Unleashed Review
By: Nik S
Director: Finn Taylor
Producer(s): Susan Johnson, James Huntsman, Todd Slater, Jonathan M. Black, Jennifer Goshay
Starring: Kate Micucci, Justin Chatwin, Steve Howey, Sean Astin, Hana Mae Lee, Illeana Douglas
Production Company: Braveart Films
Distributor: Level 33 Entertainment
Runtime: 94 minutes
So, stop me if you've heard this one before, girl gets dumped by her boyfriend or can't seem to click with any guys out on dates. She confides in her pets and wishes that people were more like them. Now imagine that the girl gets her wish and her pets become two handsome men who are willing to woo her. Unleashed ultimately satirizes the rom-com genre and its many tropes its developed over the years. Though the focus of this film isn't generally a true love kind of romance, but rather acceptance and platonic relations.
After being betrayed by her boyfriend Luke (Josh Brener) to cash in on an app she made, Emma (Kate Micucci) moves to San Francisco to get a fresh new start and hopefully bring back her motivation. She adopts two pets to go with her, Summit a hyper dog and Ajax a bright-eyed cat. After being too afraid to try and date again, and wishing that people were more like her pets, Summit and Ajax transform into two full-grown men (Justin Chatwin and Steve Howey respectively). Her pets begin to woo her.
Kate Micucci, of Garfunkel and Oats, normally isn't a lead in the TV and movies but she does well in this as playing the hopeless romantic and plays off of her co-stars well. Micucci's wide-eyes and awkwardness make her easy to relate to the twenty to thirty-something age range who are still in the dating scene. Justin and Howey do a stellar job at overacting out their animal's traits, like being energetic and run all over the place or act reserved and smooth. They do occasionally fall into their rom-com stereotypes, but they're able to work with it well. The characters bounce off of each other to create a rather enjoyable experience and an odd chemistry that seems to work.
The comedy is rather predictable, but the cast is able to make it work for a nice chuckle. The pacing seems pretty straightforward and keeps everything flowing. The scenery is gorgeous and really pops with good lighting. The cinematography is nothing to gawk at and it really doesn't have to be. The writing never allows for any downtime and builds on character development with a nice stride. It's not a movie you could call simply a romantic comedy, it's more like an indie comedy that has a calm focus on romance.
If you want to have calm Saturday night with your significant other and just want to throw on a movie and eat popcorn, then this is a good recommendation. I'm not use to seeing Kate Micucci as a lead role as she's more of a supporting actress, however in one of her few lead roles she's great. The acting isn't always great and often stumbles, but the movie doesn't allow you time to focus on it and overshadows its faults with some decent jokes.
Director: Finn Taylor
Producer(s): Susan Johnson, James Huntsman, Todd Slater, Jonathan M. Black, Jennifer Goshay
Starring: Kate Micucci, Justin Chatwin, Steve Howey, Sean Astin, Hana Mae Lee, Illeana Douglas
Production Company: Braveart Films
Distributor: Level 33 Entertainment
Runtime: 94 minutes
So, stop me if you've heard this one before, girl gets dumped by her boyfriend or can't seem to click with any guys out on dates. She confides in her pets and wishes that people were more like them. Now imagine that the girl gets her wish and her pets become two handsome men who are willing to woo her. Unleashed ultimately satirizes the rom-com genre and its many tropes its developed over the years. Though the focus of this film isn't generally a true love kind of romance, but rather acceptance and platonic relations.
After being betrayed by her boyfriend Luke (Josh Brener) to cash in on an app she made, Emma (Kate Micucci) moves to San Francisco to get a fresh new start and hopefully bring back her motivation. She adopts two pets to go with her, Summit a hyper dog and Ajax a bright-eyed cat. After being too afraid to try and date again, and wishing that people were more like her pets, Summit and Ajax transform into two full-grown men (Justin Chatwin and Steve Howey respectively). Her pets begin to woo her.
Kate Micucci, of Garfunkel and Oats, normally isn't a lead in the TV and movies but she does well in this as playing the hopeless romantic and plays off of her co-stars well. Micucci's wide-eyes and awkwardness make her easy to relate to the twenty to thirty-something age range who are still in the dating scene. Justin and Howey do a stellar job at overacting out their animal's traits, like being energetic and run all over the place or act reserved and smooth. They do occasionally fall into their rom-com stereotypes, but they're able to work with it well. The characters bounce off of each other to create a rather enjoyable experience and an odd chemistry that seems to work.
The comedy is rather predictable, but the cast is able to make it work for a nice chuckle. The pacing seems pretty straightforward and keeps everything flowing. The scenery is gorgeous and really pops with good lighting. The cinematography is nothing to gawk at and it really doesn't have to be. The writing never allows for any downtime and builds on character development with a nice stride. It's not a movie you could call simply a romantic comedy, it's more like an indie comedy that has a calm focus on romance.
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