# Unknown with Liam Neeson **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 18, 2011, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-with-liam-neeson/571858 "2011-02-18T21:45:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-with-liam-neeson/571858/21 "2011-02-27T15:29:58Z")
On what DirkGntly said: That was my take as well. However, if they knew that Neeson had been going back to the airport to get the briefcase, without him having ever told them this, why didn’t they just send Aiden Quinn to pick it up? Not to mention that the entire plot of the movie depends on [spoiler]a man bringing to a party his work computer and then their certainty that they’d be able to talk him out of holding his work computer throughout the whole party. If either of those fail to happen the entire six month (at least) plan falls apart. When they must have had access to his computer all along since they knew what the relatively secure unique password to a specific folder on that laptop was. But of course, these super competent international people of mystery couldn’t actually memorize the four words in the two passwords they needed to know so it was necessary that they create a code who’s mere existence would provide enough information to Neeson for him to unravel the plot.[/spoiler] That’s one of the reasons I didn’t like the movie it simultaneously relies on the brilliance of the plotters to know with certainty the outcome of that which is actually chance while being stupid enough to reveal themselves. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-with-liam-neeson/571858/22 "2011-02-27T22:31:03Z")
Yeah, pretty forgettable fare overall. I am getting really, really, really sick of car chases. Who finds these exciting? They are tedious and dull, and almost always completely unrealistic in the extreme. (Exception - the “car chase” scene in “Children of Men”. That was exciting.) ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-with-liam-neeson/571858/23 "2011-02-28T02:03:24Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > We saw it last night; as you said, not an award-winner, for sure. But we both (hubby and I) like Liam Neeson, and I am also a big fan of Frank Langella! > > My biggest complaint about the whole thing would be that, towards the climax, when you think things should really start cooking along, the pacing _sloooooowwwwwws dowwwwwwnnnnn_. This is the point where, in a _really good_ action/thriller, it would be moving like a freight train with the brake disabled. Instead, I was left sitting there thinking “OK, OK, now we know the _secret_, can we just get on with it?” > > Other than that, though, really quite enjoyable. I saw it last night. I liked it. My biggest complaint about the movie was that it became completely predictable for me as soon as [spoiler]they showed Frank Langella’s face. I missed Langella’s name in the credits at the beginning of the movie, but when I saw him, I knew he was a bad guy, and not only a bad guy, _the_ bad guy. Instantly, the movie went from enjoyable to predictable sludge. I knew Betty Dra…I mean Elizabeth Harris was a willing part of the plot, and that she would die (there was no other out for her that made sense) as would the replacement Martin Harris. I knew the Langella character would die, pfft, nothing new there. And I knew that Jason, I mean Martin would end up riding off into the night with Marie, I mean Gina.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-with-liam-neeson/571858/24 "2011-02-28T03:04:37Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#): > > The phrase should be “if you liked Taken and would really like to see The Bourne Identity remade but with bonus boredom then you’ll like Unknown.” I thought it was more like _The Fugitive_ meets _Syriana_ with a garnish of _The Informant_. > [@friedo](#): > > The more I see of January Jones in other roles and interviews, the more I’m convinced she’s not acting at all. The woman has no personality. It works for Betty Draper; it makes near everything else dreadful. Mrs. J.‘s comment was that Jones’ acting ran the gamut of emotions from A to B. It was sort of reminiscent of the non-acting Eva Marie Saint did in _North By Northwest_, which was a slightly better movie than _Unknown_ (my general feeling about the latter is that it was a decent way to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon). ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-with-liam-neeson/571858/25 "2011-02-28T03:34:21Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > ..It was also great to see Bruno Ganz in this. Some will remember him as the main Angel in Wim Wender’s Wings of Desire. Others will know him from playing Hitler in the film Downfall, even if you’ve only seen the parodies… I cannot tear my eyes off that man when he is on screen. I can listen to him talk all day. Great acting. I learned of the movie Downfall from the parodies, and eagerly sought out the real film. Great stuff. And the parodies were so funny that instead of tiring of them as many have, I instead am always hoping that someone comes up with new ones. But I digress. I enjoyed Unknown. I also am not the type to sit there trying to figure out the twist. Mostly because I never figure out the twist anyway, so better to just sit back and enjoy. I’m also not the type to take off points for unrealistic plot devices. So he didn’t really need to bring his work laptop to the party, and she could have memorized the password. So what. It’s just a movie. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-with-liam-neeson/571858/26 "2011-02-28T05:07:46Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > I cannot tear my eyes off that man when he is on screen. I can listen to him talk all day. Great acting. You have to see **Wings of Desire** if you haven’t already. He’s to die for in that. Be prepared for the mood, that might make some people restless. It’s very slow and quiet and contemplative, a movie to savor and re-watch when you need your batteries recharged. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unknown-with-liam-neeson/571858.md?page=1)