Babylon A.D.
Hong Kong action icon Michelle Yeoh stars alongside American muscle Vin Diesel in this science fiction thriller concerning a nun who is charged with the task of caring for a young girl who may be the carrier of a deadly virus. Based on author Maurice Dantec's Babylon Babies, this tale of genetic manipulation comes to the screen courtesy of director Mathieu Kassovitz.
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz
Starring: Vin Diesel, Mélanie Thierry, Michelle Yeoh, Lambert Wilson, Mark Strong
Rich with atmosphere but too similar to films ranging from "Children of Men" to "Doomsday" to carve out its own distinctive niche.
This is not a terrible movie, but it's too familiar by half and too confusing by a third.
Brawny but brainless techno-twaddle.
When martial arts star Michelle Yeoh shows up as a pious, butt-kicking nun, you have to wonder if Kassovitz isn't accidentally cribbing from Mel Brooks, too.
When this Vin Diesel vehicle isn't pointlessly frenzied, it's narratively inert, wasting some decent production design, and a French-flavored cast primed for fun.
Discovery of the Year
World Soundtrack Awards (2009)
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