Review of Babylon A.D. (2008) by Thequietgamer — 24 Dec 2014

It's one of those movies where a lone-wolf, hardcore mercenary gets hired to deliver a "package" that turns out to be a girl who is very important. It takes the expected turns these types of movies do. The only difference is that it has a sci-fi setting and a non-sensical plot. At least the action scenes are entertaining. The inclusion of Diesel makes it feel like an interesting combination of Riddick with some elements of the Fast & Furious series.

The plot is really the biggest issue here. It literally makes no sense at all because it offers no explanation for any questions you will have. The girl "Aurora" (Melanie Thierry) is where all of the confusion stems from. Apparently she has some special powers, might be carrying a virus, and is asexual. You are going to ask yourself how any of that is possible. The film offers no answers of any kind. Why? Apparently whoever wrote this didn't finish it. The movie feels incomplete.

You can tell that the movie is trying hard to use those elements to say something deep. however it never actually does that. There's a missing final act that should have been used to answer all the questions and conclude things on a satisfying note. It's not there and the movie just sort of ends. It's a shame too, because the thought of finally getting answers at some point kept me interested in the movie.

There is still some entertainment to be found here. The action is pretty good and the world is compelling. It's just a shame the story never gives us any explanation as to why any of things here are happening. Not even so much as a simple answer as to how the world got to the state it's in. Because of that it's hard to recommend.

Any sci-fi fan expects at least some explanation and action movie fans might be put off by the slower pace. Still there is something mildly entertaining here. However it all goes to crap the moment you realize you are't going to get any answers and that the pretentious tone never leads to the film saying anything at all. Up to that point it's kind of fun and maybe worth a rental. Just don't expect a satisfying and revealing conclusion. Despite myself my total score for the movie is a 6.5/10.