It's The Matrix's less-refined cousin, the one that didn't pay full attention in cool school.
The One (2001)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:83
Fresh:11
Rotten:72
Average Rating:3.9/10
Consensus: The One plays out more like a video game than a movie and borrows freely from other, better sci-fi actioners like the The Matrix. Also, Jet Li's martial arts abilities are buried under the editing and special effects.
Runtime: 87 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: 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... 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 (Jet Li) 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 (Jet Li), 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. Gabe is confused to find himself being hunted and shot at by himself, but with the help of his wife, T.K. (Carla Gugino), and the Multiverse cops (Delroy Lindo and Jason Statham), Gabe engages Yulaw in a series of spectacular fights to become the One. Glen Morgan and James Wong, creators of FINAL DESTINATION and several memorable episodes of THE X-FILES, direct this mind-bending martial-arts extravaganza. [More]
Starring: Jet Li, Carla Gugino, Delroy Lindo, Jason Statham
Starring: Jet Li, Carla Gugino, Delroy Lindo, Jason Statham, James Morrison, Tucker Smallwood, Mark Borchardt
Director: James Wong
Director: James Wong
Screenwriter: James Wong, Glen Morgan
Producer: Steven Chasman, Glen Morgan
Composer: Trevor Rabin
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Reviews for The One
A disappointing and less than involving affair that feels like nothing more than a rock 'em, sock 'em video game.
Don't worry about Jet Li. He can take care of himself. His latest American movie, however, needs triage.
The moviemakers left the story line open for a sequel, but in this case, let's hope once is enough.
With a plot constructed more like a video game than a drama, there's hardly any room for character development.
As was the case in Romeo Must Die, all the CG bells and whistles detract from Li's martial arts skills.
Although Li is a pleasure to watch and a few scenes stand out, it's disappointing to see him watered down with cheap spectacle.
Li ends up spending most of the film fighting himself, which is no thrill at all because it is obviously a special effects gimmick that wears thin very quickly.
A martial-arts flick that transcends its genre with surprisingly strong sci-fi concepts.
[Wong] drains the artistry from the martial arts, shooting the aerial work without the requisite grace, and adding a plebian array of not-so-special effects.
A live-action video game gussied up with bad, Matrix-style bullet-time photo tricks and what must be a record amount of just plain bullets released in a PG-13-rated film.
Offers brainless high-tech action without interesting dialogue, characters, motivation or texture.
A dimwitted parallel-universe slugfest that sets a new low for a Hollywood martial arts extravaganza built around a major star.
"The One" is pure pulp junk and Wong embraces it as such, rushing through the mundane details of establishing characters and defining motivation to leap into action...
It's lazy, makes plenty of mistakes and doesn't always live up to its potential.
Even by the grunting and grimacing standards of comic-book action films, the performances in The One are undernourished.
The film's very short running time minimizes the audience's pain. A little of this movie goes a long way.
Latest News for The One
September 26, 2008:
RT Interview: Jason Statham Chats Death Race, Crank 2 and The Sweeney
RT catches up with Jason Statham to learn more about the Death Race and grill him on upcoming turns in Crank 2, Transporter 3 and the possibility of an appearance in Nick Love's... More...
October 03, 2007:
James Wong to Write, Direct Live-Action Dragon Ball Movie?
Last month, we discussed the news that Fox had fast-tracked its long-planned Dragon Ball live-action feature, and would be filming it in Montreal. Now, courtesy of CHUD, comes... More...
October 19, 2006:
First Teaser for the "Black Christmas" Remake
Yet another horror remake is due to hit the screens before year's end -- but only by a few days. December 25th sees the release of "Black Christmas," Glen Morgan's... More...
September 21, 2006:
Critical Consensus: "Jackass" Kicks; "King" Is Dethroned; "Fearless" Is Action-Packed; "Flyboys" Is Grounded
This week at the movies, we've got antisocial behavior ("Jackass: Number Two," with Johnny Knoxville and the gang), hell-raising politicos ("All The King's... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

