Today’s quick review: War. Three years after the death of his partner at the hands of Rogue (Jet Li), an assassin for hire, FBI agent John Crawford (Jason Statham) has ruined his life trying to track him down. He finally gets his chance when Rogue resurfaces in San Francisco at the center of a turf war between the Yakuza and the Triads. But in digging deeper, John is puzzled to learn that the assassin is playing both sides against each other.
War is an action movie about one man’s quest for revenge against an elusive assassin. Jason Statham squares off against Jet Li against the backdrop of a gang war that Li’s character intends to turn to his advantage. War is a straightforward action movie with a decent mixture of action, plot, and attitude. However, slight misplays in the way its story unfolds mean that War is unable to deliver on its premise’s full potential.
War is split between the perspectives of its two main characters: Crawford as he hunts down Rogue, and Rogue as he manipulates both sides of a gang war. Rogue ends up stealing the show, both because he has a greater opportunity for action and because his scheme is what drives the plot. The film has a healthy dose of car chases, shootouts, and martial arts for its action scenes. The plot is minimal but does have one or two nice twists.
Where War misplays its hand is in the conflict between Crawford and Rogue. Jason Statham and Jet Li are cast well for their roles, but they don’t have many opportunities to interact. Their action scenes together are not as climactic as the premise would suggest, and Rogue in general tends to overshadow Crawford, who spnds much fo the film playing catch-up. Their story arc also wraps up rather abruptly, missing the chance for further drama.
Watch War when you’re in the mood for popcorn action that mostly delivers on its premise. War isn’t quite ambitious enough to use its stars to their full potential, but what it has to offer should please fans of the genre. Skip it if you’re looking for a deeper plot or less conventional action.
For a similar flavor of action movie, try The Fast and the Furious or Face/Off. For action in a similar vein starring Jet Li, try Cradle 2 the Grave or The One. For a Jason Statham action movie with an even more elaborate plot, try Chaos or Safe.
6.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for two strong leads, lots of thrills, and a decent plot to tie them all together, albeit with a few missed opportunities along the way.