English (U) 28August 2008Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Running Time: approx. 90 minutes
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz
Producer: Alain Goldman, Mathieu Kassovitz
Writer: Eric Besnard
Casts: Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, Melanie Thierry
Plot: The world has turned into shambles and chaos reigns supreme. Refugees are doing everything to escape the death and poverty of Europe and Asia. There is one man who isn't running - Toorop (Vin Diesel), a gun-for-hire with a simple rule: don't ask questions. His new assignment has him escorting a nun and a girl from a convent in Central Asia to New York City. When it becomes apparent that there is more to these women than meets the eye, Toorop has to start asking some questions. It will take all of his mercenary skills to get his "package" through militarised zones, fight clubs, gang wars, and packs of religious zealots.
Our Verdict:
Our Verdict:
Green Tea says:
Another actioners by Vin Diesel. He recently received many spotlight with me since the new trailer for the upcoming Fast And Furious was released last week. No, he don't drive but he is an American mercenary living in Russia after he was blacklisted in the USA. Set in the future, where Russia looks like in doom and New York have 22 million population; this is a sci-fi action flick, just in case you are not aware of it. Too bad, the movie did annoyed me a little bit. Though the fighting actions were well choreographed, the cinematography isn't that good. It was a bit blurry and too shaky. Mathieu, who are you, and I'm not familiar much on his works too. Again this is a very typical action flick where you can have millions of bullet shot by the enemy yet you only need a few to gun them down in return - ala Rambo I guess!!
The story centres around transporting a girl with some hidden power across the Bering Strait into USA. Behold, there is a twist about the package to be sent but I'm not going to reveal it. The movie is so short, clocking only 90 minutes but I have to confess that the movie develops well. The intensity just got bigger once our macho man bring the whole exodus pact across into the USA. I was frustrated also by the fact that the climax became anti-climax so soon - the ending came too abrupt. Casting was so so since we have big guy Diesel and our very own ass-kicker Michelle Yeoh in it, otherwise starpowers were lack in here.
The effects are otherwise not as impressive as it may look but those moderate-budget movie, what more can you expect. Don't expect too much but yet it is still a great movie to fare with. Too bad, ending is so harsh to accept!!
CAST - 4.0 stars
STORYLINE - 2.5 stars
CINEMATOGRAPHY - 3.5 stars
EFFECTS - 3.5 stars
an overall >> 3.0 stars
**4.o (without the ending)
**2.0 (with the ending)
Reno says:
4.0 stars