Babylon A.D. (2008)

Synopsis:

A mercenary (Diesel) and a nun (Yeoh), escorting a woman (Thierry) from post-apocalyptic Russia to New York, discover the woman’s genes have been tampered with, and the virus now living inside her could doom the entire human race. Based on the novel Babylon Babies by Maurice Georges Dantec.

Our Thoughts:

Just when you think Vin Diesel good looks can’t possibly get him another starring role after his slew of horrible performances (most recently in The Pacifier), he comes back to play yet another thug (this time it’s technically a “mercernary,” but that’s really the same thing, isn’t it?) in Babylon A.D., the film that’s gotten more press for going over-budget and going well beyond it’s shooting schedule (it was originally planned for a February 2008 release date) than for anything actually positive.

Still, while Vin Diesel’s performance will be probably be laughable, there are a few possible highlights in Babylon A.D..

Michelle Yeoh has shown she can hold her own opposite Pierce Brosnan in a James Bond film (Tomorrow Never Dies), so hopefully she’ll manage to catch up some of Diesel’s slack in Babylon A.D..

Also, Lambert Wilson puts in an appearance, someone who’s managed to pull off decent performances in whatever film he pops up in, whether it be the critic-bashed Catwoman (2004) or Matrix: Reloaded (2003). At least his performance should be entertaing.

Still, with Vin Diesel at the helm, this film could end up being the next xXx (2002) - something no one wants.

Because of Diesel, we’ll be skipping this one in theaters, and will wait until DVD to see if Michelle Yeoh and Lambert Wilson can save Babylon A.D..