Babylon A.D. – No Miracles Here

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Hey all…

So today I was able to see the movie I couldn’t see yesterday due to issues with the all digital theater. Now I’m wondering if I should’ve skipped it. It starts with a bit of a bang, but ends with a very weak whimper.

[rating:2/4]

Babylon A.D., starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, Melanie Thierry, Gerard Depardieu, and Charlotte Rampling. Set in a not too distant future, Toorop (Vin Diesel) is hired by Gorsky (Gerard Depardieu) to transport Aurora (Melanie Thierry) and Sister Rebeka (Michelle Yeoh) from a nunnery in Eurasia to New York City in 6 days. Who knew it would be a tough job?

What did I like about this movie? Well, the action scenes were actually pretty good. And the opening sequence where we are introduced to Toorop is gripping enough to keep me interested for a while…

And it all leads to a particularly unsatisfying, boring ending.

I like Vin Diesel. And Melanie Thierry is a very pretty girl. Michelle Yeoh can always handle herself in a movie (she was also in this summer’s Mummy movie). And it took me until Gorsky’s demise to realize that it was Gerard Depardieu.

But this movie didn’t live up to its potential. I can see why the Director is angry about how Fox handled production and publicity. According to Perez Hilton:

“I’m very unhappy with the film… I never had a chance to do one scene the way it was written or the way I wanted it to be. The script wasn’t respected. Bad producers, bad partners, it was a terrible experience. I should have chosen a studio that has guts. Fox was just trying to get a PG-13 movie. I’m ready to go to war against them, but I can’t because they don’t give a <bleep>.”

I purchased the book the movie was based on — Babylon Babies by Maurice G. Dantec. I’m hoping that the book follows through on a lot of the themes that were barely glossed over in the movie.

Ultimately the movie focuses on the dangers of science used to prove religion right. Manufactured miracles.

I think Fox is going to have to hope for a miracle to get any money out of this movie.

So Babylon A.D. only gets 2 out of 4 from me. It showed promise and wasn’t a total waste of time, but it was pretty close.

Let me know what you thought!

–Fitz

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