UNKNOWN

CAROLINE: I was very excited to see the new Liam Neeson movie, Unknown, since Mr. Neeson has proven himself to be a great film badass and the trailer was so good. Or at least good for a February release.

RYAN: I loved this trailer and am so bummed I couldn’t attend the screening with you. Please tell me it was good!

CAROLINE: I really wish I could. It started out OK – not as gripping as Taken, but decent. I was never fully engaged though… and then by the second half, it just got lame.

RYAN: Ugh. I’m so disappointed! Was there good action at least?

CAROLINE: Yeah, there were a couple of cool car chases and stuff. I definitely was on the edge of my seat a few times. But it’s mostly just the kind of movie we’d expect to come out this time of year. OK, but nothing great. And it just got sillier as the movie progressed.

RYAN: How’s January Jones?

CAROLINE: I’m not convinced she can act. She’s very cold and bitchy, which is what the role requires, but I’m not sold on her. Then there’s Diane Kruger as the woman who gets implicated in Liam Neeson’s whole stolen identity thing, and she’s good.

RYAN: Isn’t Frank Langella in it too?

CAROLINE: He is, but only briefly at the end. By the time he came around, people were starting to laugh at the preposterous dialogue.

RYAN: Oh no. That’s never a good sign.

CAROLINE: Maybe I went in with too high expectations since the trailer was so good. But once you find out what’s actually going on, and why Liam’s identity has been stolen, it’s just not that great a reveal. I was already on the fence about the movie at that point, and the weak second half just made it worse. I was almost thinking I could recommend this movie just because it’s a slow time of year for film, but I can’t say it’s a must see at all.

RYAN: I can’t believe I Am Number Four is the better movie this week!

CAROLINE: I know! Who would have thought?

— BOTTOM LINE —

CAROLINE: What could have been another fun, action-filled February flick like Taken turns out to be pretty lame. It started off OK, but got weaker as it went along. Liam Neeson is still a badass, but not nearly as much as he was in Taken. I’m underwhelmed.

— RATING —