|
| . |
|
The One 2001 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by James Wong
PG-13, 80 min. (intense action violence, some language) |
 |
Starring: Jet Li, Carla Gugino, Jason Statham, Delroy Lindo
Producers: Steve Chasman, Glen Morgan, Charles Newirth, James Wong
Screenplay: Glen Morgan, James Wong
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Released: 11/2/01 (Wide) |
Rating:
  (out of ) |
For Jet Li, whose stock has soared in the past year thanks to the success of Kiss of the Dragon and Romeo Must Die,
The One represents a major disappointment. Chalked full of special effects wizardry and eye-catching slow-motion
action scenes ala The Matrix,
this film attempts (unsuccessfully) to hide the painful reality of its banal and illogical plot. In what might have been an interesting
and fascinating look at the multiple universe theory, The One meekly puts forth a poor introduction to the idea behind the
theory and then wanders aimlessly between CGI-enhanced fight scenes. Just as a weakened fighter falters before falling to
the canvas, this film staggers around for most of its 80-minute running length before succumbing to its own weight of stupidity.
Somehow The One concludes that there are only 125 "multiverses" in existence, all of which are interconnected by
worm holes that open and close and varying intervals (anyone who has studied the multi-universe theory knows this is
ludricrous). Yulaw (Jet Li) has discovered a way to become a god - kill off all the other 124 versions of himself in these other
universes. He is hunted by Funsch (Jason Statham) and Roedecker (Delroy Lindo), two agents that are assigned to bring him
in alive for banishment to a prison universe. After killing 123 versions of himself, Yulaw has impressive powers and uses them
to dispatch of any enemies he may encounter. Unfortunately, Yulaw runs into the last version of himself, Gabriel Law (Li), who
is a happily married police man, but also has many advanced powers given to him by the fate of his other versions. Now Law
must help capture Yulaw without killing him, or face possible universal meltdown because of it.
The One falls into the trap of all action and no brain. The creators of the film are so concerned with getting to the impressive
action scenes that they forget there is also a story to tell. Director James Wong (Final Destination) seems disinterested in
developing characters or the explanation for their actions - it's all visuals and no comprehension. Maybe that's good enough
for a majority of moviegoers out there that are only interested in the fight scenes anyway, but it's excruciating for those who
want to make some sense of what they're seeing.
Suffice to say, there's not much acting to observe here. The entire cast has seemingly also put themselves in "cruise control"
and willingly use their performances to merely set up more action scenes. Li, not known for his acting ability, at least put
forth an effort in Kiss of the Dragon, but here he's really hard to watch. Even Delroy Lindo, who's usually been interesting to
watch, has mailed it in.
Maybe the best sign that this film is in trouble is in its final scenes where Yulaw and Law engage in battle - one has to rip his
shirt in order to tell the difference between them. This is the result of no character development or imagination, leaving us
to merely watch a flashy but anticlimactic fight that doesn't even have a legitimate conclusion. The problem with many science
fiction films these days is represented well by The One. Instead of challenging a viewer's mind with rational
explanations for a story's premise, we're subjugated to special effects and new twists on visual eye-candy. Although it may
be sweet to the eye, it's sour to the brain.
© 2001 Jonathan Cornwell
|
|
| Masterpiece - Classic; Movie perfection |
| Excellent - A Must See; One of the year's best films |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
© 2000 - present ReelCriticReviews
All movie pictures are registered trademarks and/or copyrights of their respective holders
Their use on this site is for informational purposes only and does not imply ownership
|
