Independent Film Reviews

Babylon A.D.

Posted on 15. Sep, 2008 by Serina in New Release DVD

In the mood for a great end of summer sci-fi flick? Well then you’re out of luck if you have chosen this one my fellow movie goers. Babylon A.D. is another one of those quickly pushed out, over budgeted, try to be summer blockbuster that just does not stack up on any level. I usually save my tirade of pros and cons of a movie until after I have given a short plot synopsis but there is just one problem with this one. There is no plot.

Vin Diesel has returned to the sci-fi screen as Thoorop, a merc for hire on the outskirts of the free nation. He lives in hiding and by one rule; trust no one. He is hired as a bodyguard for a young girl named Aurora (played by Melanie Thierry) and her convent mother Sister Rebeka (played by Michelle Yeoh) to the Free Nation (how quiant, the U.S. can someone say IRONY). The journey will lead Thoorop into dealing with his trust issues and see what it’s like to have a family to protect as well as get a chance to show off some really neat-o (roll eyes) X-games style action sequences. Will he deliver his transport to the Free Nation and will he deliver her to the right people?

This movie takes so much from others of this genre. You have a bit of Children of Men, with a failed attempt of a futuristic atmosphere of Bladerunner and writing that tries to have the feel of The Fifth Element. It fails at this. It fails miserably. The acting is dry and no feeling of any interest into the characters is given. Any attempt at immersing the viewer into the atmosphere is lost as it’s nothing you don’t see outside of your stereotypical modern day metropolitan area. And if you’ve made it this far into the movie without either gasping at the bad rip off attempts, or the fact that Vin Diesel still can’t act, then wait til the ending. I’ll I’m going to say is if you’ve ever been letdown before, well then this one will be that much worse.

Mathieu Kassovitz fails! His direction is off, his writing is dismal, and from a man who actually showed some promise back in the day with Gothika (not a great movie but I thought it had some really great points and some strong behind the camera work) he has reverted to that of a bad undergrad putting out his first film. He lacked a lot in his action scenes, gave no character depth as well as trying to rush a theme that should not have been there (or picked the wrong actors to portray it).

So in closing, don’t see this unless it is on F/X in the next 3 months and even then question it. A 1/2 out of 5!