Weekly Review -- Choose your apocalypse

Babylon A.D. (2008) -- One thing worse than a bloated, effect-laden blockbuster hopeful? A bloated, effect-laden blockbuster hopeful which makes no sense whatsoever. Such is the case with this Mathieu Kassovitz offering, although I should maybe call it a Twentieth Century Fox offering, having read about Kassovitz's complaints regarding his compromised artistic integrity and vision during filming. In a dystopian future (is there any other kind?), mercenary Toorop (Vin Diesel) is ordered to pick up young Aurora (Mélanie Thierry) and her guardian (Michelle Yeoh) from a Russian monastery and bring them to New York City. Along the way, he finds out about the girl's mysterious origins and a danger that her existence may represent... First off, do not bother reading the plot. All the hoopla concerning a "genetically modified Messiah" is never, ever touched upon or explained. There is mishmash about a cult, hodgepodge about a possible new breed of humans, and then there are class acts like Charlotte Rampling and Gérard Depardieu, probably wondering what they are doing in this mess. To be quite honest, everyone who took part deserves much better. I have always considered Diesel an underrated and compelling performer, with charisma to spare. Why he is not getting more dramatic, organic roles is beyond me. Yeoh and Thierry each have a presence to behold, from Yeoh's compassionate authority to Thierry's radiant exoticism, but their roles are far too underdeveloped for the audience to invest in their characters. The same goes for the entire screenplay. Every theme is merely hinted at and never fully explored, while every scene is accompanied by noisy visuals and preposterous rationalizations. One of the many frustrating aspects of the movie is that the story and ambiance definitely have potential, and it is a pity that the talented Kassovitz did not have a chance to utilize his imagination to the fullest. Floating in its own little post-millennial vacuum, Babylon A.D. does possess a certain aura of apocalyptic anti-charm, one that unfortunately falls prey to a screenplay that begs further refinement.

4/10