"Unknown" Movie Trailer Review

"Unknown"

Movie Trailer Review

By our guest blogger, Matthew Schimkowitz

Liam Neeson’s latest thriller, "Unknown," takes the classic Hitchcock plot of the accidental secret agent and gives it a nice shot of Jason Bourne. For the "Taken" star, this means another round of excessive action and espionage, as well as one hell of an identity crisis.

Dr. Martin Harris awakens from a coma as John Doe. His doctors don’t know him. His colleagues don’t know him. Even his wife doesn’t know him and when he confronts his estranged spouse, her arms locked around another Dr. Martin Harris, he decides something is definitely wrong.

With his identity stolen--and his memory hazy at best--the real Martin Harris hunts for those responsible and leaves a pile of bodies in his wake.

The trailer is light on details but heavy on action. A seemingly lost Neeson searches for truth in subway tunnels and high-society galas, talking to mysterious conspirators, and breaking the arms and necks of many henchmen.

Neeson earned action-star status after last year’s "Taken," shedding the mentor persona he garnered from "Star Wars: Episode I" and "Batman Begins." Neeson made an easy transition to believable action star, as his take-no-prisoners determination won over audiences.

"Unknown" looks like a pseudo-sequel to "Taken." Once again, it’s Neeson versus the world as he tries to take down a massive conspiracy. That is, of course, if he’s telling the truth. The trailer adds a tinge of psychological terror through surreal flashbacks and tilted camera angles.

In fact, at a glance, "Unknown" looks just like "Taken" -- Neeson plays essentially the same role -- but with the added element of mystery and psychological dread that might not be such a bad thing.

View the trailer below. What are your thoughts?