Review of One, The

Introduction

"There can be only one!"

Hang about, wasn`t that Highlander? Well, yes it was, but this time it`s slightly different. "There can be only one" of each person - according to The One we all have 120 odd (even the script can`t agree on the exact number) parallel versions of ourself existing, but if you destroy all of the others, you might just become the most powerful person in existence. Or destroy all existence forever. A risk worth taking?

The evil Jet Li character thinks so, so it`s up to the good Jet Li to stop him.

Video

An excellent 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer, as you would expect from a modern big budget film. The image is clean and crisp, and there`s no visible print damage. All very pleasing to the eye.

This is a Jet Li film, so you`re going to want to know about the fight scenes right? Well, this is another one to avoid if wire-work is not your thing, since there`s plenty of it. But this is justified by the fact that the 2 characters are each about 60 times more powerful than the average human being (do the maths!) This adds up to a few good fight scenes, but nothing breathtaking.

And there are a few dodgy special effects along the way too!

Audio

A pretty good DD5.1 soundtrack, with all the right booms and bangs to match the on screen action. Plenty of work for your surrounds with hails of bullets flying around. Dialogue is always clear and crisp, apart from Jason Statham`s awful American accent. You just keep expecting him to stop talking stupidly and start talking like Turkish from Snatch.

A distinct "rawk" feeling to the soundtrack too, with tracks performed by Disturbed, Papa Roach and Drowning Pool among others. Plenty of bass to pound your brain.

Features

A reasonable smattering of extras.

We start out with a commentary featuring director and crew, who all try their best to tell us something interesting about the film. Worth a listen, but it is quite dry and quite technical.

We also get a little selection of features on the making of the film, and a comparison of an early animatic with the final film sequence. These aren`t all massively in depth but are all worth watching at least once, even the more "PR fluff" ones.

There are also trailers for the film and other films too.

Conclusion

So, where to rank this film in the Jet Li listings? Well, it`s not as bad as The Evil Cult and Last Hero in China, and it`s not as good as the Once Upon A Time In China series or Fist Of Legend. In recent output, it probably ranks somewhere below Romeo Must Die, as watchable and forgettable.

I`m laying the blame at the door of writer Glen Morgan and writer/director James Wong, who you might have spotted me waxing lyrical about in reviews of The X Files. They were 2 of the best writers/producers/directors on the show, and made the jump to the big screen with the rather good Final Destination. But The One seemed like a leap too far for them, and it ended up as a bit of a mess with some nice action sequences and a character with a dodgy American accent. All in all, a not very rewarding viewing experience.

The DVD has good video and sound, and a reasonable selection of extras, but is recommended for rental only.