Film

Babylon A.D.

Cert: 12A

Description: Mercenary for hire Toorop is offered one of the most lucrative assignments of his inglorious career: to escort a young woman, Aurora, from her Neolite convent in Mongolia to New York. Toorop accepts the cash but is forced to change his plans almost from the get-go when Aurora's protector, Sister Rebecca, insists on accompanying her ward on the dangerous mission. While the Neolite High Priestess and her followers keep a close eye on Aurora's progress, the young woman's father, Dr Arthur Darquandier, observes intently from a distance, waiting to snatch Aurora when Toorop's back is turned.

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Dir: Mathieu Kassovitz.

Cast: Vin Diesel, Melanie Thierry, Michelle Yeoh, Lambert Wilson, Mark Strong, Gerard Depardieu, Charlotte Rampling, Joel Kirby

Country: US/Fr.

Year: 2008.

Duration: 90mins

Babylon AD is bad copy

Hollywood wannabe: Babylon AD is not cutting it

By Charlotte O'Sullivan
28 Aug 2008

French director Mathieu Kassovitz was once touted as the next Scorsese, thanks to his gritty debut, La Haine. Alas, this action-adventure epic suggests he has settled for being a Hollywood wannabe, with what is a low-budget rip-off of Blade Runner, The Matrix series, The Fifth Element and even Bond.

Set in the grim future, it concerns a tough but fair mercenary (Vin Diesel), charged with escorting a beautiful convent girl (Melanie Thierry) from Kazakhstan to New York. She has special powers and may hold the key to mankind�s preservation. Diesel and Thierry work well together and their chemistry, and music by former Wu-Tang Clan rapper The RZA suggest what might have been.