"The fight sequences were choreographed by Yuen Wo Ping and they are spectacular but really violent." Margaret Pomeranz AT THE MOVIES "Brutal and bizarre, Unleashed is also peculiarly moving." Cynthia Fuchs POPMATTERS "Li and his Unleashed company have made a wildly entertaining piece of ultra-violence that also stands as a gleefully absurdist adventure story." Ted Fry SEATTLE TIMES "I’ve been waiting for a kickass action movie like this one all year..." JoBlo JOBLO'S MOVIE EMPORIUM "The martial-arts mastery we expect is all there, in spectacular fashion, yet the story also allows Li to show off boyish vulnerability, and it's a winning combination." Tracy Allerton, SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL

"In these dark days of lazy filmmaking, it's nice to return to the days of old when real cars flipped over and real people get tossed out of windows." Michael Ferraro FILM THREAT "The most interesting English-language film [Li] has made yet -- an action picture with the emotional simplicity of a bedtime story, painted in the grimy colors of the London underworld." John DeFore HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "Unleashed is that rarest of things: a violent movie that makes you think." Peter Howell TORONTO STAR "One of the best non-comic book action films I’ve seen in a while." Jon Popick PLANET SICK-BOY "Thrilling, bone-crunching, gloriously choreographed fight scenes, but they're in between the more enduring core of the film, which is a character-centric family drama." Dustin Putman THEMOVIEBOY.COM

The Inside Story

"The first martial arts pic in recent memory with a three-dimensional villain." Harvey S Karten COMPUSERVE

One thing I can guarantee is that after about ten minutes of Bob Hoskins character Bart you too will, along with just about every other character in the film want to put a bullet through him. It's a strong role for Hoskins and one that he plays to the hilt. The big surprise is that Hoskins wasn't the first, second, third, fourth or even fifth choice for the role of Danny the Dogs criminal master. Albert Finney, Anthony Hopkins, Michael Caine and Brian Cox all reportedly passes when offered the role. Having seen the film, one wonders whether they could have pulled it off with such vitriolic fervour as Hoskins does. Most people cherish the company of their pets and treat them accordingly. Not Bart. "When I read the script, I realized that I’d discovered a real story, Hoskins recalls, "one that, while having the rhythm and energy of today’s cinema, has something meaningful to say." And that is? "You want Danny to sort himself out, and you see him discovering himself." Long time fans of Jet Li will find this film is vastly different from any of the thirty or so films he has previously appeared in. "I wanted to work with Luc Besson again, and I told him that I wanted to do something challenging and also something where violence is not the only solution. He said, ‘Like what?’ I said, ‘I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking you.’ After a few days, he said, ‘What about a guy who’s like a dog – treated like one – but is saved by music?’ Two months later, we had a script with a wonderful story and character drama, and we got great actors to be in it." Sure Jet, a guy who’s like a dog, who's treated like crap and saved by music. How much disbelief must I suspend to take all that in. And here's something you may not believe, or though some will note they've often wondered, Jet Li says he hasn't taken acting lessons before. What! You think I'm kidding you? "I’d never taken an acting class before,"Jet Li admits. "I learned just by working. This time, though, Luc found a wonderful acting coach from London. For two months before shooting, she helped me study Danny and discover what he was like, what he’s thinking, how he walks, how he reacts. We also went to observe real dogs." Sounds a bit daunting? But a role playing a human dog seems a bit far-fetched. "I’ve been in more than 30 films," Li said. "But I know that audiences want to see something fresh and I wanted to try to do something new, something challenging to me as an actor. "Unleashed" pushed me beyond my limits in a number of ways." In "Unleashed, Li plays, as he says, "the kind of character I’ve never been before. Usually, I play tough guys who solve the problem; save the family, save the city, kill the bad guy. Now, Danny is physically very strong and can knock people down in seconds. But, mentally, he’s only around ten years old." Purist Jet Li fans may be wondering where the heck "Unleashed" is heading but rest assured there are some very aggressive scenes in the film that showcase Jet Li's skills. "When the collar comes off, Danny is conditioned to attack people and even kill them. When the collar comes back on, he goes back to being a ‘normal’ dog. He’s a feared fighter, with no conception of good and evil, who only recognizes the voice of his master." Unlike in his previous films where he would fight a number of opponents at once in a scene, "Unleashed" called for a focus that even replicated an attacking dog. Li says this was difficult for him. "I have my own style of martial arts, with signature moves. This time, I had to lose my whole body in fighting, like an animal. Usually, when I’m fighting five guys it’s punch this one, kick that one. Not with Danny. Like a dog, he focuses on just one guy; even if there are four behind him beating him up, he doesn’t care." Strong as his role is, veteran British actor and BAFTA winner Bob Hoskins says being alongside Jet Li while those fight scenes were being filmed was a real eye-opener. "I was amazed by the speed and virulence! Everything was flying everywhere. The stuntmen bounced in every direction, and Jet seemed totally weightless. At the end of the take, I wondered how many bodies we were going to have to pick up off the floor and then, all of a sudden, they all got up and started over again to do it better!" After a days shooting Li would, on some occassions "stay on the soundstage and not go back to the hotel. I’d keep myself on the set and just eat bread and water. It would get very cold and I could hear a real dog barking somewhere, there was nobody there but myself and the watchman. I tried hard to feel the loneliness that Danny did." Academy Award ® winner Morgan Freeman thinks "Jet is the perfect person to play Danny because he is so quiet on a Zen level of existence, it seems. But when he explodes, it’s total. On "Unleashed", I tried to help Jet find other emotions, to let go of everything he had inside him, everything his roles hadn’t previously let him express." Freeman admits he is an admirer of Li and his craft. "I know his films and I admire him as an artist. Acting with him was a passionate experience. In a way, we have the same method; we both use our instinct. He’s a very gifted actor, incredibly precise with his acting and more physical than I am; the least of his moves would send me to the hospital for six months." Lee Marvels at Freemans dedication to his role as the blind piano tuner Sam, which Freeman had suggested to writer Luc Besson. "Morgan, every day, would come out from his trailer already blind", says Li. "That helped me a lot, too." Every actor uses their own particular style when it comes to playing a blind person, but it's fair to say they all strive for authenticity in their movements and characteristics. Freeman had a bit of a head start for this role as he reveals. "I had done a stage production of The Gospel at Colonus, and five blind men, a gospel group, were in it with me. I spent five years, on and off, with these men. I’d observe them and ask pertinent questions. 'How do you maneuver? How do you count money? What happens when you get into strange surroundings?' Preparation, for me, is an ongoing thing for a character; there’s things and people to study all the time." As always it's an accomplished performance from the man who recently narrated Steven Spielbergs "War Of The Worlds". "Unleashed" is a strong film and features some fabulously choreographed fight scenes but it did provide some difficult moments as Bob Hoskins recalls, including having to apologize to Li. "To play Bart, I was inspired by several fearful meetings I’d had in the highest circles of film production and some youthful altercations. I’ve played bad guys before, but never to this extent; Bart is terrifying. He has a creator-creation relationship with Danny. Jet is a highly adaptive actor. Sometimes I even apologized after a take because the psychological pressure was so intense. We had a great time together and, fortunately, he doesn’t understand all the nuances of English thug slang." Crew Bytes "UNLEASHED" was .......
directed by Louis Leterrier ["The Transporter 2"]; screenplay by Luc Besson ["The Fifth Element", "Kiss of the Dragon", "The Transporter" and "The Transporter 2"]; costume design by Olivier Bériot ["Serial Lover", "Absolutely Fabulous", "My Wife's Name Is Maurice" and "RRRrrrr!!!"]; production design by Jacques Bufnoir ["A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries", "Kiss of the Dragon", "Dr Rey!" and "Loser Takes All!"]; edited by Nicolas Trembasiewicz ["Yamakasi", "Wasabi", and "The Transporter"]; cinematography by Pierre Morel ["The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc", "Taxi 2", "The Truth About Charlie" and "Something's Gotta Give"]; original music by Massive Attack ["Bullet Boy"] produced by Luc Besson ["Subway", "Nil by Mouth", "Taxi" and "The Transporter 2"], Jet Li ["The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk", "The Bodyguard from Beijing", "Legend of the Red Dragon" and "Kiss of the Dragon"] and Steve Chasman ["Kiss of the Dragon", "The One", "The Transporter" and "Taxi"]. Casting About "UNLEASHED" stars .......
Jet Li ["Romeo Must Die", "Kiss of the Dragon", "The One" and "Cradle 2 the Grave"]; Academy Award ® winner Morgan Freeman ["The Pawnbroker", "The Shawshank Redemption", "Nurse Betty", "The Sum of All Fears", "Bruce Almighty" and "Million Dollar Baby"]; Kerry Condon ["Angela's Ashes", "Ned Kelly", "Intermission" and "The Halo Effect"]; Vincent Regan ["Fork in the Road", "Ordinary Decent Criminal", "Black Knight" and "Troy"]; Dylan Brown ["Three Kings"]; Tamer Hassan ["The Calcium Kid", "The Football Factory", "Layer Cake" and "Batman Begins"]; Michael Jenn ["Dance With A Stranger", "Sky Bandits", "Quills" and "Sabotage!"]; Carole Ann Wilson ["Much Ado About Nothing", "All Or Nothing", "Mad Cows" and "The Time Machine"] and BAFTA & Golden Globe winner Bob Hoskins ["Up the Front", "The Cotton Club", "Mermaids", "Michael", "Maid in Manhattan" and "Vanity Fair"] as Bart. What It's All About

"Li and his Unleashed company have made a wildly entertaining piece of ultra-violence that also stands as a gleefully absurdist adventure story." Ted Fry SEATTLE TIMES

Danny is a dog. A trained dog. His owner Bart needs a dog. In his business there's always someone who wants to welch on a deal or who doesn't want to pay up. That's where Danny comes in. Unleash Danny by removing his collar and problem solved. Everyone pays up. And Danny is a loyal dog. Truth is Danny has known no other existence. From an early age Bart has trained him to remain meek and submissive while his collar is on. But take that collar off and Danny becomes a very nasty piece of goods indeed. His fighting skills are highly honed and very effective. When Bart sics his dog on to a fellow fellon there's no escaping a bloodied hiding. Until one day, when as fate would have it, Danny meets Sam, a blind piano tuner who has a soft voice and a whole lot of compassion. The sound of the piano touches Danny deeply, stirring memories hidden away in a deep, dark corner of his brain. As luck would have it, Bart has made many enemies and when one of them tries to rub him out, Danny escapes and seeks out Sam. Sam takes him into his home and with the help of his 18 year old stepdaughter Victoria, attempts to rebuild Danny's life for him. All goes well, until Danny runs into one of Bart's henchmen. Now the master wants his dog back. And he won't take no for an answer. The Verdict "With appearances in over 30 films, you'd think they'd run out of ideas for another martial arts based film. Luckily they didn't because this is a different Jet Li than the one we have grown to recognize on the big screen. Li shows he's more than a 'lean mean fighting machine' in his role as Danny the Dog. This role is a real turnup for the books because Li will evoke a lot of compassion and sympathy from audiences who take in "Unleashed", even if it is a bit far-fetched at times. His two co-stars, Morgan Freeman and Bob Hoskins are truly a delight to watch. Hoskins as Bart, will rile up everyone in the cinema, to the point where you'd love to kill him yourself. Freeman's character Sam is the complete opposite and Morgan plays the role superbly. A lot of fun and a heap of action makes Jet Li's "Unleashed" a very watchable film. Highly recommended." The Cast

Jet Li Morgan Freeman Bob Hoskins Kerry Condon Vincent Regan Dylan Brown Tamer Hassan Michael Jenn Phyllida Law Carole Ann Wilson Michael Ian Lambert Jaclyn Tze Wey Puthirith Chou Tony Theng Owen Lay Franck Xie Cheng Andy Beckwith Michael Webber Jeff Rudom Laurence Ashley Taboulet Scott Rider Quentin Pierre Vincent Tulli Gwenael Mairey Ariadna Cascaval Georges Benoît Osana Ekué Kathy Farkas Friedrich Hartwig Stéphane Glück

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Danny Sam Bart Victoria Raffles Lefty George Wyeth Distinguished Lady Maddy The Stranger Danny's Mother Teen Danny Little Danny Baby Danny Baby Danny Righty Boxing Boss Boxing Giant Shower Woman Trainer/Brute Concert Announcer Dead Fighter Angele Crazy Dancer Doctor Wyeth's Girlfriend Cocaine Girl/Fight Club Extasy Guy/Fight Club Bookmaker

The Crew Directed by Louis Leterrier Written by Luc Besson Produced by Luc Besson/Steve Chasman/Jet Li Original Music by Massive Attack Cinematography by Pierre Morel Film Editing by Nicolas Trembasiewicz Casting by Nathalie Cheron & Suzanne Smith Production Design by Jacques Bufnoir Costume Design by Olivier Bériot Run Time 102 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2005 - Rogue Pictures - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2005 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved