Simply A Masterpiece

Just perfect...

Absolutely brilliant

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

One of the greatest joys you can have watching movies is discovering something that no one else you know has seen and being able to share with them something fantastic that you've found. Those movies that are well made in every sense of the word yet are obscure because no one who backed the film was confident enough to release it wide and instead released it straight to DVD. UNLEASHED is one of those movies.Kate Miccuci stars as Emma, a software developer and astronomy lover whose latest effort was stolen by her boyfriend who passed it off as his own as he dumps her. Heartbroken she packs up her belongings as well as her dog Sam and cat Diego and moves across the country. She finds a place, lands a new job and meets a nice guy named Carl (Sean Astin) who is a handyman taking care of her apartment building.While Emma doesn't notice Carl is taken with her she wishes that she could meet a guy who understands her as much as her pets do. The stars align and her wish comes true, sort of. Both Sam and Diego transform into human beings but outside of the house having run out when Carl accidentally left the door open. On the streets and unclothed they begin to find ways to survive.Here is where some of the most hilarious moments in the film kick in. Both transformed pets continue to display the attitudes that they had while animals. Sam (Steve Howey) is kind of goofy, muscular and ready to play all the time. He finds work as a personal trainer when a group of wannabe joggers see him running at the park.Diego (Justin Chatwin) on the other hand is all feline. He slinks about giving the air of sensuality that lands him a gig as the newest male model in town. He gives them his name and uses the background of a soap opera star he saw in a show watched with Emma.As the animals are finding their way in the world they both continue to worry about their owner Emma. And Emma them as well searching the neighborhood for the pair. Helping her is Carl who has printed up a ton of wanted posters for the animals and tacked them up throughout the neighborhood. Here is where she finally recognizes that maybe he's a nice guy after all.But Sam and Diego are still there this time in human form. Both of them try to get into the good graces of Emma by dating her. With Carl on the backburner she's taken by both for all the wrong reasons. It is left to be seen if she will realize that Carl is who she was meant to be with or not. We're also left to wonder what will become of her two constant companions in human form.Not only does this become an issue but Emma has a run in with her ex-boyfriend, the jerk who stole her program. You may want her to punch him in the nose but the truth is you hope for something more terrible to happen to him, a comeuppance.Well made from a technical aspect the movie looks great. The writing here is wonderful with some truly side splitting lines. But it is the actors who make this entire film work. Miccuci, recognizable from her performances as Raj's girlfriend Lucy on THE BIG BANG THEORY, has a great sense of comic timing and displays a vulnerability that makes you want the best for her. She anchors the performances around her.Astin does a great job as well playing Carl. He's the kind of guy you wish someone you cared for would meet. But it is Chatwin and Howey that steal the show. Their deliveries of the animals turned human are a visual treat to watch as they take on the characteristics of said pets. Words cannot describe how hilarious those moments are in the film.Chances are most places you look to rent this will either not have a copy or it will be buried. It is treasure worth seeking out. As a matter of fact for me it's a movie I know I'll want to pull off the shelf and watch every now and then in those moments where I need a smile. This movie provides plenty of those moments.

SummaryEmma (Kate Micucci) is an app designer whose focus is astrology/astronomy. She makes one app named "Nightsky" which her boyfriend at the time, Luke (Josh Brener), says will be a hit! So he steals it. Thus sending her into a slight depression for, with her being an orphan, trust is a major issue. Making her pets Ajax {Human form: Diego} (Justin Chatwin) and Summit {Human form: Sam} (Steve Howey) life savers.Especially sometime later, after moving to San Francisco, when she starts her next app. One similar to "Nightsky" but slightly different? It isn't necessarily made clear what the difference is. What is made clear though is that thanks to Emma's Jupiter transit, her two pets get to become human. Leading to them battling for Emma's affection due to the understanding of her only being able to have one live-in male human at a time.But, in the long run, they provide as humans what they provided as pets: Comfort. They help Emma with the launch of this new app, deal with Luke who appears at the summit for the app's launch, and even point her in the direction of Carl (Sean Astin). The guy partly responsible for them turning into humans in the first place. Thus giving us a very light romantic comedy.HighlightsKate MicucciBeing that Micucci is adorable, it makes her being a protagonist an easy thing to get on board with. Especially when paired with a bit of a sob story for, as noted below, she has this sort of smile which looks like it has a bit of darkness behind it. Which helps with what we learn about Emma, be it her ex stealing her app or being an orphan.But perhaps the thing she does best, which I must admit I was sort of surprised to see, is that she is very good at making her co-stars look good. Take Emma's friend Nina (Hana Mae Lee) for example. In a way, she kind of seems like a jerk who claims to be friends with Emma yet seems to spend a good amount of her time insulting her. To the point, it often seems they are only friends because, outside of their boss Monty (Illeana Douglas), they are one of the few women in the company.Yet, thanks to Micucci's charm, she helps you get past how Mae Lee plays Nina and you grow to like her. The same goes for Chatwin as Ajax, or rather Diego. For the way Chatwin, like Howey, plays up pet stereotypes, it seemingly is supposed to be comical, but often falls flat. However, Micucci is able to bring about this idea that what likely was supposed to be a joke is just her pet friends being odd, adjusting to human bodies, and being carefree. It is like, she, with her presence and interaction, is able to guide the aforementioned to crafting more interesting characters. Ones which don't seem either two-dimensional or terribly bland.CriticismStory Wise, It Doesn't Do Anything NoteworthyUnleashed is like that person who you see if you buy breakfast. It's friendly, likable, but the interaction you have with them doesn't have much depth. It is pretty much all pleasantries. Making it when Emma reveals she is an orphan, just like if that breakfast person was to tell you the same thing, it is awkward and you have no idea how to respond. If only because it seems to come out of nowhere and oddly becomes a topic that seems to suddenly infiltrate a lot of your small talk.Now, dropping that analogy, the issue with this film is that the whole orphan thing comes halfway and seems like they are trying to add a layer to Emma. One which is supposed to make you feel worse about her ex-boyfriend stealing her app. Yet, in the long run, it feels somewhere between a cheap ploy and something which underestimates Micucci's talent. For while Micucci is known for usually playing eccentric, yet adorable, characters, like most comedians, you can see this sadness in her. Something that doesn't require what first feels like a random fact but then is grinded into the story to make up for the fact it wasn't mentioned earlier on.Overall: Mixed (Divisive)I think this film will be noteworthy for Micucci's filmography, if only because she plays the undisputed female lead and handles it well. She owns the film and makes sure when you share a scene with her, you benefit from the interaction. However, the film as a whole is so forgettable. Not just because it lacks the comedy you can see it was going for but it also seems to not pursue being romantic or even allow Micucci to show the heartache of losing two major things in her life in one false swoop. Add in dropping she is an orphan midway through the movie to try to craft some reaction and there is your reason for a Mixed label.

Emma (Kate Micucci) is an animal lover who looks to the stars. Her boyfriend Luke Andrews is allergic and steals her star-gazing app to make millions. She decides to get a dog and a cat, and move to San Francisco. She is befriended by Carl (Sean Astin) who gets her an apartment. She and her co-worker Nina are trying to create an astronomy program. She makes a wish and the stars turn her animals into Diego (Justin Chatwin) and Sam (Steve Howey). Diego becomes an overnight modeling sensation and Sam gets paid training a bunch of guys.There is a bit of uncomfortableness with the faux-bestiality. It's heightened whenever Diego and Emma get too close. At least, they don't consummate the relationship. It's weird. There is no real chemistry with Sean Astin. Otherwise, this is kinda cute. I like the awkward Kate Micucci. There is some nice fun but it isn't enough.

Throughout Unleashed, I was either laughing or had a smile on my face.My mind has a tendency to wander, but it rarely did as I watched this movie. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a movie so much. All of the actors were superb. Do yourself a favor and see Unleashed. I rarely watch a movie more than once, but I know this will be a film I'll return to over the years!