“Babylon A.D.” – 3/10

STARRING: Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, Mélanie Thierry

Don’t let the previews deceive you.

Mathieu Kassovitz’s “Babylon A.D.” will not “blow you away” and it will certainly not entertain you. The plot makes no sense whatsoever, and the fight scenes are less than enticing, especially for someone of Vin Diesel’s caliber.

“Chronicles of Riddick” fans should not expect to see the intense fight scenes that Diesel has always provided. Instead, Diesel’s fighting techniques include shooting large guns and computer-animated jumps.

Even “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” hero, Michelle Yeoh, seemed wrongly cast. Yeoh, who impresses by doing most of her own stunts, also had her acting skills down-played. I’m still wondering why two brilliant actors such as Diesel and Yeoh would subject themselves, and their careers, to a movie as horrible as “Babylon A.D.”

The story revolves around a girl named Aurora (Mélanie Thierry), with extraordinary powers, which are never defined. Even after the credits have finished rolling, viewers still have no idea what Aurora’s powers are, or why she has them. Also on that note, the story never explains why Aurora is plagued by a virus and how the virus can destroy New York City. Diesel’s character Toorop is charged with transporting Aurora and her caretaker (Yeoh) from a devastated Russia to New York.

Their journey is even more confusing. While on the way, we learn that Aurora’s mother and father are each out to capture her to use the girl to their advantage. Later on, we learn that Aurora was a computer, and therefore has no parents. The movie is filled with similar plot points that confuse the viewer, and then suddenly end.

The movie, like the story line, also abruptly ends. I would call it a surprise ending, but by the time the credits began to roll, the only surprise left was that there were still people in the theater.

I, probably like many other audience members, walked out of the theater feeling disappointed. Diesel deserved another chance after “Find Me Guilty” and I was ready to give that to him. But once I realized the movie had no solid story line and actors that were totally out of place, I began to laugh along with the crowd at the absurdity.

So if you’re looking for a movie to confuse you and remind you why the “Matrix” series remains the king of sci-fi films, give “Babylon A.D.” a try. It is undoubtedly a film that was better left unmade.