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Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Unlocked

Unlocked Cast
OK counter-terrorist action-thriller. Excerpt from the Hollywood Reporter review:
In theory, Unlocked is a noble attempt to forge a female counterpart to Bourne or Bond. But in reality, it is seriously hobbled by a creaky script and clumsy performances. Apted has a respectable track record, but he can do little to energize a groaningly familiar Frankenplot that seems to have been patched together from half a dozen equally forgettable movies and depends on a string of increasingly implausible double-cross twists instead of generating its own innate dramatic tension. The apocalyptic bio-terror attack, an oddly amateurish scheme hatched by a handful of unhinged hardliners with poorly explained motives, is also fatally low on suspense. It even climaxes with one of those frantic race-against-time countdowns that long ago jumped the shark from action thriller staple to Austin Powers-level parody.
I didn't notice any "clumsy performances", but "Frankenplot" definitely applies. Should I mention that the "frantic race-against-time countdown" happens with our heroine dangling over the edge of an umpteen story stairwell? This happens near the end. It's like they've already done everything new they can think of, so they have to throw in some cliches.

Noomi has been here before under similar circumstances.

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