Unlocked

Movie review by Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media
Unlocked Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 16+

Strong, tough female character wasted in generic thriller.

R 2017 98 minutes
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Parents say

age 17+

Based on 2 reviews

Kids say

age 16+

Based on 1 review

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Unlocked is a generic thriller about a CIA agent (Noomi Rapace) who's trying to stop a terrorist attack. Violence is frequent and graphic, with guns and shooting, bloody wounds and blood puddles, dead bodies, grabbing and fighting, a knife attack, a taser gun, a grenade/explosion, and a fall from a high place. There's also a disturbing would-be terrorist attack in which a child is exposed to chemicals; he's shown lying in bed, covered in red marks and bleeding from the eyes. Mice and dogs are hurt offscreen. Language is strong, too, with several uses of "f--k," plus "s--t" and "a--hole," as well as brief, mild sex-related talk. A minor character smokes a cigarette in one scene.

Community Reviews

Sadaf H.
Sadaf H. Adult
February 27, 2018
age 16+

An empowered female protagonist

It's an excellent movie. It will interest the higher age group as concepts would be challenging to understand for younger children and might appear boring. It sways away from the black and white thinking of children; so mixed messages can be taken by children in a negative way. It's good for critical thinking and developing a higher sense of awareness about how the world is a scary place

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Paul M.
Paul M. Adult
September 6, 2017
age 18+

This Film is Phenomenal.

This Film Is Phenomenal Best film i have watched for a long long time. it puts a microscope into what is going on today in power of government. We live in a very very scary world. when we have to fear our own government, And the deep state Evil elite. Creating false flag operations on its own people. they are more fearful than the terrorists themselves. This film is a real eye opener and BRILLIANT. And to think they put on this review that she is playing a male role. How ignorant and ridiculous. As a male myself, I understand the equality of males and females. and i understand we have male and females in the MI5 And the CIA. and every other agency out there. To say she plays a male role is extremely sexist. and to think they call this site Common Sense media. haha. i think that is hilarious. She is Phenomenal she played the role Perfectly a male just would have been a normal action movie. Using a female for this role was a brilliant idea and why is that such a probelm i dont understand why that is such a problem i find it really odd. to be honest to think our agencies only use male spies. ridiculous. Common Sense hahahaha. really.. !!! i loved this film it had me so involved,. Its fantastic. It would have been so corny for a man to have played this role i think it just adds to the film and she plays it So Brilliantly. I LOVED IT. This is a very serious film and enlightens the issues with false flag operations . And enlightens how far a government will go to kill whistleblowers. People who are trying to do what is right. When you play with the devil eventually he will devour you. Be with God jesus christ may we all be Safe in our land. Amen..

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In UNLOCKED, former CIA agent Alice Racine (Noomi Rapace) -- haunted by her failure to prevent a terrorist attack in Paris -- now works in an office as a social worker. When intelligence points to a possible new attack, Alice is the only one who can help; so, despite her reluctance, her old superior (Michael Douglas) calls her back into action. While questioning a captured suspect, Alice discovers that the mission has been compromised. While escaping, she crosses paths with Jack Alcott (Orlando Bloom), a cat burglar who stays on to lend a hand. As Alice gets closer to discovering the source of the evil plot, she begins to realize that she can't trust anyone.

Is It Any Good?

Remarkable only because it casts a woman in a traditionally male role, this stagnant thriller is dull and convoluted, alternating between numbing exposition and stale, creaky action scenes. It's shocking that director Michael Apted made this; he's a 40-year veteran with memorable films like Coal Miner's Daughter, Gorky Park, and Thunderheart on his resume, as well as entries in the James Bond and Narnia franchises. With Unlocked, it seems like he's asleep ... or doesn't care at all. The movie's supposed "surprise twists" are lazily doled out, and the scenes appear to have been assembled in a kind of random order, based on genre formulas.

Veterans Toni Collette, Douglas, and John Malkovich chew the scenery with some enthusiasm -- especially Malkovich -- almost as if no one was directing them. A weirdly miscast Bloom has already drawn harsh criticism for his wobbly accent. But Rapace's role is the biggest shame; her character seems like it was written for a male and not changed much, or at all, for her. It's not unique in any way; she just runs and jumps and hits and shoots. This might have been the start of a new franchise, but instead it's a sad disappointment.

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