War
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Movie Reviews of War
Movie Review: Jet Li in WAR is top notch
Summary: 5 Stars
WAR starring Jet Li burst onto the screen this weekend in what has to be one action packed film from the beginning credits to the ending ones. Not much time to breathe. The basic plot is Triad gangs against Yakuza gangs in San Francisco, and Jet Li plays an assassin that cleverly works both camps against each other for his own benefit. The film starts off with the massacre of an FBI agent and his wife and child by an assassin sent to kill them. His partner spends the rest of the film trying to capture this assassin. Jason Stathan takes on this gritty role as an agent out for revenge who looses his wife and his family because he refuses to give up the hunt. John Lone plays the Triad boss, and Ryo Ishibashi the Yakuza boss headquartered in Tokyo who sends his cold hearted daughter (Devon Aoki) to oversee his USA operations. Jet Li plays one group against the other in a very clever production which gives us plenty of gang shootouts, assassinations, motor cycle and car chases, and enough over the top violence for the most hardened of viewers. One blood bath takes place in a Japanese tea house in SF's Chinatown where a room full of Yakuza and their kimono clad waitress are reduced to so much dead meat. The FBI arrives to clean up this mess eliminating a few more of the gang in the process. Another slaughter is in a Triad nightclub where one of the owners guard dogs is returned complete with a collar booby trapped to blow up, and does it ever. Pay very close attention to ALL the ensuing action because a surprise ending is in store at the conclusion of this one hour and forty minute film. I have not seen Jet Li in a role like this before. Hopefully I will in future productions! Excellent film! Enjoy!Movie Review: "War" is great!
Summary: 5 Stars
"War" is great! The cast led by Jet Li (as Rogue) and Jason Statham (as Jack Crawford), both who have worked together in "The One" (2001) is great. The directing by Philip G. Atwell is great. The story and screenplay by Lee Anthony Smith and Gregory J. Bradley is great. The music by Brian Tyler (who also did the music to the upcoming "John Rambo" (2007) and "Aliens vs. Predator" (2007) is great. The cinematography by Pierre Morel (who also did the cinematography to "Unleashed" (2005), which starred Li, and "The Transporter" (2002), which starred Statham) is great. The film editing by Scott Richter is great. The casting by Thomas L. Carter, Colleen Rogers, Maureen Webb (who also did the casting to the upcoming "Passengers" (2008) is great. The production design by Chris August is great. The art direction by Catherine Ircha (who also did the art direction to the upcoming "The Eye" (2008) is great. The costume design by Cynthia Ann Summers is great. This is an great action film that keeps you thinking and on the edge of your seat.Movie Review: Great Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
Although, I was somewhat confused about the ending, I'd have to see it again to understand what happened more clearly. This movie is great, and is the best movie when it comes to depicting Asian mafias.Movie Review: Do not go to WAR
Summary: 3 Stars
What the hell happened? This movie did not at all live up to expectations. I love both these action stars, Jason Statham and Jet Li, and what they bring to the table. I believed it was a can't miss premise: that of Statham and Li facing off against each other. Was I ever wrong!
The slaughter of his partner and his partner's family causes federal agent John Crawford (Jason Statham) to go on a personal vendetta against a legendary assassin named Rogue. After three years, he finally gets a whiff of a lead. But, as Crawford hunts him down, Rogue (Jet Li) follows his own mysterious agenda. Having snaked his way into the Triad's inner circle, he schemes and manipulates the Triad into warfare with the Yakuza. All the while, he is relentlessly hounded by Crawford and his task force.
Jason Statham brings his virility and patented angry intensity onto the screen. Jet Li, however, sleepwalks and delivers his lines without any type of conviction. Only in the action sequences does Jet spruce up, and, even then, we don't get to see him much in full out action. In an interview, Jet claims that WAR isn't a martial arts film and I guess he's got the picture pegged perfectly. Oh, there's a ton of shooting with guns. But with namebrands like Jet Li and Jason Statham, with the latter having rapidly garnered a film rep as a martial artist (based on The Transporter series), I expected wushu mayhem. But Jet Li only gets to really cut loose in one sequence when he goes up against ninja-clad Yakuza. Statham sees even less action, although he does have a pulse-pounding tussle in a teahouse. But, other than that, you'd never know Jason was well versed in the martial arts.
I was hugely anticipating Statham pitting his brawn and ferociousness against Li's agileness and speed. But, basically, the momumental throwdown between them never happens. They do get it on at the warehouse climax, but it comes off as more an amateurish and unfulfilling clash of wrestling, punching, and throwing each other thru things. Definitely not what the audience was hankering for. These guys both have built in fan bases, and, in my opinion, the fans were just let down. I am sorely vexed.
Then, on top of that disappointment, you throw in the plodding nature of the story. Rogue persists in his machinations to set the two crime cartels against each other, forcing the audience to endure all the resulting dreary plot convolutions. Given, these aren't really dead spots in the film as much as the camera tending to hone in on sordid characters and situations I didn't give a crap about. But, even when things were happening, the film felt like it dragged. There are times when Statham's storyline is relegated to the background. Frankly, more focus should've been given to Crawford's pursuit of Rogue, especially since Statham, to me, is the more charismatic actor. We are introduced to one promising character - the Yakuza head's capable and ambitious daughter - but nothing really comes of her story arc. However, I did appreciate the present she received.
There's one positive here in that a very nice twist is introduced late in the film, and it did surprise me. But, in the long run, too many things turned me off. When Jet Li and Jason Statham finally meet each other face to face, I expected fireworks. Not necessarily a fight, but...something, I dunno. But that scene left me cold. Sad to say, but these two lack chemistry together. The ending, when it came - and an unsatisfying and abrupt ending it was - couldn't have come any sooner. Two and a half stars of bitterness for this one.
Movie Review: "Get ready for a war."
Summary: 3 Stars
After losing his partner (Terry Chen) to the hands of mysterious assassin Rogue (Jet Li), FBI agent John Crawford (Jason Statham) has spent the last three years of his life trying to get revenge, costing him his marriage. He gets his opportunity when the assassin resurfaces to begin a war between the Triad and Yakuza crime organizations. In between all this, Rogue and Crawford are engaged in a cat-and-mouse chase where both learn about their past.
Jet Li and Jason Statham. Who could go wrong with a showdown between two of this generation's martial arts stars. This is agreeably why I anticipated "War", helmed by Phillip G. Altwell (a music video vet who doubled in directing an episode of "The Shield" and second unit directing for "National Treasure". The film delivers very well on the action side, and Li and Statham are terrific, but suffice to say, I felt disappointed.
Altwell does get "War" started on solid, if familiar territory. The music video vet often gets carried away with the visuals, but he is able to relish in the moment during any action scenes or whenever Li or Statham come into conflict. For any fan of martial arts films, Altwell has a good present for you.
But it's a shame that he wants more from this package than inviting fans to see the main event. Altwell piles upon meaningless subplot over meaningless subplots involving Crawford's estranged family (wake me up when that cliche dies down, please?), dirty cops hijacking weapons, a crime boss's wife (Nadine Velazquez) whom Rogue sympathizes for, and many more. So we're here to see Li and Statham exchange fisticuffs in a 99 minute movie, but have to sit through endless scenes of expository dialogue and some plot holes to get to it? And for some reason that only Altwell can explain, there's a "Usual Suspects"-type twist involving what REALLY happened to Tom Lone. A really bad move on his part.
Probably one of the subplots that had me riveted was the one involving Devon Aoki. As the daughter of Yakuza boss Shiro (Ryo Ishibashi), Aoki manages to give her somewhat limited role some life. My favorite scene involved her holding a knife to one guy's throat, while aiming a gun to the other guy's head. Scenes like that give "Rogue" the much needed life it lacks.
Altwell does good when giving Li and Statham screen time to confront each other. Scenes like that have plenty of suspense, raw drama, and an extra punch of fun. Unfortunately, due to the uncalled-for twist at the end, their final fight becomes a major disappointment. And the film ends after Crawford gets shot and Rogue drives off in a car. "War" has a lot going for it, and it's very action-packed, but it leaves a stench of disappointment of what it could've been.
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