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Movies / On DVD / The One
The One

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The One (2001)

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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

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Reviews for The One

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61 - 80 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

It's The Matrix's less-refined cousin, the one that didn't pay full attention in cool school.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
11/02/01
Melanie McFarland
Melanie McFarland
Seattle Times

A disappointing and less than involving affair that feels like nothing more than a rock 'em, sock 'em video game.

Full Review Source: Screen It! | comment Comment
11/02/01
Jim Judy
Jim Judy
Screen It!

Don't worry about Jet Li. He can take care of himself. His latest American movie, however, needs triage.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
11/02/01
Bob Graham
Bob Graham
San Francisco Chronicle

The moviemakers left the story line open for a sequel, but in this case, let's hope once is enough.

Full Review Source: San Diego Union-Tribune | comment Comment
11/02/01
Jerry McCormick
Jerry McCormick
San Diego Union-Tribune

With a plot constructed more like a video game than a drama, there's hardly any room for character development.

Full Review Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | comment Comment
11/02/01
Jack Garner
Jack Garner
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

As was the case in Romeo Must Die, all the CG bells and whistles detract from Li's martial arts skills.

Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
11/02/01
Tor Thorsen
Tor Thorsen
Reel.com

Although Li is a pleasure to watch and a few scenes stand out, it's disappointing to see him watered down with cheap spectacle.

Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
11/02/01
Kim Morgan
Kim Morgan
Oregonian

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.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
11/02/01
Louis B. Hobson
Louis B. Hobson
Jam! Movies

Heavy on testosterone but short on common sense.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
11/02/01
Bruce Kirkland
Bruce Kirkland
Jam! Movies

A martial-arts flick that transcends its genre with surprisingly strong sci-fi concepts.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
11/02/01
Bruce Westbrook
Bruce Westbrook
Houston Chronicle

[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.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
11/02/01
Rick Groen
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail

It rarely lets [Li] cut loose with his impressive martial artistry.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
11/02/01
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

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.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
11/02/01
Bob Strauss
Bob Strauss
Los Angeles Daily News

Offers brainless high-tech action without interesting dialogue, characters, motivation or texture.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
11/02/01
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A dimwitted parallel-universe slugfest that sets a new low for a Hollywood martial arts extravaganza built around a major star.

comment Comment
11/02/01
Jay Carr
Jay Carr
Boston Globe

The One should have used its brain, not its brawn.

Full Review Source: Talking Pictures (U.S.) | comment Comment
11/02/01
Tony Toscano
Tony Toscano
Talking Pictures (U.S.)

"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...

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
11/02/01
Sean Axmaker
Sean Axmaker
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

It's lazy, makes plenty of mistakes and doesn't always live up to its potential.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
11/02/01
E! Online
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Even by the grunting and grimacing standards of comic-book action films, the performances in The One are undernourished.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
11/02/01
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film's very short running time minimizes the audience's pain. A little of this movie goes a long way.

Full Review Source: Internet Reviews | comment Comment
11/02/01
Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes
Internet Reviews
 
 
61 - 80 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
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