Unlocked actually isn’t a terrible movie though it is on the average range of spectrum as the script needed and the villain’s ultimate motive is just nonsensical but at least Noomi Rapace was good in the lead role.
Unlocked
(2017)
Genre(s): Suspense/Thriller, Action
Lionsgate | R – 99 min. – $21.99 | November 14, 2017
Date Published: 11/01/2017 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE — 2.25/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: Alice Racine (NOOMI RAPACE) is one of the CIA’s top interrogators whose career is sidelined after she fails to unlock a prisoner in time to save the lives of dozens of innocent people from a 2012 terrorist attack in Paris. Now, leading a quiet life in London as a caseworker, Alice is unexpectedly called back into action when the CIA apprehends a suspect believed to have direct knowledge of another imminent attack. Alice must turn to the people she knows and trusts — her mentor (MICHAEL DOUGLAS), CIA division director (JOHN MALKOVICH) and an MI-5 agent (TONI COLLETTE) — in order to unravel the terrorists’ plans before its too late. Along for the journey is a burglar (ORLANDO BLOOM) Alice catches in the midst of his crime, tagging along after overhearing the situation.
Note: This review contains some plot SPOILERS, so readers beware. Review: Unlocked is a frustrating movie to judge. Early on, I actually was kind of digging this action-thriller and there was even a genuine twist I didn’t see coming. But that all falls apart later, especially the third act where we get another twist that could be telegraphed, a twist previously seen 20+ years ago in Mission: Impossible for crying out loud. Then you add in the villain’s motives and it’s utterly ludicrous, proving the writer, Peter O’Brien (debut) is the only one credited, was more interested in the conspiracy angle but gave little thought to a motive that made a lick of sense. But for all that doesn’t work, there are some aspects that did. For one, Noomi Rapace proves herself, once again following The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy and even the much maligned Prometheus, a more than capable lead, often overcoming some poor writing. John Malkovich doesn’t have a whole lot to do, yet has an amusing scene opposite Toni Collette who I think was moving between this and xXx: The Return of Xander Cage production because she’s sporting the same or similar hairdo.
On the downside, however, Michael Douglas more or less phones it in, not that I blame him… And Orlando Bloom shows up for a bit, then exits stage left, never to be seen again though if there is somehow an Unlocked 2, he could conceivably be in it. And honestly, given Rapace’s performance, I actually wouldn’t be against a sequel. This isn’t at all a terrible film, adequately directed by Michael Apted (The World is Not Enough) for the most part outside of a reveal that either was poorly handled or they knew they weren’t fooling anyone about it. It is frustrating because with a re-write or two, Unlocked might’ve made for a solid enough film; instead it’s passably watchable but not much more than that. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 1.5/5 |
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This release comes with a glossy, fingerprint attracting, title-embossed slip cover and inside a Digital HD copy redemption code. Making Unlocked (13:24; HD) is a basic behind-the-scenes featurette with interviews by the cast and crew discussing the film and characters. Trailer (2:27; HD) Previews – American Assassin, First Kill, John Wick: Chapter 2, Shot Caller, The Hitman’s Bodyguard |
VIDEO – 4.25/5 |
| Lionsgate unlocks… Unlocked onto Blu-ray presented with a 2.40 widescreen aspect ratio and given a solid 1080p high-definition transfer (MPEG-4 AVC codec). The picture looks pretty darn good with relatively sharp detail throughout and colors do seem natural in appearance as are the skin tones. I didn’t notice any obvious flaws like aliasing, artifacts and other faults. |
AUDIO – 3.5/5 |
| The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track was, frankly, a bit lackluster. There is some modest depth through some of the shootouts but otherwise this seemed to be a toned down lossless track, even the generic action-centric score was somewhat tampered. But even so, it’s still okay, just don’t be expected to be wowed. |
OVERALL – 2.5/5 |
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Overall, Unlocked actually isn’t a terrible movie though it is on the average range of spectrum as the script needed and the villain’s ultimate motive is just nonsensical but at least Noomi Rapace was good in the lead role to the point I actually wouldn’t mind seeing her in a sequel. |
Check out some more 1080p screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.