THE ONE
Cast
Jet Li Gabe Law / Gabriel Yulaw
Carla Gugino T.K. Law/Massie Walsh
Delroy Lindo Agent Harry Roedecker
Jason Statham Agent Evan Funsch
James Morrison Officer Bobby Aldrich
Dylan Bruno Yates
Richard Steinmetz D'Antoni
Steve Rankin MVA Supervisor
Tucker Smallwood Prison Warden
Harriet Sansom Harris Nurse Besson

Plot
THE ONE is based on the futuristic premise that there is more than one universe: there are many parallel universes, each of which contain a slightly different version of every person who has ever lived. Yulaw is a rogue agent from the Multiverse Bureau of Intelligence who has learned that, by traveling from one parallel universe to another and killing the alternate versions of himself, he gains his counterparts's strength, speed and intelligence. After killing one hundred and twenty-three parallel versions of himself, Yulaw has gained almost unstoppable power--and there is only one version of himself left, Gabriel Law , a Los Angeles cop. Yulaw travels to the universe that houses his nemesis, followed by a pair of agents intent on stopping him from killing Gabe and either gaining near-Godlike powers, or destroying the fabric of all existence.

Analysis
In this dimension I am sitting here typing this review for all you movie hungry freaks, but in another I am making the films rather than pretending I know what I'm talking about and writing about them instead. Then again I guess it could be worse, after all I could have a more lethal version of myself trying to kill me. What a mind bender!

Jet Li stars as Gabe Law a cop who has the unfortunate task of defending his life against an insane alternate version of himself from a futuristic dimension. Traversing the 'Multiverse' via a dimension jumper, the evil Yulaw hunts down and kills each version of himself attempting to cleanse all dimensions of inferior versions of himself. Each time he kills he absorbers their life force and becomes stronger.

A thought provoking premise that deals with alternate realities in a similar way to that of The Matrix but this time around we also get law enforcement from another dimension that try to track and arrest Yulaw before he can commit any more self-crimes. This again is similar to the plot found within TimeCop so you can expect lots of jumping between our modern day society and some typically futuristic locations.

The special effects are pretty amazing, although not totally original with a distinct whiff of The Matrix in the air, they manage to pull off some great slow-motion action segments that show Jet fighting with several law enforcement officers at his normal speed whilst all around him react like they are battling in molasses. The very moment where he attacks the officers in the loading bay at the start of the film by punching three guys and then throwing the last into the air and kicking him across the room before he hits the deck is a joy to watch. The other notable SFX moment comes when the evil Yulaw fights with police officers in the street and uses motorcycles, one in each hand, to swat his aggressors away as if they were nothing. Clear use of CGI but it is done with enough grace to ensure you never get that 'Tom and Jerry' feeling.

Applause must go to fellow British lad Jason Statham for his interpretation of the American accent, sounding more like a Chicago gangster than a futuristic dimension jumper. Jason does make up for this dialogue crime though with his usual solid physical performance. Jet also deserves a mention for his fast and furious portrayal of two different characters both with differing characteristics but just as deadly as the other. It probably should go without saying that the martial arts ability of this man are superb and he is allowed to again display his talents with some excellent choreography.

Key Area Rating (out of 5)  Comment
Action
The action scenes are top notch with some very entertaining fights between Jet and the authorities. The now almost standard bullet time sequences are executed with style and the CGI enhancements made to the otherwise impossible shots are seamless.
Tension
Towards the center of the film the two characters get a mixed up which, although a little obvious, leads to an element of "is he the good guy or the bad?" This help heighten the viewers involvement and makes for a few tense moments.
Violence/
Gore
I don't recall seeing any blood but there sure are a lot of flying kicks and power punches. Once or twice you will see Yulaw snap a few bones which makes for painful viewing.
Bare Flesh
NONE
Nope!
Plot
A nice idea that between a couple of other films, has been pretty much covered. The dimension jumping is a nice new twist that makes for an intriguing movie and it is executed with a good dollop of sci-fi style.

Verdict
There's not much wrong with this film except that it sails a little too close to the plot lines of other films. It's far from being a rip off and does have elements that are unique to this production but the overall idea is too familiar. The action is fantastic as you can expect from a Jet Li movie and you will see some genuinely superb moments.
 

Facts, figures and boobs

1. The gas station that Funsch and Gabe drive into changes. First it is an older station, with mechanical pumps and a garage, in a residential area. After they start pumping gas, the station changes to a more modern one, with electronic pumps and a food mart, and is across the street from a car lot and some small businesses.
2. An early version of the trailer (only available online) features a blue essence entering Yulaw's body after he kills Lawless. This explains why the guards stop to stare at him for a moment during the finished version of the film.
3.  As T.K. prepares to leave to see Gabe in the hospital, the TV in the background is playing a scene from Final Destination which was written and directed by 'Wong, James' , the director and co-writer of The One. Also, when Funsch is entering in new coordinates for Gabe, the computer flashes up "Destination Final".

Movie Pictures
(Click picture to enlarge)

What other people thought of this film: -
Teestat
Jet Li in Hollywood? Scary I know but this aint too bad, apart from jason Stathams ridiculous accent. But that is by the by. Jet Li is always a marvel to watch and the ultime fight sequence is absolutewly stunning.
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