Babylon A.D. (2008)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Mathieu Kassovitz

Writers:

Eric Besnard (writer)
Maurice G. Dantec (novel)

Release Date:

29 August 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

Veteran-turned-mercenary Toorop takes the high-risk job of escorting a woman from Russia to America. Little does he know that she is host to an organism that a cult wants to harvest in order to produce a genetically modified Messiah. |

Plot Keywords:

Cult | Harvest | Veteran Turned Mercenary | Organism | Russia

US TV Schedule:

Sun. July 5	9:30 AM	MAX
Mon. July 6	12:00 AM	MAX

Cast

Vin Diesel	...	Toorop
Michelle Yeoh	...	Sister Rebeka
Mélanie Thierry	...	Aurora
Gérard Depardieu	...	Gorsky
Charlotte Rampling	...	High Priestess
Mark Strong	...	Finn
Lambert Wilson	...	Darquandier
Jérôme Le Banner	...	Killa
Joel Kirby	...	Dr. Newton
Souleymane Dicko	...	Jamal
David Belle	...	Kid with Tattoos
Radek Bruna	...	Karl
Jan Unger	...	Fight Promoter
Abraham Belaga	...	Assistant to High Priestess
Gary Cowan	...	Neolite Executive

Also Known As:

Babylon Babies (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

USA:90 min

Country:

USA | France | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #44122) | UK:12A | Ireland:12A | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-13 | South Korea:12 | Malaysia:U | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Sweden:15 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Peru:14 | Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16 (extended version)

Filming Locations:

Barrandov Studios, Prague, Czech Republic

Company:

Canal+

Trivia:

The film is based on the novel "Babylon Babies" by Maurice G. Dantec.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Toorop picks up the girls at the Noelite convent, he stands next to the car door as they get in. In the next shot, as he gets in himself, no one is in the back.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Toorop: Save the Planet.

Movie Connections:

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Soundtrack:

No. 6 In A Major 'Allegretto Grazioso' (Spring Song)

Need nuke, will travel

Most reviewers hated "Babylon A.D.". I think people expect too much from this kind of movie. Vin Diesel is a cool cat if I ever saw one, and as a true actors' director, Matthieu Kassovitz knows how to work him. Diesel's character Toorop has few illusions (and no first name) left when oligarch Gorsky (Gérard Depardieu, hilarious) calls on him to save the world one girl at a time, and perhaps free himself in the process. Bond girl Michelle Yeoh, although under-leveraged, is a smart choice as a naughty nun equally well-versed in divine revelations and martial arts. The setting moves from the wild east to the free west and packs more "wow" moments than most Emmerich or Petersen productions, at perhaps one tenth the budget. The Coke Zero product placement is pretty thick, but if that's what it takes to get this kind of movie made, that's fine with me. The picture is based on a comic book and has the potential for a great-looking computer game (and a sequel or two). Favorite scene: Toorop feasting on home-cooked game and fine wine in his Serbian lair. If only they'd let the man eat his dinner in peace.