Babylon A.D.
Babylon A.D.
Given the number of negative reviews out there, I may outrage some by saying that this is probably one of Vin Diesel’s better movies. Now, whilst I would not claim to have seen all his movies, I have seen enough of them to make the comparison a meaningful exercise.
But make no mistake – this film will probably never reach the status, whatever that status may be, of his earlier pieces such as The Fast and the Furious or the Boiler Room, but, perhaps, it was never intended to do so. This movie is a slightly different set of moving pictures.
In not too distant future, a veteran/mercenary Toorop (Vin Diesel) lives his life, or what is left of it, with a large dose of irony and bitterness. Having done many deals before, one day he gets what he at first thought of as just another job. But whilst he had done “business” with Gorsky (Gérard Depardieu), the Russian underground figure, before, this job turns out to be different.
Young Aurora (Mélanie Thierry) has to be transported from an isolated Noelite monastery in Mongolia to New York City. Sister Rebeka (Michelle Yeoh) goes wherever Aurora goes. Toorop does not think anything more or anything less of the job.
But Aurora is special, in many ways and to many people, and Toorop quickly finds himself navigating unchartered waters. A cold, unemotional man for many years, he develops a bond with the two women whilst all their lives are endangered.
On their way from Russia/Mongolia to New York there are many obstacles and surprises and awaiting at their final destination is a sect that is planning to dominate the world.
Somehow the plot of this movie resembles some 007 stories and whilst Vin Diesel’s character Toorop, or Vin Diesel himself for that matter, could at best be described as a very raw and ungentlemanly version of the Britain’s finest secret agent, if such a comparison is even allowed, some action scenes do come closer, such as those of evading and shooting down helicopters from speeding and flying snowmobiles in a true Bond-like fashion.
And whilst the story is placed somewhere in the future, the film, intentionally or not, has an uncanny resemblance to some aspects of the present or, at least, to what unfortunately may become the near future. If one thinks of current world events, political divisions and conflicts, scientific breakthroughs and advancements and proliferation of all sorts of sects, cults and other quasi-religious organisations, Raelians being only one example, the film and its story suddenly stops being just another sci-fi movie.
Everyone, however, sees things through their own eyes. I went in not expecting much and got more than I expected. And that is the very advantage of all low profile things – they are more likely to pleasantly surprise than to seriously disappoint.
If you have missed Babylon A.D. at the movies, you may want to get it on DVD and have your own experience. Do not, however, confuse this review for a 5 star rating and blame me afterwards.
- D. R.
