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War Reviewed by Rich Drees
Unfortunately War falls short of any such promises its casting would imply.
The story here is fairly standard issue. Statham is FBI agent Jack Crawford, consumed with finding a mysterious Yakuza hitman known only as Rogue, played by Li. Three years earlier Rogue had murdered Crawford’s entire family before disappearing. Resurfacing, Rogue turns on his Yakuza employers, starting a war between the Yakuza and the Chinese Triads for control of the San Francisco. Crawford doesn’t care who is gunning for whom, he just wants to get Rogue.
What little substance there is to the movie is stylishly delivered by video-turned-feature director Philip G. Atwell, who delivers a visual flair to things as subtle as subtitles to the nightmares of his partner’s death that plague Crawford. A fight scene in a series of concrete pipes is particularly exciting. However, it is not enough to sustain the movie’s by-the-numbers setup and plot.
Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the movie is the lack of a truly exciting climax. With Statham and Li at the top of the bill, one expects that things will finish up with a rather brutal, knockdown dragout display of their respective martial arts prowess. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. While the script does give a rather interesting and unexpected twist that livens up the third act, the revelation precludes an all out fight between the two. The end result leaves one rather dissatisfied when the final credits roll. |
The pairing of solid action stars Jason Statham and Jet Li certainly
sounds like a promising movie would be in the works. Both are known
for the impressive martial arts ability. Where Statham often
delivers a gritty, terse performance, Li calm demeanor can be either
menacing or comforting as the role demands.