Rogue Assassin was released in the U.S. as War, and it’s pretty easy to see why. Jason Statham action-extraordinaire and martial arts legend Jet Li go head-to-head in the biggest movie rivalry since Freddy vs. Jason. These action superheroes bring two diverse groups of fans together to find out who’s king of adrenalin as FBI agent Jack Crawford (Statham) pursues the mysterious and deadly “Rogue” (Li) for personal reasons, while the “Rogue” incites clashes between the Yukuza and Triad factions in San Fransisco.
Statham has become somewhat typecast as the gravelly action agent with films such as: Crank, Chaos and The Transporter. He was cast in Jet Li’s The One in a small role, and has found his stride in Hollywood. In the other corner is Jet Li, whose name precedes him. He’s starred in Hero (Ying xiong), Fearless (Huo Yuan Jia), Black Mask (Hak Hap) and Kiss of the Dragon to name a few. The man is an icon and has a strong following in the East and the West.
This is a classic showdown, except it’s difficult to plan a film around two tigers. Each of these men demand starring roles with their larger-than-life action and presence. What frustrates and bores the audience is that their star-making skills aren’t utilised enough.
Rogue Assassin delivers on guns, swords, chases and explosions. It’s a solid action blockbuster, however these guys thrive when it comes to martial arts. This is lacking from Rogue Assassin. Jet Li is intent on moving away from kung fu epics, and focussing on roles that require more acting than action. As a result, his dialogue is thinned out and Statham has to do all the talking. Statham has become Hollywood’s G.I.Joe from the UK, and many of his roles seem to blend into one another. Rogue Assassin has the right actors, slick direction, amazing stunts and a grand story. However, the two main stars seem a bit tired of it all.
Same old, same old… is what seems to be going on inside their heads. They’re true professionals… although the play their characters with dead eyes. They seem to be somewhat contained in the script, and watching caged tigers limits one’s appreciation for the genre. The plot is interesting, and the narrative jolts along at a steady pace. Except there’s a state of confusion towards the final act, and a flurry of words try to reach resolve before the movie makes a narrow escape.
Rogue Assassin oozes with cool, including loads of action, heaps of blood, fast cars, women and everything that guys associate with a Statham or Li action film. Atwell glues the action together in music video style, and the production makes all the right moves, except it seems a little lazy in all its twists-and-turns…
The bottom line: Clichéd.
