It has been a long time since I have felt as indifferent about a film as I did about Babylon A.D.
Leading up to my viewing at a midnight show, I was a little excited. After all, it was Vin Diesel’s return to the big screen as an action star. No more dirty diapers. No more pacifiers. No more independent comedies. He’s back doing what he does best… kick ass on the big screen.
But at the same time, I just couldn’t get too excited for his return if it meant starring in a film that has flown into theaters completely under the radar.
The movie takes place in the not-so-distant future when economies have collapsed and the world is falling into chaos. Diesel plays a mercenary smuggler named Toorop who is given a special assignment: to smuggle a young woman into America. However, once he takes the job and begins to bond with the “package” and her guardian (Michelle Yeoh), all of them become targets.
Each year, I attend a science fiction movie marathon, and while they play classic movies and big releases, they always sneak in a few films for the sci-fi junkie. These are movies that flop in a wide release but can be found on video shelves and broadcast cable for years to come. They aren’t great films, but they are steeped in the genre and enjoyable as escapism. Babylon A.D. reminds me of these types of films that are shown in the wee hours of the morning at my beloved movie marathons.
I don’t know if Vin Diesel’s star power (which has waned since he took a hiatus from big action flicks) is enough to bring this movie to the mainstream. It has grand themes – like social disruption and global economic collapse – but they aren’t fully explored. Throughout the movie, the story tends to channel better science fiction, like Blade Runner and Children of Men. But when all is said and done, it’s just an excuse for some nice action scenes and nothing more.
Rumor has it that the director was miffed at close to a half hour of edits pulled from the film, and that probably explains the abrupt story presentation and overly predictable twists. But then again, I wasn’t looking for depth and originality in the film.
As a notch in Vin Diesel’s action film belt, it serves its purpose. But come Halloween, I doubt anyone is even going to remember this film existed.
THE UPSIDE: Vin Diesel is back as a badass.
THE DOWNSIDE: Left me utterly indifferent.
ON THE SIDE: Even after being awake for eighteen hours over a busy work day, I didn’t fall asleep in this movie.
译文:
《巴比伦纪元》？对科幻迷来说还过得去——但仅此而已
我对电影毫无感觉已经很长时间了，对《巴比伦纪元》也不例外。
刚开始我还是有一点点兴奋的，于是我在午夜爬起来看这部电影。毕竟这次是范·迪塞尔（Vin Diesel）作为动作演员重返大银幕啊。没有脏兮兮臭烘烘的尿布，摆脱了橡皮奶头，也不再是一集又一集的情景喜剧。他回来做他最擅长的事情了——在大银幕上很拽很厉害！
然而，于此同时如果他的“回归”仅仅意味着他出演一部完完全全投送到剧院的电影的话，我实在无法为这次“回归”激动至极。
影片讲述的故事发生在不远的将来——经济崩溃，世界陷入一片混乱之中。迪塞尔（Diesel）在片中 饰演一个唯利是图的走私贩，Toorop。他接到了一个特殊的任务：将一个年轻女孩“走私”到美国。然而当他接到任务并且和“包裹”与她的监护人（杨紫琼）牢牢联系在一起的时候，他们每一个人都变成了被追杀的目标。
每一年我都会观看科幻电影马拉松，当他们在播放经典电影和发行很广的电影的时候通常都会为科幻迷悄悄掺入几部科幻电影。这些电影都是猛然间大范围发行，然而随后几年却只能在录像带货架或者是广播中见到他们的身影。它们不是什么绝妙伟大的电影，然而它们却自成一派并且让人享受逃避现实的空想乐趣。《巴比伦纪元》让我想起了那些在我钟爱的电影马拉松开始前清晨的那一点点时间播放的电影。
我不知道范·迪塞尔的明星魅力（自从他中断了他暴力动作片的演绎之后，魅力已经有所消减）是否能将这部电影拉回主流。这部电影有着重大的主题——比如社会瓦解或着全球性的经济崩溃——然而它却没有将主题充分延展开来。纵观这部电影，它试图想要称为一部好一点的科幻大片，比如《银翼杀手》或者《人类之子》。然而当故事讲述完毕，它却只是空有一些不错的动作场景，仅此而已。
有传言说导演对生生剪去了近半个小时的片段感到颇为恼火。如此说来，这部电影描绘讲述的方式如此生硬，观众可以早早猜到之后的情节等等问题都不足为奇了。但是我还是要说，我根本没有期待会在这部影片中看到有深度或者有创意的内容。
作为范·迪塞尔动作片演艺之路上的一笔，它达到了其目的。然而由于万圣节即将来临，我怀疑是否还会有人记得这部影片的存在。
ps:范·迪塞尔回归银幕饰演大坏蛋
我对这部影片完全没有感觉。
即使在辛辛苦苦工作18小时之后我还依然清醒，看这部电影时我并没有打瞌睡。