Babylon A.D. (2008) - review

Previously the French Mathieu Kassovitz has been seen more in front than behind the camera. After his mediocre directions Gothika and Grimson Rivers he took Maurice G. Dantec's dystopia novel Babylon A.D. under work. The result is a movie filled with violent action, but story wise it aims too high and then falls hard and heavy.

Vin Diesel is Toorop, a bounty hunter, that a Russian Gorsky (Gérard Depardieu) hires to deliver a young Aurora-girl (Mélanie Thierry) from a cloister in deep down in Asia to New York. There is something special and secret about the girl which makes the delivery very valuable, but Toorop takes the job without questions. With the girl comes her foster mother, sister Rebeka (Michelle Yeoh).

Toorop starts the journey in the hopes of getting a reward, without feelings or interest towards the girl's secret. Immediately he notices the journey is not going to be a pleasure trip, because after the girl are also dangerous men who are not afraid to use any means available. But Toorop is just like them. He ends up protecting the girl with his life and does not hesitate when it comes to slaughtering few people who get into their way.

Babylon A.D. reminded me closely of Luc Besson's Fifth element (1997), but is much more rough and serious compared to its colourful "cousin". After an interesting start the story loses its power and twists its complex story into a good looking mess. The over dose of cliches and the anti-climax in the end take the last of the edge out of the movie.

The environments are built with style and imagination which make the movie look visually good. Even though a lot has been borrowed from elsewhere, the movie has some ideas of its own, such as the submarine transporting refugees. Rock-like Diesel fits in this kind of roles as a glove in a hand and Thierry's fresh and innocent appearance is his total opposite.

Director Kassovitz has himself mentioned in the interviews that he is disappointed on the movies because the studio had cut it from original, resulting in "violent and stupid" version. It is to be seen if the director's cut on dvd is any better.

Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz
Written by Eric Besnard, Mathieu Kassovitz and Joseph Simas, based on a novel by Maurice G. Dantec
Cast Vin Diesel, Mélanie Thierry, Michelle Yeoh, Gérard Depardieu, Charlotte Rampling
IMDb http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364970/