The One (Special Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Very interesting movie
Review: Being a practitioner of one of the Chinese internal martial arts, I was glad to see a movie that features two of these arts. Taijiquan (Tai Chi) is by far the most widely practiced of the Chinese internal martial arts, followed by Baguazhang (Pa Kua Chang) and Xingyiquan (Hsing Yi Chuan), the one I study.
This movie features the two styles of the circular Baguazhang and the rarer, predominantly linear Xingyiquan. So after seeing The One, I was in heaven, despite the original, yet sub par quality of the film. Not many martial arts flicks use the internal martial arts to deliver the action, much less use them in a manner to identify the character's personalities. Xingyi is used to show the evil Jet Li, Yu Law's intention to go straight ahead and annihilate everything in his path, like a line. Bagua is used to portray the good Jet Li, Gabe Law's philosophy that life should be like a balanced circle.
I am also glad to see that Jet Li has been working very hard at learning the English language, and I have a lot of respect for doing so, as Chinese is very different from English.
If you are familiar with any of the major Chinese internal martial arts, you will find this film to be most pleasurable.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoy it for what it is!
Review: Truly, I am amazed by the reviewer who dogs this DVD because it lacks plot and character development. Is there a reason to watch a Jet Li movie other than for the incredible martial arts? It think not. I also think that is sufficient. Witness the scene in the hospital when he takes on half a dozen police, not only knocking them out but handcuffing them together and to a chair to experience his virtuosity when challenging mortal men.

The plot is one seen before, with the world as a kind of multi-universe (called a "multiverse"). There are an infinite number of parallel universes, and in each one there is one of us. We are the same person in each, but different (married to the same woman in one universe, married to a guy in the next, as a bit player "explains"). Li illegally (of course) moves from one universe to the next, gaining strength as he kills his parallels selves until just two are left.

Amazing effects, like Li's encounter with the motorcycle cops or his Matrix-esque dodging of bullets. But it is his martial arts ability which makes this flick. The movies is almost a 90 minute warm up for the Li vs. Li inevitable fight, and man, that sure does not disappoint! This may well be the most amazing martial arts battle I have ever seen.

Tons of action, and more than a bit of humor to break the tension. Fine support by DelRoy Lindo. Not the most thoughtful film ever, but for fans of the martial arts genre, it is sure sufficient to be entertaining.

Rating:
Summary: Jet Li Still At His BEST!
Review: Oh come now, don't worry, Jet Li is always at his best and this one proves it. The special features catch Jet Li playing dress up for the movie and boy does this one rock! the special features are awesome along with movie itself. We're talking Jet Li, need I say more?

BB-T

Rating:
Summary: One Is Fun
Review: While "The One" is not a film that gives me a headache from thinking too much, it is a lot of fun. From the first moment, it picks you up in its action and doesn't let go until the last frame. Granted, if you start thinking too much, you might wonder what the alternate universe where Al Gore is president might be like; but if you just sit back it's a great little ride. The DVD version was not a great enhancement for me. The commentary delves into important issues like Jet Li's hair. Jason Statham who recently starred in "The Transporter" does a great job. In addition to these and "Snatch" & "Lock, Stock & Barrel," he's developing a nice body of work. Delroy Lindo does a nice job trying to catch Jet. This is definitely for fans of the action genre who like interesting fight sequences. The ending sequence with sparks flying in the factory was also beautifully photographed in addition to being a great fight. Don't expect the world, but enjoy the alternate universe!

Rating:
Summary: Interesting idea, but could have been done better
Review: The premise of this film was interesting, but I think so much more could have been done with it.

Jet Li does a passable job of acting, but the real gem of this is the fight sequences, which are beautiful to watch. It seems to me that a great deal of care and thought went into the choreography of these parts, and the overall result is very well done. It's just a pity that more care wasn't put into the rest of the movie.

This might appeal to die-hard martial-arts fans, but most people would probably be better off renting it, to be honest.

As for extra features, I don't recall them being particularly good, but they were interesting, at least for someone like me (I like the 'behind-the-scenes' stuff). However, it's been a while since I watched it, so I might be misremembering.

Rating:
Summary: "Look out Keanu Reeves, Jet Li's kickin' your [can]!"
Review: Partially written and fully directed by James Wong, The One pits Jet Li against "the fiercest enemy he has ever faced...himself". It is the future, and instead of one universe, there are many, hence the Multiverse. One of the agents, Yu-Law (Jet Li) is traveling from universe to universe, where one of each person exists, and kills off his multiples until coming to the last one, Gabriel Yu-Law (also Jet Li), who is pitted against "himself" to save the universe. However, the evil Yu-Law seeks to destroy each and every one of himself, so he can become The One. The story follows him and each time he kills one of himself, he becomes smarter, stronger, and faster, cool huh?

I was extremely impressed by the action, and found that it actually rivals The Matrix, even though the length of the movie may not be the same. And I was also surprised by the music on this movie, some of it is orchestra, and some of it features Bodies and Sinner by Drowning Pool, and Down with the Sickness by Disturbed.

I'm going to leave you hear now, but I should say that if you're a hardcore action fan, then this is definitely for you.

Rating:
Summary: Typical b-grade sci-fi/action film.
Review: The One features an extremely silly, but also very intriguing premise. You see, our world is only one of over 100 (I can't remember the exact number, was it 125?)parallel universes that exist. You have a different personality in another world, and if you actually travel to these other worlds and kill another version of you, then you gain his or her power. That's exactly what Jet Li is trying to do, and there are a couple of multiverse cops out to stop him. This is all just build-up for a big one-on-one fight between the two Jet Lis, so you're basically watching 80 minutes of B.S.

But that's not to say the idea doesn't hold any promise. It's just that the movie ignores the concept in favor of big fight scenes. Being an action fan and all, that's perfectly fine with me, except the action in this movie fails to generate any thrills since they're way too exaggerated and involve waaayyy too much wirework. And is it just me or does anyone else find the premise of Jet Li fighting Jet Li incredibly lame? The fun of watching a martial arts fight is seeing two different individuals going head-to-head, mano-a-mano. In this case, the fight is computer-aided and not even entirely convincing.

The One does feature a few good actors, particularly Delroy Lindo and Jason Statham, both of whom are fine here, though I would have liked to have seen Statham kick a little more butt. He's definitely got the makings of a top-notch action icon, certainly moreso than the overrated Vin Diesel. But at least we can always watch The Transporter for that (which is, by the way, a far more entertaining action thriller).

As for Li himself, he's stuck in a role that doesn't do him many favors. First, you have to wonder how his evil self is able to find his alternate versions in all the other universes if they have different names. Best explanation I can see is that he broke into the multiverse database and tracked down all the versions of himself out there, which actually raises another question: how does the multiverse keep track of everybody on every alternate universe?

There are the usual paradoxes of an alternate universe, that being the fact the parallel worlds can't be too different if there is a physically identical twin of yourself in all these other worlds (meaning your parents would have had to have hooked up at the exact same time for all 125 worlds) and all versions of yourself would probably have to die at the exact same time, so as to make certain no other weird influences would occur (say, one version of yourself dies suddenly, but another one goes on and marries and has kids the other one wouldn't have; kind of screws up the order, doesn't it?). But according to this movie, not everyone dies at the same time in these alternate worlds, which begs the question of why there aren't any super-powerful geriatrics. After all, there must be at least one old man or woman who gains all the remaining power of those who died.

Best not to think of such things with a movie like this. Makes your head hurt after awhile. But really, I recommend you just miss this movie altogether. There are a couple of enjoyable moments, including a scene where Li handcuffs some cops together and to a chair, but there's too much CGI at work, not enough thrills, and certainly not enough brains to pull this premise off. Jet Li's best American film to date is still Kiss of the Dragon, see that one instead.

Rating:
Summary: I'm mortified
Review: I can't belive Jet Li came out with this load of .... it's his worst movie ever. Sure it has lots of action but it was too silly and predictable. Sorry Jet Li, stick to the real martial arts movie, you're not Vin Diesel.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Step Forward
Review: Let me say right off the bat that I really liked Gerry's review. I myself have been a student of Tae-Kwon-Do, however my knowledge of other martial arts is very limited, unfortunately. His angle is refreshing - what a shame we can't make movies in that way! THE ONE is the kind of movie that I, myself have dreamed of making since more than ten years ago. Something that is totally over-the-edge. The fact that this movie is PG-13 (and to me, really IS PG-13) and has no abundance of cursing and void of sexual situation is mind-boggling. When was the last time Hollywood placed a big action star in a blockbuster film like that? It doesn't happen very often. As always, Jet Li's performance floors me, and of course I want him to be in one of my movies. As an aspiring filmmaker, I have no interest in merely making a movie for profit, I would also like to make great films that people can actually get something good from. Jet Li is already one of my favorite stars, probably the first Easterner I've been awed by since Toshiro Mifune (who is still my favorite actor). THE ONE is definitely a great movie, and you can't go into watching it with the mindset of a person who has no imagination. Open your mind and really try to believe everything you're seeing. The film will blow you away. [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: An old story, told differently
Review: Well, the film has its good points, but my comment is on how it is a development of an old martial arts story.

Hsing-i (xingyi) master meets pa-kua (bagua) master to find out if one style is better than the other. After several days of fighting, they eventually decide its a draw and they make a pact that from then on, a student of one style must also be a student of the other style. Supposedly, this tradition carries down to our time. Hsing-i is known for its linear movements, while pa-kua is known for its circular moves.

The "bad Li" used Hsing-i, but apparently did not know pa-kua. The "good Li" apparently knew both, first using Hsing-i in the first part of the final combat scene, but shifting dramatically to pa-kua (and winning in the process) when he did not seem to be getting anywhere with Hsing-i. (Could it be that pa-kua did not exist in the "bad Li's" universe? Did the Hsing-i master win in that universe, thus obliterating the pa-kua style?)

The "bad Li" practicing Hsing-i in prison at the beginning of the film with chains in hands and feet is reminiscent of the martial arts story above because the Hsing-i master was also fresh out of prison where he was similarly chained. The "practice scene" showing the "bad Li" practicing the linear Hsing-i while the "good Li" was doing pa-kua's "walking the circle" was a good comparison and contrast of the two martial arts technics. Really enjoyable for those who know about these arts. It would have been even more educational if the pa-kua scene showed more of the footwork. And I was really hoping that more of both arts' moves would be shown.

Well, the film was not a tutorial of the arts and the movie had to go on and make some money. However, I would have enjoyed more of the contrast of the two arts. (For example, the slow motion segments of the final fight scene graphically demonstrated the circular walking technic -- and effective application -- of pakua.)

I know this aspect of the movie would have been missed by those who did not know much about the oriental martial arts. And probably, not many would appreciate this. I just write this to show that the makers of the film drew on something from the traditions of the oriental martial arts from which the fight scenes were based. And I think they did a very good job at developing a story line based on it. Choreography of the fight scenes, in spite of the unrealistic moves, was a good representation of the two martial arts.

Right now, I keep playing back the practice and fight scenes of the movie, which I would always find enjoyable. (And no, I'm neither a pa-kua nor a hsing-i practitioner. I practice wing tsun.)

Gerry