Anyhow, Daniel and Miyagi are on their way when the owner and trainer of the Cobra Kai, John Kreese (Martin Kove) is beating up on his losing student. This prompts Miyagi to intervene and ‘make his knuckles bleed’ without even touching him. You need to remember this for Karate Kid part III (actually you don’t, you’ll be reminded with flashbacks again).

Once the initial euphoria of Daniel’s victory has settled down we can get on with the storyline. Miyagi must return to Okinawa because his father is dying, but in doing so he will have to fight his old friend Sato (Danny Kamekona) to the death for stealing his betrothed some 40 years earlier, before escaping to America.

There, that’s the storyline.

As with the first Karate Kid, you can pretty much guess the rest. Daniel will fall for some pretty young Okinawa beauty, some local hoodlums with trash some plants attempting to act tough, Miyagi and Sato will eventually put things behind them and Daniel will have a one-on-one fight in the end, which he no doubt wins with the use of some new move that he learns throughout the course of the film.

All goes without saying.

In truth, and not a lot of people would say this, Karate Kid part II is actually a better film than the original, if perhaps not quite as enjoyable. Daniel’s character is far more likeable and with much of the drama centring on Miyagi (who is a far better actor than many give him credit for) the film stands up much better than the first.

However, nothing can quite top the impact and sheer enjoyment of the first film, with that memorable scene where Daniel realises that he has been learning karate for three whole days without even knowing it.

Just like the first film however, this Blu-Ray release is completely devoid of special features (save for the original featurette), and doesn’t even contain the original trailer.

Also – the original Karate Kid films are a trilogy, so where’s the third film on Blu-Ray?

All of that side, The Karate Kid part II is another classic of 80s cinema and a worthy follow up to the original. It’s a shame more effort hasn’t been put into the Blu-Ray release, as the original trilogy DVD was crafted with real love and attention. Owners of the DVD trilogy need not bother with this, but if for some strange reason The Karate Kid Trilogy isn’t in your collection, you could do a lot worse than these very affordable Blu-Rays.

The Karate Kid was originally released in a digital format back in 2003, on a Trilogy DVD set crammed with special features, but sadly this Blu-Ray, by comparison, is rather sparse. For example, the great ‘catch the fly with the chopsticks’ DVD game that provided literally minutes worth of entertainment for me all those years ago is now absent. However, with the Karate Kid it’s not about special features, nor is it about quality Blu-Ray high definition (which is lucky, because the picture on this Blu-Ray looks no better than the DVD) – no, Karate Kid is about reliving your childhood, learning karate, performing general maintenance on an old man’s house and listening to truly awful 80s music.

The first thing that struck me about the Karate Kid, after all these years, is what a truly whining character Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) really is. He’s moody, immature, mistrusting and not particularly eloquent when he speaks to Ali with an ‘I’ (Elisabeth Shue). So much so that you can’t quite fathom what her character is supposed to see in him at all.

His temper is such that he even shouts at Mr Miyagi on several occasions, making you again wonder why the elderly karate expert would have anything to do with this precocious Italian American from New Jersey.

All of that aside (and it is difficult) the film sure is entertaining. LaRusso moves with his mother from New Jersey to the West Coast of America, where he instantly makes friends and spies a potential new girlfriend who, for some inexplicable reason, seems attracted to him. All would be great if it weren’t for ‘Johnny’ (William Zabka), Ali’s ex boyfriend and resident karate champion, who is intent on persecuting Daniel for daring to make eyes at his ex-girlfriend.

Johnny and his gang of karate experts pick on Daniel at every opportunity (and let’s be honest, most of time it was justified) until Mr Miyagi promises to teach him the ways of karate so that he can face Johnny in a tournament.

All very simple so far, and that’s about it. You know how it’s going to end simply by looking at the poster, but the manner in which Karate Kid plays out makes you love the film more and more with every viewing. Maybe it’s the music, which is more unashamedly 80s than the music for Rocky IV, maybe it’s the fact that when they play football (soccer to our American readers) they chase the ball around in groups in a manner that even five-year-olds in the UK know not to do, or maybe it’s just the way that Daniel learns karate by performing menial household chores, such as painting fences and sanding floors.

There’s something about Karate Kid that you just can’t quantify, and that’s what makes it a cinematic classic, and a film that guarantees that children of all ages, and adults who remember it first time round, will love it still.

Chan Ka-Kui (Chan), or supercop as he’s known in his police department, volunteers for a dangerous undercover mission in mainland China to bust up an international drug ring. He is teamed up with Inspector Yang (Yeoh) and poses as a merchandiser of Foshan National Machinery Plant, while she poses as his sister, but not before displaying some of his fighting prowess sparring with the military academy’s top martial artist. This gives Jackie a chance to demonstrate his knack for physical comedy.

Yang gets to show off her impressive fighting skills when she saves Chan and Brother Panther (Wah) from being arrested. This allows the two of them to gain Panther’s confidence. He takes them to a compound where they meet his partner-in-crime, Big Brother (Tsang), a ruthless psychopath. To further complicate things, Chan’s girlfriend May (Cheung in a thankless role) shows up on a vacation trip and assumes that he’s cheating on her with Yang.

What a “tough” choice Jackie has in this film – choose between the adorable Maggie Cheung and the beautiful Michelle Yeoh. It’s not really fair, though, because Cheung is relegated to a damsel-in-distress role while Yeoh is more Jackie’s equal, fighting and hanging off speeding vehicles. Did I mention that she spends part of a car chase hanging onto the side of a van? She is Jackie’s ideal foil as they banter and bicker like an old married couple – when they aren’t busy taking on numerous bad guys. Yeoh is also more than capable of handling herself in the action sequences. She matches Jackie at every step. Even when he’s hanging for dear life from a helicopter, she manages to jump onto a moving train with a dirt bike, which has to be seen to be believed. Even more impressive is that it’s done without CGI. She actually did it as the end credit blooper reel reveals.

Supercop is a fun, exciting and entertaining film that you would expect from Jackie Chan. It has all kinds of cheesy jokes, top notch fight scenes and insanely choreographed chase sequences, all done without the assistance of computer technology. In this day and age there is something refreshing about that.

Special Features:

The first disc features an engaging audio commentary by Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan. He talks about the differences between this version and the Hong Kong version. For example, there were different opening credits and musical scores for each version. This begs the question, why wasn’t the Hong Kong version included on this supposedly “Ultimate Edition?” Logan points out the members of Jackie’s stunt-team and talks about their excellent timing in the action sequences. Logan provides brief biographical information on Michelle Yeoh and Maggie Cheung as well as a wealth of production details on this very informative track.

The second disc starts with a real treat: “Flying High: An Exclusive Interview with Star Jackie Chan.” He talks about working with director Stanley Tong, who, at the time, was a young director. Jackie talks about working with Michelle Yeoh and speaks admiringly of her ability to do her own stunts. He also recalls how scared he was doing the helicopter sequence.

“Dancing with Death: An Interview with Leading Lady Michelle Yeoh.” She had a background in ballet and only started doing martial arts when she did her first action film. She learned something new on every subsequent film. Yeoh talks about how she got into acting and speaks eloquently and warmly in this engaging interview.

“The Stuntmaster General: An Exclusive Interview with Director Stanley Tong.” He talks about working with Jackie over five films and how they collaborate together. He talks about the challenge of doing the stunts in the film without CGI.

“The Fall Guy: An Exclusive Interview with Jackie Chan Bodyguard, Training Partner and Co-Star Ken Lo.” He recounts his first meeting with Jackie when he was bouncer and the action star asked him if he would like to work in films. they have worked together for 20 years.

A group of students are studying at Chong Wen College when one of them, Liu Yu-De (Liu), has a run in with Tang San-Yao, an enforcer for the Manchu government, a tyrannical regime. Their teacher, Mr. Ho, plots with a group of his students against the government. In response to the rebellion, several students accused of being spies are rounded up, tortured for information and eventually killed. Soon, Yu-De and Mr. Ho become targets and the young student’s father is killed in retaliation.

Gravely wounded by San-Yao, Yu-De flees to a nearby Shaolin Temple to learn kung fu so that he can eventually get revenge on the Manchu government. The monks take him in and nurse him back to health, renaming him San Ta. He starts briefly at the top chamber and quickly realizes that he’s not ready for it. So, he begins at the bottom, working on the fundamentals – balance, power and speed. From there, he moves onto building up arms strength, weapons training and so on. These are grueling tests of strength, endurance and dexterity. San Ta is a quick learner and soon excels at every test he faces.

What’s interesting about The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is that once our hero enters the Temple, the tone of the film takes on a decidedly more philosophical one as the monks practice a sound mind as well as a sound body. Once San Ta leaves the temple, he actually puts into practice what he learned and we see just how far he has come. The climatic scene comes when we watch as San Ta systematically dismantles the Manchu government’s forces and it is an impressive sight to behold, but is only a warm-up for the even more exciting confrontation he has with the evil general.

The film was so successful that it spawned two sequels, Return to the 36th Chamber (1980) and Disciples of the 36th Chamber (1985). It also inspired several albums by legendary rap band, the Wu-Tang Clan. For those of you who only know Gordon Liu from his appearances in the Kill Bill films, this IS the movie that really showcases his considerable talents and a must-see for any fan of the kung fu genre.

Special Features:

There is an audio commentary by film critic Andy Klein and the Rza of the Wu-Tang Clan. They kick things off by talking about Gordon Liu’s impressive martial arts skills and how he is one of the best stars of kung fu cinema. The Rza saw this film at an impressionable age and was amazed at how it depicted ancient history of a culture he was unfamiliar with. He really knows his kung fu cinema, identifying key actors in the film and other ones that they went on to appear in. The Rza comes off as a wonderful surprise as he speaks very knowledgably, not in a dry, boring way, but with the enthusiasm of a fan. He leaves Klein in the dust as he dominates this track.

“Shaolin: A Hero Birthplace” takes a look at the Shaolin Temple and their philosophy with Gordon Liu offering his take. It is said that kung fu originated at the temple 1,500 years ago and that a lot of what is depicted in the film is based on actual unofficial history. Liu speaks admiringly of his brother, who directed the film, and still sees him as a mentor.

“Interview with Star Gordon Liu” sees this legendary martial artist talk about his humble beginnings. Despite his family’s wishes, he studied kung fu at an early age, picking Hung Fist, one of the most challenging disciplines. After he graduated, Liu says that he became a teacher and then a stuntman on kung fu films. This led him to starring in them.

“Interview with Film Critic/Scholars David Chute and Andy Klein.” They point out that one of the things that makes The 36th Chamber of Shaolin a great film is that it was made by a martial artist, starring martial artists and its political aspects.

“Interview with The Rza.” He says that he first saw the film in a grungy theatre on 42nd Street in New York City. He talks about how kung fu films resonated with the black community when he was growing up. He also speaks admiringly of the Shaw Brothers films and how they inspired the name for his band, the Wu-Tang Clan.

Also included are three trailers, including a vintage T.V. commercial with an alternate title, Master Killer.

There is a Stills Gallery with posters and promotional photographs.

Finally, there is “Wu-Tang Clan Concert Video,” a brief clip from one of their dynamic live shows.

The Matrix Revisited traces the film’s humble origins from an idea that the Wachowski brothers had for a comic book to the screenplay that they ended up writing to the film that they made to the legacy that now exists. The documentary covers the various aspects of the moviemaking process: from the writing of the screenplay to the creation of the sets to how specific scenes were shot. There is a good mix of interviews conducted with the main cast (although Joe Pantoliano is conspicuously absent) during the filming of The Matrix and more recent ones that look like they were done just as production was beginning on The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. Even the camera-shy Wachowski brothers are interviewed, as are many of the unsung heroes that worked behind the scenes (like comic book artist Geof Darrow) and are rarely discussed in articles about the movie.

The documentary dispels the notion that The Matrix is merely a mix of John Woo films, Japanese anime and Philip K. Dick novels. Keanu Reeves talks about how the Wachowski brothers made him read Simulacra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard, Out of Control by Kevin Kelly and Introducing Evolutionary Psychology. The actor had to absorb all these heavy-duty theoretical and philosophical texts before even touching the screenplay. Clearly, there is a lot of substance and subtext lurking under the stylish fashion and décor and flashy action sequences. The Matrix explores Baudrillard’s notions of what is real and what is a simulation.

One of the documentary’s many highlights examines the rigorous physical training that the actors had to endure. The Wachowskis wanted their actors to do most of their own stunts and so the cast had to learn martial arts and wire work from the master, Yuen Wo Ping (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and his crew. At first, Keanu and company couldn’ t do much but after four months of extensive training Ping says at one point, “I thought two months would be more than enough, but then, when I saw the actors could not punch or kick properly. . .I got dizzy. I was afraid that four months would not be enough.” It was a tough, grueling process for the actors. Keanu started his training in a neck brace from a previous injury and didn’t know if he would be able to learn all the stunts and kicks required for the film. However, the final product amply demonstrates that all the hard work and long hours the actors put in paid off in a big, big way.

The Matrix Revisited is a solid mix of talking head interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and clips from the movie itself. It’s quite a revealing look at how a big budget, high concept film is put together. With the exception of the truly exhaustive making-of supplemental material found on the Terminator 2: Judgement Day DVDs, The Matrix Revisited is about as detailed a look at the studio filmmaking process that has ever been chronicled.

Special Features:

As if that weren’t enough, there is also a nice collection of supplemental material included on the DVD. It is made up of promotional material for upcoming Matrix related products and left over footage that didn’t make it into the documentary.

First up, is “What is to Come?”, a two and a half minute montage of martial arts training, costume tests, car chase footage and the creation of a video game for the new Matrix films.

“What is the Animatrix?” is a five minute featurette on a series of Japanese animated short films set in the world of The Matrix that are written by the Wachowski brothers and interpreted by several cutting edge anime artists (like Yoshiaki Kawajiri who created Vampire Hunter D).

For fans of Yuen Wo Ping, there is “The Dance of the Master,” a lengthy collection of blocking tapes featuring the man and his team rehearsing many of the fight scenes seen in the movie. This featurette demonstrates how every aspect of the movie was plotted and thought out – especially the intricate fight sequences.

On the lighter side there is “True Followers,” a kind of funny, kind of spooky look at some of the more hardcore fans of The Matrix. One woman even attributes her acquiring a high-paying job to The Matrix. Uh-huh.

A three minute behind-the-scenes look at the bathroom escape down the piping and the subsequent fight between Agent Smith and Morpheus was dangerous enough to cause actor Hugo Weaving to get injured. It’s a rather candid moment that would normally have been omitted.

The Matrix Revisited is essential viewing for both the casual and dedicated fan of The Matrix movies. The documentary shows how much hard work, dedication and creativity went into making this movie and this makes one really appreciate the final result even more than before. Students of filmmaking should also take a look at this DVD because it examines so many aspects of the process and in such great detail. The Matrix Revisited could have so easily fallen into the trap of shameless self-promotion and crass marketing but proves to be so much more.

Is The Matrix really the shining light in film that its fans, and indeed its directors claim it to be? Sure it has unquestionably taken action to a new level, and instigated many imitations as all new pioneering films tend to do. As a film though; a piece of intelligent and thought provoking cinema that both entertains and challenges the viewer on many levels, it falls somewhat short. The plot was acclaimed by the cinema going public as one of the best pieces of science fiction seen in cinema today, yet it’s boiling over with sci-fi clichés and inane nonsensical dialogue. The very concept of man creating machines that then go on to over power man both physically and mentally is the stuff of sci-fi folk lore. Terminator, 2001 A Space Odyssey, Westworld, Metropolis and too many more to mention featured man’s creations waging war on the creators. As for the concept of man living a lie in a computer program, blissfully unaware of the reality outside him; cinema has again visited the ground many times before. Total Recall being the most recent example of this, but with shows like Doctor Who and Star Trek Voyager frequently blurring the lines between computer reality and, well, reality we can conclude that The Matrix was anything but original in its concept, at least in science fiction terms.

It should also be noted that The Matrix, like almost every other movie, features one massive plot hole. The kind of plot hole that improbable sci-fi movies have to grin and bear. When Cypher is talking to Agent Smith about betraying Morpheus in the restaurant, they are in the Matrix. Cypher could have only gotten into the Matrix whilst aboard Morpheus’ ship, and would have needed someone to connect him. Therefore, his plans of betrayal would have been known. He could not have conducted his rendezvous in secret. This is why we didn’t see Cypher enter or exit the Matrix at this meeting, it was not possible for him to do it. Never mind, no one will notice.

As a piece of entertainment though it has few equals, so long as you’re prepared to fast forward that banal thirty minutes of uninterrupted dialogue and sci-fi ground re-treading in the middle. The dialogue was of so little importance to messas Wachowski and Wachowski that they even filmed a line wrong, and didn’t care enough to re-shoot, or to even notice. “It is the mental projection of the digital self” exclaims Morpheus to a rather wooden Neo. ‘Mental’ projection of the ‘digital’ self? I believe the Matrix is actually the ‘digital’ projection of the ‘mental’ self, but let’s not split hairs.

When you have an actor as wooden as Keanu Reeves it’s best to avoid long dialogue sequences, and particularly where he has to talk to and question himself – “why me, what did I do? I’m nobody”. Now that redefined wooden. But hey, we all know that Keanu wasn’t hired for his method acting, it was for his looks; and he looks fantastic. Indeed the whole cast look awesome in this film as the production design is the best I’ve seen for years. As well as inspiring action in cinema The Matrix also inspired a generation of leather coat wearing, shades sporting and skin tight PVC donning followers; and we thank it for it. It’s very rare for a film to create a clothing revolution, let alone one that does actually look good.

Despite the plot being something that is overly familiar to sci-fi veterans there is a great theme running through the film of Alice through the Looking Glass. This theme is even carried across to the DVD’s special features, which I’ll come to later.

Of course the main crux of The Matrix is its unrivalled action sequences. The genre has been steadily treading water since the mid eighties with Die Hard and Lethal Weapon creating what appeared to be the peak. Now The Matrix has re-written the rule book on what action really is. Using a photographic style invented by some photographer who’s name escapes me, and will no doubt be accredited to the Wachowski brothers anyway due to the fact that they’ve christened it bullet time; the film shocked audiences with what was actually possible on screen. A series of cameras placed in a line would expose one frame of film each, either at the same time or in sequence and once the frames of film were joined together they would create a moving image of one moment in time – bullet time.

As with Terminator 2’s use of the morphing technology, once bullet time had been unveiled it was used by every low budget production wishing to add a little sophistication into their project, and promptly over used. T2 used the morph because their T-1000 could change shape and imitate anything that it touched, The Matrix used bullet time because it showed the way that the people who had hacked into the Matrix could see everything much faster than everyone else, and were able to act quicker. It was as if time slowed down for Neo, his reflexes and understanding of the Matrix were so great. To throw the bullet time, or morph techniques into an action sequence for the sake of it like so many pale imitation movies have done shows a lack of originality beyond measure.

So what we have here isn’t the greatest sci-fi of all time, nor is it the greatest action movie ever. It has action sequences the like of which had never been seen previously, and has raised the bar on what is required to create a truly original cinematic experience. However, it does have a plodding script, and a final cut that could have done with a further thirty minutes taking out. The Matrix will be on many people’s top ten list, and perhaps deserves to be, but not as a film, merely as a breakthrough in cinema that marks the next evolutionary step in action.

Special Features.

Just as the film redefined action, the DVD release has set a new precedent for the technology. The animated menus drag you into the Matrix with the same forcefulness that brought Neo kicking and screaming into the real world.

The gem of the special features has to be the seamless branching enabled follow the white rabbit function. Whilst watching the film a white rabbit icon appears in the corner of the screen at various scenes, selecting the bunny (assuming it is wabbit season) will take you to a behind the scenes look at the sequence in question. Naturally they all tend to be action sequences!

The now obligatory HBO first look special also features, but when a film features such new technologies as this you’ll tolerate any amount of “this will be the best movie ever” voice over to get a glimpse at how they did it all. You also get DVD Rom content which will please those interactive seekers amongst you, which also features the original screenplay.

Pretty much all of these features are geared towards the action, and that’s what The Matrix is: 100% pure action. If this DVD isn’t in your collection, check who you’ve lent it to for you surely must have bought it!?

A wily old gent trains a talented but awkward young Italian/American man to fight from his heart, and with the use of rock music and running along the beach in slow motion he overcomes feelings of inadequacy to become the champion. Have I just described Karate Kid or Rocky? Who knows, who cares. The Karate Kid movies have so much in common with the Rocky movies is it it any wonder that they share the same director. That’s what the Eighties stand for.

The first Karate Kid sees Daniel LaRusso moving to LA with his mother to start their new lives and her new job. Here Sly Stallone speaks his way through the inevitable clumsy new kid in town scenes yet still manages to impress Marty Mcfly’s future girlfriend Elisabeth Shue. That’s the reason she doesn’t come back for Karate Kid 2 incidentally, she’s off back to the future, if that makes any sense?

Naturally impressing the girl means annoying the school’s tough kid; who just so happens to be a Karate expert trained by a sadist sensei. Daniel’s new LA life is turning into a nightmare. Enter Happy Days old boy Pat Morita to show him how to paint his fence, sand his floor and wax his car. All of this manual labour gives him the Karate skills necessary to defend himself and win the local Karate championship. So there’s more to it than that, but not much more, this is Rocky with Karate and every great scene from Rocky is repeated.

Karate kid part two does the clinical subsidiary character elimination bit at the beginning with the one line of dialogue explaining why Ali with an ‘I’ and Daniel’s mother aren’t in the film. They explain this without mentioning ‘Back to the Future’ too! I don’t like to see this kind of thing in a film, casually dismissing characters that have become a part of the film’s ethos. But then I can’t get too upset by it, it’s only Karate Kid. This second film is slightly darker than the first with Mr. Miyagi having to travel home to Okinawa to see his dying father. He left home many years earlier amid the threat of the dreaded ‘duel to the death’ from his best friend over a woman. The whole film gets very Klingon from here on in with talk of honour and respect and Khalas… OK there’s no Khalas, but there might as well have been. Of course this means that Daniel must meet a new girl who means everything to him (until Karate Kid Part III) and a new enemy that wants to fly kick his face in. He must also learn a new move as that crane kick is getting a bit obvious by now. I dread to think how many kids tried that in the school yard, I know I did. I’m getting sidetracked, Karate Kid Part II finishes up with pretty much the same scene as Karate Kid Part I, but then you knew that.

On to Karate Kid Part III, well, see Karate Kid Part I but without Elisabeth Shue. There are some differences actually, the title for one. Daniel is goaded into defending his championship, much against Mr Miyagi’s better judgment and he is force to go to another trainer. This new Karate coach doesn’t believe that Karate is for defense only, and he doesn’t catch flies in chopsticks. In fact he’s only trying to cause Daniel pain in revenge for what happened at the start of Karate Kid Part II. Naturally Miyagi comes to the rescue, beats everyone up in a defense only style and trains Daniel san for the competition… which surprise surprise he wins! These aren’t the most challenging and thought provoking of films, and they’re not the Godfather trilogy but they are fun, and they do make you want to learn Karate. Or at least to put on a bath robe and prance around shouting Aye!

Special Features

This disc comes with the now popular interactive DVD ROM feature, the flash games. Catch the fly, find the village and save the bonsai tree. OK, so these games aren’t the best in the world and probably sustained my attention for the length of time that it took to capture the screenshots. But it’s better to have them than not isn’t it?

Hmmm… here’s an idea, how about having old Amiga games included on some DVDs? We could have International Karate + on Karate Kid, one of the best 2D fighting games ever with its two against one feature. Barbarian Warrior included with Conan the Barbarian. It wouldn’t cost much, it’s easy to get an emulator for your PC and they’re great games. It’s just an idea.

So is this a great DVD set for your collection, that depends. If you’re the kind of person that knows your Mavericks from your Gooses and your Balboas from your Clubber Langs then you’ll feel as at home with Mr Miyagi as a Karate champion with a bonsai tree.

For the rest of you, they are fun films for the young and the young at heart, don’t expect anything different from them or you’ll be disappointed. They are essentially martial arts movies for kids. Quality wise the video transfer is great, better than I would have expected but the features are a little scarce for my Eighties fix requiring habit. Get this if you’re really into Eighties films, like me.

At every point in an action star’s life he plays the old dual role movie. Schwarzenegger has done it once, Van Damme has done two hundred and seventy three times and now Jet Li has done it. Only Seagal has yet to portray two roles, perhaps because they couldn’t fit two of him on the screen at any one time and even if they did the characters, such as they would be, would be indistinguishable.

I am the one and only, you can’t take that away from me. At least that’s one Gabe Law thought. Living a relatively normal life as a cop, naturally, in California and married to the rather enchanting T.K. played by Carla Gugino. Gabe was about to discover that, according to the film’s blurb at least, the most dangerous man in the universe is himself. I have days like that.

It appears that there are many parallel universes of which travel between has been made possible. It is the job of the Multiverse Agents to police the travel and ensure that nothing untoward happens. However one such MVA named Gabriel Yulaw (also Jet Li) accidentally killed a version of himself in one of the parallel universes and then absorbed all of his life essence, making him stronger, faster and the like. Naturally this kind of thing is frowned upon by the Multiverse council, you could say that Gabriel’s actions were multiversally discouraged. Heh. Gabriel however saw the possibilities and proceeded to illegally travel through different universes exterminating himself and absorbing more power.

Eventually only two remained, and speculation was rife about what would happen should he become ‘The One’. Would he explode, would he implode, or would he become a god? Which was Gabriel’s preferred theory.

Gabriel may be smarter, faster and almost invincible but he still manages to get himself caught in a sequence when it seemed easier to escape that not. Captured and put on trial for 123 counts of murder Yulaw was sentenced to spend the rest of eternity in a penal universe. It’s strange that there are a finite number of universes, and that even though it is explained that everyone is different in terms of who marries who etc, that there is still a Jet Li in every universe. Surely everyone wouldn’t exist in every parallel universe and surely there’d be more than 123? But for the purposes of this movie, that’s all there are and Jet is in every one of them.

Naturally he escapes his rather lenient sentence and makes it to LA to find and kill the happy go lucky Gabe Law. Strictly for the purposes of a big action sequence Lulaw tries to kill Gabe when he is surrounded by a dozen other cops and in the process of escorting a prisoner. Would it have made sense to just shoot him when he was relaxing at home? Perhaps, but not to the director, this is a quick thrill action ride and one not to be thought about too quickly. Any pondering over this film would see it unravel into a pile of unrelated action sequences tagged together by some hastily construed dialogue. Is it any wonder that it was originally intended for WWE Superstar The Rock? The Great One decided to make The Scorpion King instead, so the fight sequences choreographed for a big burly wrestler’s style had to be reworked completely to accommodate the martial arts of Jet Li.

Now that we have Jet Li and not the Brahma Bull, it’s his martial arts skills that raises this film above the mire. Jet is perhaps the most natural successor to the almost immortal Bruce Li in that his style and skill is unmatched. Jet has made some dubious career choices though, after Lethal Weapon 4 he turned down a role in The Matrix Revisited to take Romeo Must Die. Unless he finds that one great role soon he may be consigned to middle budget action movies and never make that breakthrough that his talent deserves.

The running around in confusion that occupies the middle third of this film is compounded by Gabe and Gabriel both dressing the same. It now relies on Jet’s acting to distinguish the two characters, naturally this falls a little short of the mark. In the true style of Hong Kong actioners the finale takes place in a deserted power plant, as seen in several other low budget action movies this year, and lasts for a good ten minutes. Film studios must have these deserted warehouses and power plants on some sort of time share.

For the extra features connoisseur there is a series of behind the scenes interviews and footage cut together to form three themed documentaries. These actually show up the director as having little idea as to what he was doing. They show numerous shots and effects attempts that they’d filmed and failed with. Jet Li and two co-stars on wires being span around a room is one such shot that quite simply did not work. “Ah well, we can fix it in the editing” was a line I’d use to use quite frequently in film school and I see it’s caught on.

The One is enjoyable enough if you’re into martial arts, but its plot is too full of holes to keep the hardened sci-fi fan interested. Borrowing from films such as Time Cop, The Matrix and Highlander (There really can be only one) it doesn’t fully explore any of the ideas that it creates, instead choosing to gloss over the plot inconsistencies with yet another example of Jet’s unique ability.