Movie Info:
Writer: Mathieu Kassovitz, Eric Besnard
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz
Cast: Gerard Depardieu, Michelle Yeoh, Vin Diesel, Mark Strong, Lambert Wilson
Rating: R
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: August 29, 2008
DVD Release Date: January 6, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $27.99

I’m probably one of the few reviewers on the planet who still likes Vin Diesel. I think the guy has a bum rap as an actor. He studied theatre, so he has to know a little bit about acting. Many times, he’s typecast in the action roles that don’t really show off his versatility. Everyone knows if it’s a Vin Diesel movie, he’s going to be kicking ass in it. If not, it’s a lame movie (The Pacifier anyone?!) he only took to try and get out of that typecasting box. He’s had no true blue drama opportunities, save for, Find Me Guilty, that have come his way.

That being said, I like a good action flick. I enjoy the movies with Bruce Willis when he’s all actionfied. Bruce can also act, but then he had that Moonlighting gig in the 80s, which I believe helped save him from being typecast too much. I’m a fan of Sylvester Stallone, especially in Rambo, even if you can’t understand a friggin’ word he says. I can appreciate the action genre and Vin has had some pretty awesome, high tech action flicks, like Pitch Black and The Fast and the Furious.

What makes Babylon A.D unique from other Diesel films is the inclusion of someone as stunning as Michelle Yeoh. I didn’t know that she was going to be in this movie, but her talent is just unspeakable. It’s kind of sad that director/writer Mathieu Kassovitz had so much trouble with 20th Century Fox, to get the story he wanted to tell told, because Yeoh’s talent is wasted. This movie truly could have been magnificent, but it’s not and I believe we have the studio to blame.

I like Vin Diesel, so I didn’t mind he was cast in the lead for this movie. Babylon A.D. should have done well because besides Yeoh and Diesel, the cast includes Gerard Depardieu, Charlotte Rampling and Lambert Wilson. With the genre being somewhere between Sci Fi Thriller and Action, this should have been a sure sell at the box office, but due to studio and filming problems the film ran over budget and it made almost $20M less at the box office. Essentially, on paper, Babylon A.D. bombed.

Oh, but this movie had such potential. It’s based on the book “Babylon Babies” by French Canadian author Maurice Georges Dantec. The story is there. You can almost feel it. You want to reach out and grab it, but you can’t. Babylon A.D. starts out okay and if you like Vin Diesel, you’ll be able to get by on most of the action sequences when watching this once.

With that being said, I should add that the ending is absolute rubbish and pretty much ruins the entire film. It’s pretty clear this film wasn’t what it was supposed to be. Even Mathieu Kassovitz dismisses the film, which has to be frustrating since his name is on it. With the potential this cast had, one can only hope there is a released director’s cut that Kassovitz actually gets to revamp to his taste in future releases, because this release is quite sad.

The Babylon A.D. Plot
Unfortunately, the plot for Babylon A.D. can be summed up in just a few sentences. I will try to make this plot section as thorough as possible without droning on too much, and without giving too much away, not that there really is an ending to ruin.

I should briefly mention that I don’t have a problem with the acting. All of the actors do well in their respective roles. It’s just sad they didn’t have a great script to work with on this movie. Michelle Yeoh had the chance to kick butt, and Mélanie Thierry, who reminds me of a French, slightly younger Mena Suvari, has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, Babylon A.D. wasn’t the best vehicle through which to launch a career in the United States.

At the beginning of Babylon A.D., there are a few instances of awkward dialogue. This quickly dissipates though, and while the dialogue improves, the plot falls apart at the seams until, by the end, there’s really no plot left. So much potential was wasted on this movie. One can only hope future DVD releases will allow Kassovitz to fix the film. While this version of Babylon A.D. has additional time added on, I’d love to see the unedited, uncut, director’s cut in a future Babylon A.D Blu Ray releases. Now, on to the plot.

It’s some time in the near future and Hugo Cornelius Toorop (Vin Diesel), or just Toorop by most, is stuck in some war torn, Eastern European country. He lives as comfortable a life as a former mercenary can. Toorop is on a terrorist list in the United States, so he’s unable to return to the states. That’s about to change when he’s given a job by Gorsky (Gerard Depardieu), to transport a young woman to New York.

Gorsky gives Toorop something that will alter his being, so that he can get into the United States without being traced as a terrorist. This is an altered UN passport that he must inject before heading into the U.S. He also gets a variety of weapons and heads off to a distant Noelite Convent, to pick up the girl he’ll be transporting.

At the convent, he’s greeted by the girl’s guardian, Sister Rebeka (Michelle Yeoh). She warns Toorop of the girl’s frailty, but Toorop sets his own rules. The girl, Aurora (Mélanie Thierry), is unusual. She’s incredibly intelligent and unexplainable things happen around her. The group must travel across Russia and into Canada, where they’ll take a flight to New York City.

The trip is filled with danger as Toorop must protect Aurora from a group that is following them, who claims they work for her father. However, Aurora was led to believe her parents are dead, so its not clear what the group’s intentions are. At the same time, the Noelites and their leader, the High Priestess (Charlotte Rampling), are awaiting Aurora in New York.

Adding in the fact that there is something very odd going on with Aurora and the plot had the potential to get very interesting.

Storyline/Plot: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 3 out of 5 stars
Acting: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Love it or hate it, Babylon A.D. looks shockingly good on Blu-ray. The 2.35:1, 1080p transfer has never looked better. I have been a fan of Fox’s Blu-ray quality for quite some time now. Despite the darkest and grungiest moments and people in the film, even through the dirt and grime you will find shocking amounts of detail. While the mood of the film is meant to look bothersome, the visuals look amazing at the same time. While much of what is show on the screen is lifeless and lacking the color that you might hope for, the visual quality suits and beats the expectations of its purpose with glowing colors.

I could not have been happier with this transfer. It’s true that Babylon A.D. could have been so much more than what it ended up being, but when it comes to the video quality it would have been hard to end up getting better than this. The detail, sharpness, and definition definitely make this movie stand out.

Another powerful experience is delivered through the audio with a DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack that does not disappoint. Every channel is used to the full extent of its ability and the audio comes out sounding great. Even the faint sound of gun shots or effects from a far sound well defined. A good mix from Fox is no surprise, but it’s still nice to see it included here.

The action-ish setting offers plenty of twists and turns where the sound is really able to show off. Plenty of explosions are given strength that a lesser audio quality just wouldn’t have offered. The dialogue is easily heard and understood and the soundtrack sounds fabulous. The combo of hip hop and classical is rockin’ from the very first moment of the film, until the very end.  Audio is also provided in a French Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Subtitles are available in Cantonese, French, Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish.

Visual: 5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
Babylon A.D. offers a basic set of features, which is somewhat disappointing, though I am not surprised. It seems the studio cut a chunk out of the movie, so I can’t say I expected to be wowed with the features here. BonusView is one of the first features. This particular feature splits into two sections that includes Scene Evolution and Babylon A.D. Commercials.

Scene Evolution offers some behind-the-scenes features that let viewers see how things work. These run together for a little under an hour. On the Commercials you spend a little less than three minutes watching a series of commercials. In some cases, you will be able to play these during the movie, but that may depend on your Blu-ray player. You can also play them on their own, as a special feature.

A small deleted scene is included from the Hummer Sequence. As deleted scenes go this was not any better or worse than what you might expect. “Babylon Babies” has the author of the novel this movie was based on talking about the characters, writing process, and main themes in the movie. “Arctic Escape” runs over ten minutes and looks at one of the action sequences in the film.

“Fit for the Screen” deals with the fighting and the choreography used in the film. This is actually quite interesting and as you might have guessed, Vin Diesel is incredibly involved in helping to set up the action sequences for this movie. It’s also funny to hear that Michelle Yeoh uses her experience as a dancer to get down the choreography for the fight scenes. All of these scenes are incredibly well executed, so there is a lot of praise for both Diesel and Yeoh, as well as the fight choreographer for the film.

“Flight of the Hummers” is all about the awesome car chase and what it takes to make one. The final featurette is “Prequel to Babylon A.D.: Genesis of Aurora.” This is a short, animated prequel to the movie. Some stills of the film have also been included, as well as trailers for X-Files: I Want to Believe, The Happening, and Stargate Continuum.

A second disc also includes a digital copy of the film for when you’re out and about.

Bonus Features: 3 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
While Babylon A.D. is visually stunning and provides a true BD experience, I don’t recommend buying this film unless you have rented it first. There will be a few people who will buy this just for the cinematography during the action sequences or because they like Vin Diesel, but most people will be put off too much by the ending to want to bother with this release. If you’ve already decided you’d like to own Babylon A.D. I recommend shelling out the extra dough for the BD release, because it’s just that stunning and well worth it.

Overall Rating: 3.71 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Babylon A.D., Uncut, Blu-ray Review, Sci-Fi, Michelle Yeoh, Fox, Movie

Movie Info:
Writer: Frank Spotnitz, Chris Carter
Director: Rob Bowman
Cast: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Martin Landau, Blythe Danner
Rating: PG 13
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: June 19, 1998
DVD Release Date: December 2, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $18.99

I know The X-Files had, and still has, somewhat of a cult following. I wasn’t a member of the cult, but I did occasionally enjoy the show when it aired on Fox. I thought the show was well written and interesting, but I often forgot to watch it. I’m a bigger Sci Fi fan than I give myself credit for being. I’m not exactly sure why I never clicked with this show, but whenever I did catch it on television, I was glad to watch it.

The X-Files movie, also called Fight the Future, which is the movie tagline, was originally released in 1998. I didn’t see this film until now. I have to wonder what I was missing because this is great. The chemistry between Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) is a good enough reason to be enthralled with both the show and the movie, but it goes further than that. Both the movie and show really have a plot and it’s a good one!

The X-Files movie is supposed to take place between the 5th and 6th seasons of the show. This release in Blu Ray corresponds to what is being called the sequel to this film, The X-Files: I Want to Believe. This isn’t a sequel per se, as it is more of a sequel to the entire The X-Files television series. Either way, it’s good to have Mulder and Scully back at it, because they are pretty good at their jobs.

The X-Files seems to be well liked by fans of the series. Though I didn’t watch the series regularly, I have very few complaints about this movie. It kept me engaged throughout the majority of the film. The events of the plot were interesting. The acting is great. The direction is just as good. Everything comes together in a nice, neat package. I also enjoyed listening to the supplemental material and to actually hear the creators and actors share their vision for this project. Their goal was to take their television show to the big screen and I believe they succeeded.

The X-Files: Fight the Future Plot
Go back to 35,000 BC. In North Texas, the prehistoric era is shown at the beginning of The X-Files movie. Two neanderthals are traveling through harsh weather and even harsher terrain. When they enter a cave, they discover what might just be an alien. Not knowing the danger they are in, the men are separated. One stabs the alien and it bleeds out a black oil like chemical. After the chemical takes over the man the prehistoric period ends.

It’s present day Texas (1998 or so – at the time) and some kids are playing near their homes. Stevie (Lucas Black) falls into some sort of hole and there he finds the skull of a human. When he picks it up, the black oil from earlier seeps through the ground and around his feet. The black continues to wind up his legs. Traveling up his body, the black pours into his eyes, turning them black.

Stevie’s friends try to get help. As firemen enter the hole to save him, they disappear, and it is assumed the black oil seeps into them and takes over their bodies, too. This is too big and it has to be covered up. The government sends men in biohazard suits, semi-trailer trucks and they are led by Ben Bronschweig (Jeffrey DeMunn).

After the X-Files division was shut down, Scully and Mulder went their separate ways. Occasionally, they work together and they are first seen in the movie trying to help Darius Michaud (Terry O’Quinn), a SAC (Special Agent in Charge), and the FBI investigate a bomb threat in Dallas. Mulder heads to the building across the way and there he finds the bomb. He’s trapped in the room with the vending machine bomb and there is no way to stop it from exploding. Scully gets the building evacuated and they get Mulder out.

Darius Michaud is supposed to be trying to disarm the bomb, but the viewer learns he’s just going to sit there and let the building explode, with him in it, which it does. Mulder and Scully head to Washington D.C. together, because there were four victims in the building that never made it out. These victims were firemen and one little boy. They must go through separate hearings and may lose their jobs over this.

That night, Mulder meets Alvin Kurtzweil (Martin Landau) at the bar. He is a doctor who claims to be a friend of Mulder’s dad. He also knows that the victims who died were already dead before the bomb went off. The bomb was covering up the deaths and Mulder and Scully are going to be taking the fall for it. Mulder refuses to go down that way, so he and Scully go to the morgue where they can examine the bodies.

Scully discovers the victims died by something other than the bomb going off. Mulder leaves Scully there while he heads back to Dallas and she is almost caught, but she ends up joining him. She has discovered that the bodies were infected with an alien virus. Learning about Stevie, they believe the incidents are connected and they travel to Stevie’s home town. All evidence of what happened is gone and no one wants to talk about how the town got a new park, installed right over the hole where Stevie fell.

The two are certain they are being set up. The evidence to help them disappears. Scully is told she’ll be transferred to Salt Lake City, away from Mulder. She ends up getting hurt, and the secret of what’s going on lies deeper than Mulder could even realize. The journey to save the injured Scully will take Mulder to Antarctica and on a journey that pits him against an international organization with more power than he realized.

Storyline/Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
While this is the first time that Fight the Future has been released on Blu-ray, this is not the first time it’s been available. The previous releases for Fight for Future did not come out looking good. Granted, one of them was nearly a decade ago, but still even by those standards they were lacking. Today the production quality appears to be much higher. When you think of it like this, the Blu-ray was destined to look amazing. Of course, it does look much better and it has elements of that blu-ray amazing quality, but it does occasionally feel as if it were lacking in comparison to other, brand new blu-ray titles. Presented in a 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer with a 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio, Fight the Future ends up looking good. The colors look strong and the grain and other problems are kept to a minimum. Even when things aren’t that great they aren’t annoying enough to be a big problem.

The audio is in good condition. Presented in a lossless DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack there is little to complain about here. There is excellent levels of dynamic sound and a crisp presentation all around. This is what you probably would expect from a modern day blu-ray presentation. This makes it even better since this isn’t a new movie. The sound effects run high on the noise and create a booming experience, the dialogue is easy to hear, and the music creates a dramatic effect. The quiet parts are nothing more than a hushed whisper. It’s a good presentation throughout where the audio is concerned.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There is a small amount of special features that were on the previous DVD that were added to the blu-ray. In addition to this older content, a fair amount of new features have been added, as well. The older material begins with a audio commentary that includes Chris Carter and Rob Bowman. The two are recorded separately so there isn’t really a conversation like you might expect to hear in other commentaries. Additionally, this isn’t as exciting as you might expect. You hear about goals for the movie, but little else is truly talked about, so in some ways it feels like a wasted opportunity.

“The Making of the X-Files Movie” sounds like a making of, but ends up being more of a central marketing piece than anything. You have a chance to learn about the television show, what it took to make a movie that would work for X-File newbies, and what it would be like to bring this concept to film. There are also three theatrical trailers that are included in this section of the features.

Along with the new features, a new commentary with Chris Carter, Rob Bowman, Daniel Sackheim, and Frank Spotnitz has been included. The purpose of the commentary appears to be more promotional based than anything, as the new X-Files movie was released on the same day as this Blu-ray was. The commentary is able to be listened to separately or through the movie with Picture in Picture. It’s not bad to listen to though if you’re looking for anything more than mild entertainment, you won’t find it in this commentary.

An Alternate Bee Sting Scene is included, though funnily enough a bee sting is not included. In “Blackwood – The Making of the X-Files: Fight the Future” you end up seeing old interview materials. If you watch the making of that was listed above, you won’t be missing anything here. If you are wondering why it’s entitled “Blackwood” it’s because that was the fake name it was given to stop people from trying to sneak information about it and leak it.

Some basic offers such as a Visual Effects featurette, something on Scoring, a Gag Reel, and Stills are also included. The Visual Effects mainly explores the use of the CGI and the Scoring, naturally looks at the score that ranges from use of the synth to a full orchestra. The Gag Reel is the best of this small list of features as it is actually quite funny. The trailer for X-Files: I Want to Believe has been included, as well. Finally there is a D-Box motion code for people with furniture that is D-box equipped. If you don’t know what this means then yours isn’t equipped. If you do and it is then you can load this disc into a computer to create the shaking and various movements when there is action occurring on-screen.

Bonus Features: 3 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
The X-Files movie is decent in Blu Ray. If you’re a fan of the show, you should definitely pick this up. The Blu Ray quality is far superior to any other release, to date. So, upgrading is well worth the extra money you’ll pay. Even if you’ve never seen this show, if you enjoy Sci Fi, you should pick up a copy of The X-Files movie. I watched this with a friend who never watched the show and now they can’t wait to see what else Mulder and Scully have to offer. The X-Files Movie in Blu Ray is recommended.

Overall Rating: 4.36 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: X-Files, Fight the Future, Blu-ray Review, Sci-Fi, Movie, TV to Movie, Alien, Paranormal