UNLOCKED is a solid political thriller set in London. The plot is a timely one, about Islamic terrorism and the efforts of the British and American secret services to thwart potential attacks. The screenplay was obviously written by a liberal given the identity of the film's major villains, but this didn't really bother me much as the politics of a film really don't mean much to me; I care only for how entertaining a film is. The good news is that this film is entertaining, despite being rushed and feeling low budget at times. The set-up is an intriguing one and there's an excellent twist early on that you won't see coming (as long as you avoid watching the trailer). What follows is a twisty-turny action-based narrative, with some good shoot-outs and moments of violence littered chaotically in the mix. Noomi Rapace excels at this kind of film (check out WHAT HAPPENED TO MONDAY as well) and the strong supporting cast includes an ageing Michael Douglas, a tough Toni Collette, a wiseguy Orlando Bloom and a funny John Malkovich. It's not as satisfying as THE FOREIGNER but it's still generally engaging and more than enjoyable.

In London, CIA interrogator Alice Racine (Noomi Rapace) is still haunted by her failure resulting in a terrorist attack. She reluctantly accepts an emergency call to interrogate a suspect in a possible future biological attack. She starts to suspect something wrong and barely escapes from her handlers' bullets. With important information, she seeks help from her mentor Eric Lasch (Michael Douglas). Eric directs her to a safe house before he is killed. She finds thief Jack Alcott (Orlando Bloom) at the house and finds her superior Bob Hunter (John Malkovich) distrusting her. She gets help from Emily Knowles (Toni Collette) at MI5 but they are double-crossed.

Veteran British director Michael Apted has a Bond movie in his resume. This one feels more like a Bourne movie especially after Alice first uncovers the trap. The overall problem for me is the various twists. They are obvious and annoyingly twisty. The motivation is questionable. It seems like they already have the connection and the code in the end which makes all the chasing around unnecessary. Imagine the suspect delivering the cancel code. That's essentially what happens and it doesn't matter. Think about it. Also, the villain's motive is the stuff of cartoons. The overall premise needs some rethinking and rewriting.

Alice Racine (Noomi Rapace) is a community in-bed CIA agent in a friendly nation. Emily (Toni Collette) is her MI6 contact. Alice is ordered to go back into the field to interrogate a courier. We know Russia has created a virus and there are plans to release it. Alice has been double crossed by her own people and goes rogue with the help of Orlando Bloom.

Alice is astute, highly trained, and street smart. She has no special physical skills and as such she was a bit on the boring side. The film ended like it was a TV pilot with more episodes on the way. The reason for the virus issue is revealed at the end. It was stupid and unbelievable.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.