The new Jet-Li flick, Unleashed, also known as Danny The Dog, was released on Oct. 11, and much to my dismay, it stunk. Unleashed, directed by Luis Leterrier, tells the story of a young man, Danny, (played by Jet-Li) who was taken from his mother when he was a child. Danny is raised by Bart, (played by Bob Hoskins) a cold-hearted thug who treats Danny like a dog.

Danny is trained to fight and is forced to take on the challengers that Bart chooses so that Bart can make money. When the collar around Danny’s throat is removed by his owner, he is trained to attack. During an assignment from the boss, Danny meets Sam, (played by Morgan Freeman) a blind piano player, in the basement of a piano store. Danny is entranced by the sound of the piano and slowly approaches Sam.

Eventually, Danny escapes the wrath of Bart and finds a new home and a family in Sam and Victoria, Sam’s adopted daughter. The synopsis stops here to prevent spoiling any more of the movie.

This movie was a bit of a disappointment. I was prepared for an hour and a half of fighting, but alas, only the first half hour or so was full of the great Jet-Li action. I’ll admit the fight scenes were awesome. I was really liking the movie at this point but then Danny met Sam and it’s a totally sappy movie from there on out. Danny learns to play the piano, etc. That’s not what I want to see when I rent a Jet-Li movie. I think if Leterrier had expanded the first part of the movie a little more, this would have been a better film. If you’re looking for a movie to watch with your girl/boyfriend, this is probably a great movie to watch. There will be parts of the movie you can both enjoy. Unleashed is rated R for strong violent content and strong language.