Unleashed
“Unleashed” has a cute premise: A relationship-phobic woman relies on her pets for emotional comfort, only for her cat and dog to run away — and magically return as human stud muffins to help her resolve her trust issues. There’s potential fun to be had here, and it shows up from time to time, but the film never quite escapes its shackles.
Emma (Kate Micucci) has recently moved to San Francisco after a painful breakup with her boyfriend (Josh Brener), who has made off with her heart — and her valuable app. To cope, she has adopted a golden retriever and a tuxedo cat, not realizing what the moon can do to certain animals. Before she knows it, her adorable feline is showing up on her doorstep, as the irresistible human supermodel Diego, who claims that he can help the instantly enamored but unwitting Emma find her precious kitty.
“Unleashed” often struggles to find its internal story logic. The animals-turned-humans know instantly how to dress, speak eloquently and hold down careers, but can’t figure out how to sign their name or use a fork. It seems there are no set rules in this world, and the hit-or-miss jokes occur at the convenience of the screenwriter.
Working in director Finn Taylor’s favor is a decent cast. Micucci exudes appealing quirkiness as Emma, and Justin Chatwin captures the feline-like Diego with grace and sexiness. Steve Howey also has some nice physical comic moments as the human/dog. But because the script keeps all these characters on a short leash, and is more interested in cute sight gags, we’re never convinced that these men help Emma get over her trust issues, or that she even has them in the first place.
“Unleashed,” nicely shot in a variety of Bay Area locations, is a film without a mean bone in its body, and it’s bound to please some animal lovers out there. But we can’t help wishing that there were more laughs along the way.