (also known as Danny the Dog) denotes a change of action movie pace for Jet Li. While infused with punches, kicks, and an array of beatings, Unleashed primarily functions as an effective character piece which combines violent fight scenes with a story of redemption, hope and rebirth. In lesser hands the film would have fallen flat on its face, yet it works extraordinarily well in the hands of Besson, director Louis Leterrier and the talented cast, allowing Li to accomplish the best English-language performance of his career. Interestingly, the movie came to pass because Jet Li was keen to attempt something different, so he approached Besson (whom he knew from their previous collaboration, Kiss of the Dragon) and asked him to write a different type of action film for him. Unleashed was the result.
In the malevolent care of his uncle Bart (Hoskins), orphan Danny (Li) has been raised to become a lean mean killing machine who's only silenced by the metal collar around his neck. Specifically, Danny is used as an attack dog to enforce Bart's will on other criminals or to collect debts. When a twist of fate sets Danny free of Bart's control, he befriends a blind piano tuner named Sam (Freeman) and his stepdaughter Victoria (Condon). They take the childlike Danny into their home to educate him in how to be a human being, and he slowly regains his humanity that was lost over the years spent at the end of Bart's leash. However, danger arrives when Bart wants his attack dog back, and threatens to destroy Danny's peaceful new life in order to reclaim him.
The story behind Unleashed is something one would expect from Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, Leon: The Professional), who tends to use the reoccurring theme of identity for his screenplays. In this case, the film concerns Danny's identity - is he a brutal pet or a childlike, innocent soul? With its mix of action and tender drama which recalls Leon: The Professional, Besson and director Leterrier (The Transporter) have concocted a satisfying motion picture that's more heartfelt than expected. When the movie is kinetic, the action is furious, but when it's dramatic it radiates an old-fashioned sweetness and the pacing never gets bogged down. While Unleashed is not necessarily deep and is unmistakably a mainstream product, the filmmakers get credit for generally succeeding at being different.
Surprisingly, Unleashed works so well due to the central performance by Jet Li. You had better mark this down on your Apocalypse Countdown Calendar as the day a review actually praised Li's acting skills. His role of Danny is a tragic figure who has been physically and emotionally brutalised. Subtleties abound in Li's portrayal; it's possible to sense the fear and pain in his eyes and gestures. Li also delivers what's expected from him in a series of bone-crunching, gravity-defying stunts which were predominantly pulled off without the aid of wires or special effects. Yuen Woo Ping acted as the choreographer on the film, and his fight choreography is a tad different from the usual martial arts acrobatics - instead of graceful and stylish, the fights are rawer and grittier, as if Danny is fighting like a dog. Added to this, the choreography was captured smartly by Leterrier who used long camera shots to show off Li's skill as a fighter.
Another interesting character is Victoria. It would've been easy for a stereotypically pretty actress to fill the part and add a forced romance to the story, but the filmmakers went Kerry Condon, who is ideal for the role. Her performance as Victoria is that of a down-to-earth, almost geeky teenaged girl. Condon is exceedingly beautiful to be sure, but not in a Megan Fox sense. Meanwhile, Bob Hoskins as Bart is a standout. Clearly, Hoskins realised how outlandish his role was, and revelled in it. His scenery chewing is of the highest order here. If Hoskins had a moustache, he would have spent the entire film twirling it. While the other cast members endeavoured to bring realism to the story, Hoskins is the opposite, and his performance is great fun. Meanwhile, Morgan Freeman's performance as Sam benefits from a spot-on combination of sweetness, sympathy and sincerity.
Of course, Unleashed is not a realistic motion picture, yet this is like complaining that the ocean is damp. It does require a certain suspension of disbelief - we are supposed to accept that British loan sharks are capable of raising a child as a dog, and that three decades of psychological conditioning can be undone in a few weeks thanks to love. If you can excuse the silliness, you'll realise Unleashed is an action film with heart that alternates between the beautiful and the kick-ass, but at no point topples into eye-rolling saccharine territory.
7.5/10
