Spread the Word! | Tell the world about our store!
Connect with your friends via Email, IM, or Social networks.
 |
|
|
| Unleashed (Unrated Widescreen Edition) |  | Director: Louis Leterrier
Actors: Jet Li, Bob Hoskins, Morgan Freeman, Kerry Condon, Vincent Regan
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: $12.98
Buy Used: $0.01
as of 9/5/2010 16:22 EDT details
You Save: $12.97 (100%)
New (55) Used (163) Collectible (6) from $0.01
Rating:  146 reviews
Sales Rank: 9,583
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), English (Original Language)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 1
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Running Time: 102 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 025192879326
ISBN: 1417065796
UPC: 025192879326
EAN: 9781417065790
Theatrical Release Date: May 13, 2005
Release Date: October 11, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
A man raised like an animal and trained to be a ruthless killer escapes his master and attempts to lead a normal life.
Luc Besson wrote and directed the stylish thrillers La Femme Nikita and The Professional; though he didn't direct Unleashed, the script has his trademark fusion of outrageous sentimentality and over-the-top violence. Hong Kong action superstar Jet Li (Romeo Must Die, Hero) stars as Danny, a man raised to be a brutal attack dog by a nasty gangster named Bart (Bob Hoskins, Mona Lisa)--when Bart removes Danny's collar, Danny pulverizes everyone in the room. But a chance encounter with a blind piano tuner (Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby) reveals to Danny the possibility of a less brutal life, and when a retaliation attack gives him the chance to escape, he does--but Bart won't let him go that easily. The fighting in Unleashed is effectively jolting; Li and fight choreographer Yuen Wo Ping (The Matrix) have purposefully stripped away the smoothness of most movie combat (especially with a genuine martial artist like Li) with raw, unnerving results, especially when juxtaposed with the sweet and earnest scenes of Li regaining his humanity with Freeman and his step-daughter (Kerry Condon). This freewheeling cocktail of bloody noses and ice-cream cones isn't for everyone, but fans of both Besson and Li will leave satisfied. --Bret Fetzer
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 146
 Raw and Brutal, but wait...a sad drama as well. September 9, 2005
KDA (Minnesota)
16 out of 17 found this review helpful
If you go beyond Amazon's reviews, you'll find the majority of the public and the "critics" giving Unleashed above par to high rankings. I read a bulk of critic reviews and was amazed to find all of them actually enjoying aspects, if not the entire movie. Well, the movie does speak for itself.
Danny (Jet) is raised similar to an abused dog by Bart (Hoskins) somewhere in Scotland. Danny basically lives in a cage with a few possessions: punching bag, blanket, A-B-C book, and a stuffed animal. He knows no social skills, only to obey Bart. His world changes when he comes in contact with a piano which triggers some memory. Eventually, the piano links Danny to Morgan Freeman's character. This is where the movie shifts gears and we get to witness Jet Li's best performance in an English dialogue movie. Without giving too much away, you literally watch Danny's new life unfold as he discovers humanity; tasting ice-cream, going to the supermarket, wearing pajamas, etc. There is actually sweet humor due to the innocence played by Jet.
There is so much complaints about how children are being desensitized to violence; However, Unleashed just may resensitize one. I'm not recommending parents to allow their children to watch this, because it isn't even close to being suitable for them. What I mean is this movie shows us how violence is definitely not the answer and I actually found myself rooting for Danny(Jet)to no longer fight. You want him to just take all what he has learned in the months he has spent w/ his new family (there also is a 18 yr. old daughter in the mix) and apply it to the situations. Well, he does try, but ... it is a Jet Li movie and therefore it will have Jet Li action.
The fights are pretty brutal and harsh. There is no sweet wushu fluidness that Jet has so often displayed in the past. He basically goes ape nuts while applying some martial arts. This movie displays the 2nd most punishment fighting scenes I've witnessed; still a far cry from what you can view in "Ong Bak."
Having said all that, we all know Morgan Freeman can act, Bob Hoskins (who is normally connected to Roger Rabbit and Super Mario Brothers) does a fantastic job as a cruel slime, but surprising is Jet Li. He may have few lines, which fits his character's mentality, but he sure does make it up with body posture and well trained eyes. If you ever felt sorry for a broken down dog being abused and neglected then you'll truly be able to identify with Jet Li's portrayal. If he wasn't considered an action star...he would win an oscar.
P.S. There were a few sniffles in the audience at the end. I heard the European version, "Danny the Dog," has a little different ending...w/ tears.
4 1/2 really, because perfection is an impossibility February 5, 2006
Maximus Odeathius (Limbo)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
ugh, you people who are giving bad reviews to this movie with such childish and unsympathetic and narrow-minded reasons make me sick. you're all the typical "mindless violence, no emotion" movie-goers. how about you try to be a little empathic for once in your lives? you think that entertainment should just be non-stop action with no human emotion or thought. well, i have news for you: deep emotion and understanding is what makes you, me, and all the world human. so maybe the next time you watch this movie you should be a little more open-minded and caring about the human condition and the effects of such extreme circumstances. and there actually have been extreme cases where young children have been raised as dogs... by dogs. children who act just as any stray dog might. even, literally, growling and barking, without the ability to speak. so, you see, it's not so far-fetched as you so many of you seem to think. the human mind is flexible and multi-tiered, which is what this movie is trying to portray. but you obviously didn't understand the movie or Jet Li's character, saying that he changes in the blink of an eye. which, to even the casually intelligent and perceptive observer, is quite untrue. from the very beginning of the movie i could see that deep down Danny did not want to be what he was. he always had that desire for something more (emotionally) and at the same time, something less bellicose and noisome. he had this readily evident passion and inclination for music, apparent due to his fascination with the pianos in the antiques shop basement. music was his soft side, his human side; and it's what he yearned for at all times until his collar was taken off. then his base, violent animal side took over his whole self. and he became the killer dog he was trained to be. so when Sam came into his life and brought with him the music that he craved so much it *brought out* his soft, human side. it wasn't just magically there and it wasn't an instant transformation either. seeing as how he beats and kills a few more guys after that before he really becomes human again. and even after he regains his humanity he beats the hell out of a bunch of guys. if you watch the behind the scenes, Morgan Freeman speaks of the "juxtaposition of the violence and non-violence." and it is this theme, of the truly violent but at the same time loving and kind nature that exists within all of us, that i think attracted Freeman to this film. and in my opinion this juxtaposition is beautifully done. i love movies and stories where human nature is pushed to such extremes, especially when they're filled with such love and compassion, and such anger and violence; such opposing emotions that co-mingle and blend and fight one another and then ultimately co-exist to form, not a well-rounded individual, but more of a bumpy elliptical human being. because who in all the world is truly well-rounded? we all have our ups and our downs and our shadow-selves that must be delt with. so please view this movie as what it is: a tour through the human soul. and not what it definitely isn't: your merely typical, mindless "feux-uber-American/British-Kung Fu" movie entertainment. but i agree, it did end a bit abruptly. (not as abruptly, though, as The Goblet of Fire) and i would've liked to see a little more development and delving of Danny's life and hardships and personality before he met Sam and his daughter. but i understand that movies have time constraints and budgets so i'll forgive them. i also think there was some wonderful acting in this movie. Morgan Freeman was great, of course. (even though his character did seem like a Ray Charles wannabe, as previously stated, but that wasn't his fault) Jet Li, in my opinion, was absolutely magnificent. this is the most (and best) *acting* i've ever seen him do. he wonderfully portrayed a stray dog in human form, living with new, unknown people who are family, *not* owners. he was shy, skiddish, terrified, and warm and eager for knowledge and new things all in the right places and with remarkably convincing acting. i haven't seen a lot of his movies, but i've seen a few. and this has to be one of his best. one random thing: to the person who spoke poorly of the fact that the daughter accepted him right off even though he acted like a thief who's just been caught. if you had paid attention it was mentioned that Danny had been there unconscious for two days. meaning that she would have already known he was there and Sam definitely would have described what kind of person he was. so she knew what to expect, really, when she first came into contact with him. Bob Hoskins also did a wonderful job as your quintessential slimy, evil petty thug Boss. a man who's in the lower-middle ranks of the organized crime world and trying to scrape his way higher. and to all of you who say you didn't like the martial arts in the movie. well, that's because there isn't really any martial arts. because as Danny is essentially a dog, he essentially fights like a dog: savage and brutal and unorganized, attacking whoever is closest first and sticking with them (for the most part) until they're out of the fight, then switching his focus to the next closest opponent. overall, i found this to be a marvelously enjoyable film and will be recommending it to all my movie enthusiast friends and family. i am liking ROGUE Pictures very much after Shaun of the Dead and Unleashed. thank you to all who read this whole thing and kindly listen to what i have to say.
A great, compelling story August 9, 2005
C. Manriquez
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
When I first saw Unleashed, I was not expecting this movie to be as sentimental as it was. Yes the fights are brutal and bone jarring but the "warm" parts in the movie made this movie a jewel in its own right. Not everyone is a Jet Li fan and for those that are, we expected an all out fight to the death type of movie but when the mood of the story turns, the acting turns very warm, sentimental, giving you a fuzzy feeling inside at the simplicity of Danny's life and the hardships he now faces. Morgan Freeman literally helped the story along, being more of a father than a friend to Danny and being well natured as he is, he helped bring out the humanity Danny had been missing in his life along with Kerry Condon helping in discovering his true self. This is a well made movie, more of a joy to watch than anything else.
VERY surprisingly August 27, 2006
David Foskin (Waterford, Ireland)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
The new Jet Li/Luc Besson/Louis Leterrier opus, Unleashed, is such a rich cinematic experience, one almost wonders how it ever got made in the first place. A brutal, yet thoughtful, action picture in the vein of Besson's La Femme Nikita and Leon, Unleashed is the ultimate hybrid genre picture.
The story of Danny (Li), a Chinese boy raised from a toddler by a brutal loan shark (Bob Hoskins), trained as a fighting dog, brutalized and demeaned his whole life. With a metal dog collar around his throat, Danny becomes a hound from hell when the collar is removed, doing whatever his "master" says.
When he is freed one day (by an assassination attempt by a "business associate" of his master), Danny begins a new life with a blind piano tuner (Morgan Freeman, sturdy, sagely as ever) and his step-daughter. They teach him, quite beautifully, of the wondrous little joys of life, something he never knew before. When his master comes to reclaim him, Danny fights with all his might to leave behind his violent past.
Li, as an actor, has never been more effective. His turn in Unleashed is astonishing, subtle and rich, as great as any other dramatic actor has delivered this year.
Leterrier (The Transporter) has proven himself striking genre formalist. Unleashed is a vast improvement over the entertaining but flawed The Transporter. He has crafted a stylish, affecting thriller, the year's best film IMO.
What a great surprise of a movie!! September 13, 2006
TRFB
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
From the time I saw the previews at the movies I thought, that'd be a cool movie to watch. And one day on cable I saw it listed and decided to give it a try. What a great surprise!! I really, really liked this movie. It really reminds me of the other Luc Besson movie "The Professional". It was great the way the character who was an animal (or treated as one) became a whole different person. Jet Li really did a great job acting. I really believed his character. He didn't over-act, or play it too much outside. The fight scenes were incredible. Choreographed very, very well.
I highly recommend this movie to anyone who wants a good action movie with a great story. I think with actors such as Morgan Freeman and Bob Hoskins, the movie has some weight to it. Not to say Jet Li couldn't carry the movie, but, when you have great actors other than Li, it really gives the movie credence. Great job on the casting. Check this movie out. It's really worth it.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 146
|
|
|
DylanTree.com® since 2001 | Shop Safe & Secure |
Do you have questions about forms of payment, your recently placed order, or shipping status?
Call for Assistance:
866-945-5346
Email: customer-support *at* DylanTree.com
|
|
|
Payment Choices |  |
|
|
Shipping Options |  |
|
|
30 Day Full Refund |  |
|
|
|
![Dragonheart [HD DVD]](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000O179F4.01._AA75_PU_PU-5_.jpg)
