The script—adapted from French author Didier van Cauweleart’s novel of the same title—unravels like a mixture between the old Twilight Zone episode “Person or Persons Unknown” (where are the Rod Serlings heads at?) and an international conspiracy thriller. There’s also a third element at play: the shunning of originality. The stolen identity angle may add a slightly fresh spin to the genre, but not enough is done with it to generate end-game astonishment. Unknown takes few chances, far too often teetering into ridiculousness rather than intelligence. Dr. Harris (Neeson) and his hot wife (January Jones) arrive in Berlin for a biotechnology summit, in which he’s scheduled to deliver a lecture. A car accident leaves the doc in a coma for four days, and when he comes to, nobody acknowledges him as “Martin Harris”; instead, a new, shorter guy (Aidan Quinn) is now recognized by his name, even by his wife. Self-handled investigations and a The Fugitive-style race against time commences, with an involuntary but feisty sidekick (Diane Kruger) along for the ride.
On a highfalutin scale, Unknown isn’t ideal entertainment; it’s all been seen before. But in February’s current wasteland of big studio releases, this far-from-innovative action-thriller has its salvaging pair in Neeson and Collet-Serra. Look at this way: In a film by the director who shot Paris Hilton’s death scene and the actor who took home a statue for Schindler’s List, that’s way more than should be expected.