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The Lost 'One'

You might win some, but you just lost one. If you know where that quote is from, good for you. Anyway, today we have our last before last review of our marathon. Tyler Durden carefully dissect the latest from the Final Destination team, an action film called The One. Tomorrow, we finish up with a BANG with the world exclusive script review of Sam Mendes' follow-up to American Beauty: Road To Perdition.

'The One' Script Review

You would think I was writing a review for yet another Highlander film... but think again. The One is the title of the newest US flick to star the master of disaster Jet Li. However, can this film truly showcase his amazing talents or will it be another Romeo Must Die waiting to kill the rest of us? Keep on reading and find out for yourself.

The Skinny -

Jet Li

"Imagine a universe where there are exact copies of ourselves living on other exact copies of our planet. We may not have the same job or the same friends, but on many basic levels we are all the same person. We are also linked by a cosmic thread. In one of these universes, the technology exists to allow a person to travel between universes. To prevent illegal activity, that universe also has a force of MULTIVERSE Agents who protect and serve all the other dimensions of existence.

Delroy Lindo

As it turns out, the MVA’s have discovered that if one person begins killing off the other versions of himself, he will gain their strength and eventually become more human than human. However, no person has ever succeeded in killing off all the other versions of himself and they would like to keep it that way. However, one bad boy and former agent from their world is very close to accomplishing this feat. Jet Li plays Gabriel Yu Law, a man possessed with becoming The One.

Jason Statham

He is being chased by two MVA Agents named Roedecker (Delroy Lindo) and Funsch (Jason Statham) who want to keep him alive or else the last version of himself will also have to be killed off lest he become The One.

In our world, Gabe Yu Law is a sheriff trying to live a normal life. He has noticed some strange things over the last few years though... Like increased strength and agility. While on an assignment, bad Yulaw tries to kill Gabe and fails. Shocked by his own growing powers and encounter with a mirror image... Gabe must fight to stay alive, avoid capture by his colleagues (who think he has become a psycho killer) and help the MVA capture Yulaw alive.

The Script -

From the way I described this film, you would think it will be the next great action flick and must own DVD. It has a great and interesting concept and one of the best action stars on the market going for it. It has two very credible supporting actors in Lindo and Statham. With the help of some CGI and great camera work, instant $100 million film, right? Yeah right.

I hated this script from top to bottom. It was written by Glen Morgan and James Wong, the same team that brought you the best thriller movie I had seen in a long time in Final Destination. Wong is also going to direct this film. I only have one reason to dislike it... it tries too hard to be just like The Matrix. To do so is a total discredit to the potential you have with a lead like Jet Li. The fight and gun battle scenes with the bullets in slow motion, the idea that you can possess super-powers if only you believe... There is even a recreation of the Neo/Morpheus fight scene between Gabe and one of the MVA guys. I honestly felt like I was reading a version of The Matrix script from an alternate universe only this film doesn’t even have the cool dialogue. There is also little to no humor in this film. How can you have an action film with no humor... no jokes or really good puns or one-liners? Oh lord!!!

Current Affairs -

Carla Gugino

Filming began in Los Angeles for this film in January of 2001. It was originally supposed to star Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and I think he did a good job in passing on this film. He would have been wrong for the part. Just to round out the cast, Carla Gugino is slated to play Jet Li’s wife T.K. It is too bad that Jet Li turned down The Matrix 2 to instead play the lead in this film. There is always the chance that Wong can pull a rabbit out of his hat like he did with Final Destination and make this film a winner. Jet Li is so talented and I think we will again be robbed of seeing his full potential. That is my take people. If you like canned versions of other films, then you may like this film. Hell, I may end up liking the finished product. On the script level... There are better films to be made."

(Review by Tyler Durden)

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Jean-François Allaire (aka DeadPool)

Questions, comments, praise etc. Email me at deadpool@tnmc.org

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Jean-François Allaire is TNMC's first columnist. At only 24 years old he has become a respected entertainment journalist, with his columns appearing in Corona's Coming Attractions and Scr(i)pt magazine. He also writes a monthly column in Screenwriters Monthly entitled 'The Last Word.' Hailing from Montreal this young writer is determined to dig up all the details on the movies before they hit your local theater. If you're part of a movie production then you really need to be talking to him.