Columbia got smart. They knew martial arts fans like me would never go see the new Van Damme movie (because fans like me want to see a good fight, not a beating), so they put a mask on this one: Jet Li.
I have to clarify that I write this decidedly negative review with no malice or scorn toward Li, and in what I would call “tough love”. For my money, he has no superior in martial arts cinema. He and Jackie Chan are the Wonder Twins, as far as I’m concerned. Li’s movies have frequently had weak plots and characterizations, significantly below movies like Iron Monkey or Crouching Tiger, but it has always been intended in most cases, and is part of the charm …but not in The One. Here there is nothing behind those one-dimensional facades to care about or be wowed by. I’m going to “ruin” this movie for people who haven’t seen it yet, because there’s nothing here worth any surprise. There is a surprise, I must quickly add. Unfortunately, it’s the fact that a Jet Li movie isn’t very fun at all.
I didn’t know Matrix 2 was out already!
The special effects and visual stunts are good, yes, but they are revisits, and not done with nearly as much flair or purpose as they have already been in other movies like The Matrix. And don’t expect to see the kind of martial arts choreography you’re used to in a Li flick. You’ll get smatterings of it throughout, but there are no scenes so akin to the movements of a symphony that usually track through a classic Jet Li workout. There are certainly beautiful moments, but they are tied too loosely to the story or barely at all to make them seem anything more than an excerpt from a high quality kung fu instructional video. Beautiful to watch, unquestionably, but hardly compelling. You’ll see more of the Matrix-Fu here and little Li-Chi until the final battle. Even that is not quite of the caliber Li fans will be used to seeing, though after the first hour and 10 minutes, it will be like a bit of a drink of water, even if not quite cold enough or tall enough.
So he didn’t spend the money on acting lessons.
Anyone insisting that Li has no acting talent will likely not be won over with this installment. I have always felt Li had plenty of the charisma and acting ability he needed to carry himself well on the big screen, but I have never seen him in worse moments than here. The haughtiness of his villain is frequently (and immediately) uncomfortably fake. He just looks silly. Nevertheless, for much of the movie, Li’s acting is not horrible, and occasionally is commendable, even if not Oscar worthy. I’m not necessarily a fan of Li’s acting, but I don’t think he is a bad actor, and think he usually finds the fitting, even admirable performance for the role. Here, however, he does slip up more than a bit.
“Don’t mince words, Bones, what do you really think.”
There are some good points (no great points) in The One, but not enough to make what I’d call a good movie, but here they are: Li (if it was Van Damme I would never have gone, saw it on TNT one night and still felt jipped), final battle, some visual effects and stunts, and Delroy Lindo. The bad points: sound design, car crashes (holy stupid), firepower exhibitions (brainless, bland, banal), most of the acting…I have no motivation to continue.
Do NOT drag your girlfriend (or boyfriend) to see it if she (he) doesn’t like these kinds of movies, not if your plan is to win (him) her over. If you’re a die-hard Jet Li fan, definitely rent it, but grab a ticket stub for something else…like Iron Monkey.
Best points: final fight, Li, and Lindo.
Honorable mention: the trailer.
Final Score: 35.
2001 copyright Christopher Ryan Huston
