Jet Li has been a star overseas for years and seemed set to break out in the U.S. when he starred as the villain in “Lethal Weapon 4” back in 1998. His unique fighting style is incredible to watch, yet he has only made a handful of films in the U.S. and only “The One” came even close to being a hit. I don’t know if it is poor choices in his part or bad management, but I’m kind of disappointed that he hasn’t had the opportunity to make better films here. The newest entry to the Jet Li canon is a French production that was released here under the title “Unleashed.” Previously known as “Danny the Dog”, the film revolved around the seedy underworld of Glasgow, Scotland. Li stars as ‘Danny’, an enforcer who has been raised since childhood by Bart (Bob Hoskins), a violent tempered criminal. Danny has been kept more as an animal and is forced to attack and kill on command. He is kept under control by a collar worn around the neck, but whenever Bart removes it, the ‘dog’ goes wild.

After a surprise gangland battle separates the two men, Danny finds refuge in the home of a blind piano tuner (Morgan Freeman) and his young daughter (Kerry Condon). Here he finds the freedom and compassion he has never known and he must battle his own instincts, as well as the men who would have him back in order to remain a free man.

Initially I didn’t think much of the film, but when I saw it I felt differently. It is a widely diverse film filled with violent action sequences and extraordinarily staged fights… yet they are equally balanced by quiet scenes of reflection. When Li cuts loose, he is amazing to watch. The director opted not to use wire work, which makes the fight sequences all the more impressive. It’s so hard to believe a human can move like that. But what surprised me even more was how strong an actor he was in the scenes opposite Morgan Freeman and Kerry Condon. In them, Li was compelling to watch as he was almost childlike in his actions and reactions. We’re not talking Academy Award winning material here, but still his performances is much stronger than you might expect from an action star.

The film is getting yet another lease on life thanks to Universal, who is releasing it on DVD this week. The film really doesn’t look that slick, thanks to the film stock and style director Louis Leterrier opted to go with. It almost looks like an independent feature, but Universal did a great job of cleaning it up considering how dark and gritty it as originally. The sound fared even better, especially in the fight sequences.

The DVD offers up few extras, the main ones being two featurettes that offer up interviews with various members of the cast. You’ll also find a short interview with the director and two music videos (that I could have done without…).

“Unleashed” is not a great movie, but neither is it a bad movie. It seems at odds with itself because of the diversity of its scenes, but while I found that to be refreshing in a movie like this, fans of action flicks might not like the quieter moments.

Directed by: Louis Leterrier
Starring: Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, Bob Hoskins
Extras: “Serve No Master”, “The Collar Comes Off”, Interview with the Director – Louis Leterrier, Massive Attack and The RZA Music Videos
Specifications: Widescreen,
Studio: Universal
Release Date: 10/11/2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R
Website
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We'll give Unleashed a B.