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A Man Apart (2003)

Some people say that Vin Diesel is the next big action star in Hollywood. Although it is true that Diesel has the physique and the tough guy look, and even the deep husky voice to go along with the rugged features, but as far as I am concerned, he has yet to impress me.

In A Man Apart, agents Sean Vetter and Demetrius Hicks are part of Los Angeles' best drug enforcement agency, which is currently making an effort to strike a massive blow at the narcotics pipeline between the borders of United States and Mexico. Shortly after a successful joint mission in putting one of the most elusive drug cartel leaders, Meno Lucero, in jail, Vetter's home becomes the target of a ruthless attack that results in his wife's death. With the name Diablo as his only lead, Sean must find a way to discover the identity of this mysterious person who is claiming Lucero's operation as his own, and to avenge the murder of the love of his life.

While I appreciate the attempt at infusing some semblance of a plot into an otherwise straight up action movie, the effort is inconsistent and ultimately hurts the picture as a whole. Rather than focusing on either giving the audiences an action packed adventure or a heart felt drama, what we end up with is a film that is average in both areas. The gunfights in A Man Apart were poorly shot and chaotic, at times it was hard to tell the differences between the good guys and the bad ones. The twists in the story made very little sense, and even though the romance displayed between Diesel and co-star Jacqueline Obradors is sweet, it really did not work for me or convince me of Sean's desire for revenge. I also find it silly when movies have the tendency to suggest that criminals become more powerful when they are behind bars, if that is the case, what is the point of arresting them?

With the exception of Pitch Black, I have never been a big fan of Vin Diesel's performances. His monotone delivery of lines is often devoid of any feelings, and when he does exhibit emotions, frequently they seem to be forced and unnatural. The same is true in his portrayal of the protagonist Sean Vetter. This is largely the reason why the movie failed. If you are unable to make a connection with the lead character, why would you care what happens to him?

Larenz Tate plays Vetter's partner Demetrius Hicks. The two of them were good friends while growing up. Their aspiration to make a difference in their neighborhood instead of complaining about it motivated them to join the anti-narcotics law enforcement unit. There really isn't much to say about Tate, he did not make much of an impression in his scenes opposite of Diesel. Timothy Olyphant, on the other hand, went way overboard as Hollywood Jack. One minute he is a blubbering fool, another minute he becomes a cold-blooded killer. The discrepancies in the way that role was depicted demonstrates how poorly the whole film was scripted.

A Man Apart is a derivative and awful movie. The lack of good action sequences, in combination with a superficial plot and paper-thin characters, results in a mediocre fare that was neither fun nor exciting to watch. As for Vin Diesel, he still lacks that one defining role that has made actors like Stallone (as Rambo) and Schwarzenegger (as the Terminator and Conan) such big names in the genre.

- Zalasta

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