Review of Babylon A.D. (2008) by Marc L — 29 Sep 2009

If only Babylon A.D. took the time to tie up just some of it's loose ends then there would have been nothing stopping this being a decently enjoyable movie. As it is, the film confuses rather than satisfies particularly with it's rather disappointing ending.

Vin Diesel returns to science fiction, the genre which made him (Pitch Black still remains an exceptional film), as a futuristic mercenary charged with transporting a girl from Russia to New York for some reason (just one of things that's never really explained) and with Michelle Yoeh in two as an ass kicking nun, much chasing from bad guys ensues.

The film is good in parts. Diesel is playing to type here and so is better then he sometimes is and the story is good enough to begin with. The action scenes are a mixed bag. A neon lit bar fight is exciting and punchy whereas as a snowmobile chase from automated planes feels forced into the film for the sake of it.

Most of the way along the film manages to retain the viewers interest well enough. It is only once the action reaches America that things start to unravel. Cohesion and plot are cast to the wind as bizarre religious stuff starts to seep in leading to that altogether baffling conclusion.....which appears like it might have been stolen from The Terminator, in dialogue at least.

Babylon A.D. is not a complete waste of time. it could have just down with a little more tweaking, a little more exposition and this would have been alright. Unfortunately, they've gone for action over sense making this an opportunity missed rather than anything of worth.