"Unknown" is best viewed as a kind of "son of 'Taken,'" the 2009 film that starred Neeson as a relentless berserker who terrorized all of France looking for his kidnapped daughter, a picture that surprised everyone by grossing $145 million despite opening in the traditionally fallow first quarter of the year.
Once that happened, every Hollywood studio must have scoured the Earth in search of a similar story that would allow Neeson to once again lose his temper and take on the world. With "Unknown," Warner Bros. has done more than win the competition, it's come up with a better film than "Taken" ever was.
What sets "Unknown" apart is the strength of its cast, which besides Neeson includes Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz and Frank Langella. They in turn were likely attracted by the shrewd nature of the intriguing plot twists that eventually fill us in on what's going on.
We first meet Harris on the plane flying him and wife Elizabeth (January Jones) to Berlin for a global technology summit where he's scheduled to give an important presentation. It's all so tranquil it might be a commercial for Singapore Airlines, but we know better. This is Liam Neeson, after all, and his characters never have a nice day
Sure enough, Harris leaves his briefcase behind at the Berlin airport, and the taxi taking him back to recover it gets into a horrendous wreck. Harris comes out of his coma four days later, horrified to learn that no one, not even has wife, has been asking for him. He's warned "there are no rules for severe traumas like this one," but he insists on leaving anyway and his doctor (possibly having seen "Taken") knows better than to stand in his way.
Worse news, however, awaits him at that conference. Not only does his wife deny him like Peter denying Jesus, she presents him to another man (Aidan Quinn) who confidently insists he is the real Martin Harris. "What's going on, Liz?" Harris plaintively moans. "It's me, Martin, your husband." No response.
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