Random Movie: War

Hey gang. Back again and today I was feeling a bit of mindless action violence candy. That usually involves the gruff voiced and unshaven mug of Jason Statham. Oh don't worry. It's not a Transporter sequel nor is it the sequel to Crank. I will spare us all that bit of squirrelly. No, instead think of a crime war, some deep seething need for revenge and some twists and turns. This is War.

No Statham, I will not be in Expendables 4. Piss off!

Special Agent Jack Crawford (Jason Statham of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, The Italian Job, The One, Crank and The Expendables) and his partner Tom Lone (Terry Chan of I, Robot, The Life, Battlestar Galatica, Chaos, Snakes on a Plane, V, Riverworld, Sanctuary and House of Cards) just pissed away two years of their life on an investigation that went completely south in Asian Task Force. With the Yakuza and the Triads nipping at each others' heels, the Yakuza call an outside enforcer code name of Rogue (Jet Li of High Risk, Black Mask, Hitman, Romeo Must Die, Kiss of the Dragon, The One, Unleased and The Expendables). A extremely skilled marksman, martial artist and even swordsmaster. A jack of all trades in murder.

They had to subtitle Cockney again.

Jack almost meets his maker in the struggle when Tom shoots Rogue in the face as Rogue falls in the water with body not found for three days. A modern day myth as it was said that Rogue was once CIA having his face reshuffled often and then he went to work for the Yakuza's Oyabun Shiro (Ryo Ishibashi of Aiki, Moon Child, G@me, The Grudge, Big Bang Love, Juvenile A, Waru, Waru: kanketsu-hen and The Investigation Game)

Jack re-coops his arm but is off to watch the big game (Football I am guessing given it was fall, possibly basketball) when he has to make a pitstop for some steaks. Passed out from pain on the ride there, Jack, his wife Jenny (Andrea Roth of Crossworlds, Red Meat, Rescue Me, The Collector, Lucky, The Time Tunnel and Bridal Fever) and son Daniel get to see the Lones' home up in flames. Jack finds all three dead an a titanium spent shell that housed a depleted uranium bullet on the scene, Rogue's M.O.

Contract negotiations aren't going well.

Three years later, the Triads and Yakuza are about to go head to head. Leading the Asian Task Force is Jack dogged, determined and other things beginning and ending in d; hot on the trail of this impending war when another hit taking out some top soldiers of the Yakuza happens. All too similar to Rogue's M.O. Again.

Chang, head of the Triad (John Lone of Year of the Dragon, Echos of Paradise,The Last Emperor, The Moderns, The Hunted, M. Butterfly, The Shadow, Rush Hour 2 and Paper Moon Affair) is attempting to acquire an ancient household relic of golden horses. These two statues sold carefully can finance his empire in America and consolidate his foothold into a stance. Jack and his team now made aware of Rogue about, they know it is only a matter of time before the war breaks out and innocents get caught in the crossfire.

Keeping order in the states for the Yakuza is Kira (Devon Aoki of 2 Fast 2 Furious, Sin City, DOA, Mutant Chronicles, D.E.B.S., Death of a Dynasty and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead) , a ruthless, shrewd and health conscious young woman with ideas of advancing in the Yakuza and maintaining her family's honor. Nothing else matters to this girl. Seriously I think she would have creeped out Kill Bill's Go-go.

Will Jack and crew be able to catch Rogue? Will the Asian crimelords turn the city of San Francisco into a charnel house?

Okay the specifics of the film. One, there is mild nudity so may not want the kiddies sitting down to this one. Two, a substantial body count. Murder and mayhem are hand in hand. Three, a decent twist in the story so the brain does not get to shut off easily.

The stunt work of Gun Fu, car chases, car crashes, martial arts and even some sword fights is most impressive. Of course I have my nitpicks like an immensely dense metal like uranium used for 9mm is highly impractical and would most likely chew up the Walther P-99s that Jet is using. Commonly you find that in your 20mm to 30mm cannon shells. So you wouldn't trash your pistol you would have to pack less gunpowder. So less kill and next to no distance or accuracy. Check with your military friends if you think this fun fact is crap. They'll be on my side though.

Jet's car was a Spyder I think the Spyker C8 series which retails at about $275k, possibly more and last but certainly least, this marks the second of five films Jason Statham and Jet Li have collaberated in. The others are The One and The Expendables 1 through 3. Not a brilliant film but not a bad film either. Adrenaline junkies will enjoy it but so will the casual movie viewer.

A lost Highlander episode??