WAR is one of those action-packed gangster movies that you watch and then wonder what just happened. Utilising the cream of talent from the East (including the formidable skills of action director Corey Yuen) this is a tale of the Triads and the Yakuza as they battle for supremacy in America, and the story of a cop who gets in their way. The problem is that it's just a passé, seen it all before film, a slick exercise in bangs and beatings that does the job without ever attempting to be anything other than routine or matter-of-fact.
First-time director Philip G. Atwell was previously responsible for a lot of music videos and his presence is one of the biggest problems the film has. He brings the flashiness, the noise, and the pandemonium to the screen without ever focusing on character motivation or story. In essence, the story is about Jason Statham's search for hit man Jet Li but in reality it's just an excuse for a string of highly stylised set pieces. At least this film is better than the watered down THE ONE, the previous film that paired Statham and Li.
Statham's grown a lot since then, becoming a dependable action hero in his own right, but he's wasted here in a nothing role that allows him to chew the scenery in places and that's it. His character is a walking cliché who shouts his way through action scene and dialogue exposition alike, but around the halfway mark you suddenly wonder what he's doing in this film in the first place: his character has zero point in being here! Jet Li does better in a more nuanced turn but even he's wasted in favour of cramming in as much slick style as is humanely possible.
The supporting cast is a plus, even if the likes of Saul Rubinek and Luis Guzman are wasted in pointless roles. It's good to see Devon Aoki (SIN CITY's deadly little Miho) again, but she has little to do, although John Lone and Ryo Ishibashi fare better as the rival crime bosses. Elsewhere, there are twists galore (including a pretty remarkable one that's somehow fumbled), a lacklustre climax that dispels none of the brooding tension built up between the two stars, and some cool action, although the martial arts are in short supply aside from one outstanding highlight. Not a bad film perhaps, but not something you'd want to see again; for genuine Jet-Li-as-hit-man-thrills, try watching Hit-man.
First-time director Philip G. Atwell was previously responsible for a lot of music videos and his presence is one of the biggest problems the film has. He brings the flashiness, the noise, and the pandemonium to the screen without ever focusing on character motivation or story. In essence, the story is about Jason Statham's search for hit man Jet Li but in reality it's just an excuse for a string of highly stylised set pieces. At least this film is better than the watered down THE ONE, the previous film that paired Statham and Li.
Statham's grown a lot since then, becoming a dependable action hero in his own right, but he's wasted here in a nothing role that allows him to chew the scenery in places and that's it. His character is a walking cliché who shouts his way through action scene and dialogue exposition alike, but around the halfway mark you suddenly wonder what he's doing in this film in the first place: his character has zero point in being here! Jet Li does better in a more nuanced turn but even he's wasted in favour of cramming in as much slick style as is humanely possible.
The supporting cast is a plus, even if the likes of Saul Rubinek and Luis Guzman are wasted in pointless roles. It's good to see Devon Aoki (SIN CITY's deadly little Miho) again, but she has little to do, although John Lone and Ryo Ishibashi fare better as the rival crime bosses. Elsewhere, there are twists galore (including a pretty remarkable one that's somehow fumbled), a lacklustre climax that dispels none of the brooding tension built up between the two stars, and some cool action, although the martial arts are in short supply aside from one outstanding highlight. Not a bad film perhaps, but not something you'd want to see again; for genuine Jet-Li-as-hit-man-thrills, try watching Hit-man.