Babylon A.D.-Aurora Bore-ealus
Here's what makes Babylon A.D. so absolutely hilarious, and it has little to do with the script. What makes Babylon A.D. such a riot is that the director Mathieu Kassovitz was not happy with the final product so he throws a fit about how the studio interfered with his creative process. He went on to say that he wasn't allowed to follow the vision of the script and so on. Kassovitz actually went so far as to say that he didn't like the film-before it’s opening.
Well, way to be a team player I guess. The notion that the script was too "messed" with and that is why this turkey sucked is a funny one indeed. Nothing could have saved this core of this script as it was a series of refried clichés involving virgin births and all sorts of science-fiction "tributes" that we have all seen a million times before.
The script was based on the novel Babylon Babies, which, must like the script for Babylon A.D. is just a clichefest. The source material doesn’t back up the notion that the studio took a masterpiece and dragged it through the mud. Were the main ideas of the book better than the movie? Sure, but they were far from original and this book, written by a former French rock rocker, "borrows" from just about everyone in sight. It would seem what happened was that Kassovitz made a mistake, he wanted to make a lucrative, big-budget action film by a French writer in France. This clouded his judgment to what was really important, namely a great story line. When things went south, like a spoiled child he threw a fit. No doubt the studio came in and screwed stuff up-what are you new? For someone who was "born into the Industry," Kassovitz should have foreseen that this could happen. Even without the interference of the studio this film would have very likely sucked. Why? As was already stated Babylon A.D. doesn't provide us with any really new idea, it just struts around as though it does. Nor does the selection of French model turned actress Melanie Theirry, as Aurora, help matters much either.
So what is this derailed work of genius about? Well, it’s a story unlike any you have ever heard before. A mercenary named Toorop played by Vin Diesel, gets the equivalent of a video game escort mission, where he must escort the beautiful and oh-so amazing Aurora out of a convent in Mongolia and to America. Along the way we learn that she is psychic and is a pregnant virgin who holds the fate of mankind in her womb. Does it sound like a baby role playing game plot? Definitely. You also get a far degree of running and shooting and a moderate amount of visuals effects. None of it really adds up to the roughly $70 million dollar budget.
Bottom line, Kassovitz should be less concerned on who is French and more concerned on finding a good story. If he wants to dabble in science fiction then take the time to find some science fiction that has something to say other than more Mary/Second Coming of Christ stuff. Sure, the studios can be a pain, but if you s*it had been tight in the first place and you were indeed a genius then you would have selected a better script to begin with and you would have seen that studio problem coming as well. There is nothing to see here.
Story D-
Acting D
Visuals C+ (There are a few good visuals and visual effects here and there, but just like the story, its not anything you haven't seen before.)
Originality/Innovation F
Enjoyability Grade D
Home Theater/HD Factor C+
Overall Grade D
|
