Review - UNTHINKABLE

by Mr. Blunderson

I knew Unthinkable was tense at the 43 minutes mark when the "duh duh duh duh" thrilling music kicked in. Before that moment, there is a whole lot of talk. After that there is more talk, and then finally some more.

Did I mention the torture?

Not like Hostel torture, but it is present and gruesome in it's own right. I suppose it's a necessary evil as this movie is a big ole morality tale about torturing prisoners for information. Did I say prisoners? I meant terrorists. And does that make us terrorists ourselves?

It's a heavy question and in Unthinkable it is dealt with on all sides by a very heavy hand. It helps that some of the blows are being dealt by Samuel L Jackson. If only the other side could have countered with a champion in the same weight class. I don't think Carrie-Anne Moss was always up to the challenge. She does offer a stark contrast to Jackson's tough as nails mysterious government contractor in her role as the female FBI agent who is all about following protocol and upholding the constitution, but sometimes that wasn't enough. You need a real bad ass to go toe to toe with Sam Jackson. No question about it.

Did I say Agent? I meant Special Agent. People don't make movies about agents, now do they?

A terrorist has three nuclear bombs hidden in three locations in the United States. He is in your custody and you have a few days to extract that information from him. What are you going to do? Torture? Don't torture? "Enhanced" interrogation? At what point have you gone too far? Morally comprised much? What side are you on? Is either side completely right or wrong? Although Unthinkable raises the questions ultimately it doesn't bring any answers.

My concern is that the characters who were against and disgusted by torture compromised their values time and time again here while the other side was pretty much a rock in his position. In the end when the lines are finally drawn in the sand the side against torture has already backpedaled enough the stand they take for justice is way too little too late.

Did I like the movie? Naw, I guess I didn't. I can appreciate the fact that Mr. Jackson never asked where "the mutherfuckin bombs" were, but then again he did say "Military Intelligence, the great oxymoron."

Right. I get it.

Another thing that bummed me out is there were a bunch of characters established early on that just get tossed aside. I speak of the FBI team including the likes of Brandon Routhe, Gill Bellows and Joshua Harto... underused and then completely lost... blows my mind.

Being a post 9/11 world, this is the 21st century version of a cold war fable. But a true fable has a moral lesson and clear message. I might be splitting hairs since a real fable also features anthropomorphized animals...

But I digress.

It may be that in this world, that lack of clarity--the blurring between what is just and what is needed--is our greatest obstacle and the side we ultimately take and the choices we make will define us as a society. If that's the case, then Unthinkable illustrates that conundrum all to well so I will give it a "why not?" on the Mr. Blunderson scale as there are certainly worse ways spend an hour and a half.