Unlocked

A solid popcorn spy film in which almost everything turns out as you expect, but at the same time some things develops completely differently, which tends to please. Noomi Rapace is excellent and it was nice to see Michael Apted's old-fashioned, non-excessive action scenes that are believable within the genre. The finale in Prague would make me happier if we were not talked about as the “East". Oh well. At least we have a great strudel by the river. (03/28/2021)

It could have been something like Bourne, but instead it’s something between Sentinel and Salt. With such good actors in their typecast roles (Malkovich, Douglas, Collette) it’s impossible to take a step in the wrong direction. Unfortunately, however, this spy flick is lacking in action and over-complicated in plot (especially in terms of the characters), though with motivations that make sense and that even make you think if you squint your eyes a little. Unfortunately, the promising start and the excellent hotel room scene are then brought down by a lot of strange coincidences and reactions of the characters. A tale that takes itself seriously for a Saturday afternoon, perhaps. (08/27/2017)

A solid action thriller with an A-list cast. The excellent Noomi Rapace and Orlando Bloom pull the film to above average, but the ageing Michael Douglas and John Malkovich are also a delight. The action is properly fierce and uncompromising, the twists and turns are plentiful and a few are very unexpected, and the view of Prague at the end is a delight, so a clear four. I had fun. 75% (08/30/2017)

I was expecting an action-packed spy thriller, but what I got was more of a drama that often didn’t even feel very dramatic, along with lackluster action (when it finally showed up) and a well-worn plot about a terrorist threat aiming to carry out a biological attack on a significant target. Maybe it wouldn’t have bothered me so much if it had a lighter tone, but the film is treated too seriously, which I think was a poor choice. The cast promised a high-quality experience, but let’s be honest—can even great actors save a film that doesn’t offer much else? I’m not so sure. The only subplot I liked was Orlando Bloom’s, but it ended so quickly that I barely had time to appreciate it. The craftsmanship was fine, and I’m glad the film wasn’t stuffed with CGI, but I’m disappointed by the lack of action, which usually helps redeem such films. The script had many holes, and some characters were underdeveloped (Toni Collette's character as an agent was poorly written—she appeared on screen, did something, and then disappeared). Only the ending warmed my heart, as it took us to Prague. I’m still deciding, but for now, I’ll give the film a weak three stars and 56%. (01/29/2018)

The fact that the movie was filmed here in the Czech Republic was the main reason I decided to watch it. However, the fact that Prague and its surroundings aren’t recognizable is only a testament to the professionalism of the producers who had aimed for it. After all, to make London out of Prague can’t be all fun and games. Anyways, I liked that they mentioned the Czech Republic at the end. I also realized that Prague doesn’t look too shabby on that American screen. They must have been using some dramatic Hollywood filters. But it’s a shame they called us “Eastern Europe”, just like the fact that the script isn’t really that clever. It could have been a female Jason Bourne. Like this, was a simple but pleasant, manageable small-scale film. (04/15/2018)