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BABYLON A.D. 

Starring: Vin Desel, Michelle Yeoh, Melanie Thierry, Lambert Wilson and Mark Strong

Directed by: Mathieu Kassovitz

Rated:  This version of the film is Unrated and contains added violence, action, language and sexuality

By John Delia

This is one of those action junkie films that gets you involved in the plot with a lot of explosions, fighting, chases with a lot of shooting, fantasy guns, rockets, oh and did I say explosions.  Actually the science fiction plot is rather good and if you like stories that take place in the future and involve the salvation of mankind, than this movie is for you.

The plot is very intriguing.  It is the not-too-distant future. Thousands of satellites scan, observe and monitor our every move. Much of the planet is a war zone; the rest, a collection of wretched way stations, teeming megalopolises, and vast wastelands punctuated by areas left radioactive from nuclear meltdowns. It is a world made for hardened warriors, one of whom, a mercenary known only as Toorop (Diesel), lives by a simple survivor's code: kill...or be killed. His latest assignment has him smuggling a young woman named Aurora (Thierry) along with her guardian Sister Rebeka (Yeoh) from a convent in Kazakhstan to New York City.  When Toorop finally finds out the value of the person he is transporting, he has to make a decision that may cost him his life.

It was great seeing Diesel and Yeoh team up in a film.  The two are consummate warriors and they show a lot of their stuff in this film.  I loved the scene where Diesel has to fight a veritable giant in a cage.  The combat between the two is sometimes comical due to their size.  As for Yeoh her age has not deterred from her ability to make the movies that made her famous in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.  She still has the talent and ability to knock her adversary into tomorrow.

The cinematography, especially the snowmobile shoot-out is amazingly beautiful and well choreographed.  CGI works it’s magic here, but it’s the cameras capturing the fast moving ski-carts as they blaze across the snow covered mountain side trying to outrun two jets armed with rockets and machine guns, that do all the work.  Whether it is a dark interior or a submarine cracking though the ice or a car chase with Hummers, the cameras are shooting with wide-open lenses capturing all the action.

In addition to bringing the film to you Unrated and Extended, the special bonus features are heavy and include two-discs, one of which allows you to make a digital copy of the film to save in the event the original gets damaged.  But the winners here are the science fiction featurette tell alls; Babylon Babies, Artic Escape, Hummers in Flight and Fit for the Screen.  If you like seeing how it was done then scope out this section of disc number one.  

Topping the special bonuses however is a special digital graphic novel that is the prequel to Babylon A.D.  Unique in that it sets up the why of the story, but a spoiler, I would not view this until you have seen the film.  

The film contains a lot of violence, some sexuality, and strong language and should be viewed by responsible adults.

FINAL ANALYSIS:  Babylon A.D. is an action junkie’s best friend. (4 of 5 Palm Trees)