The One (2001)

Starring: Jet Li

Plot Summary: It's like the Matrix but more.

Read more/less

Some might call The One a cynical retread of The Matrix just because it's a dark scifi movie about a man, trying to become The One, decked out in tight black clothing, who speaks in the slow, deliberate cadence of a non-native English speaker. However, once you give it a chance, you realize that in addition to the fact that one Jet Li is worth about three and a half Keanu Reeveses, The One so much more than just The Matrix. It manages to take the best aspects from The Matrix, Highlander, and the TV show Sliders.

The premise of The One hinges on the concept of parallel universes, a physics concept first theorized by Star Trek. There exists not only the single universe we live in, rather a series of 125 parallel universes, or a "multi-verse" if you will. In each universe in the "multi-verse" there exists a version of you, who is almost identical to you except having a minor variation of your name. In our universe, Jet Li plays Gabe Law, an officer with the LAPD. In another universe, Jet Li plays Gabriel Yulaw, an ex-officer with the Multi-Verse Authorities (MVA), who is evil.

Well, technically Evil Jet Li has only recently become evil. He is a native of the one universe that mastered transport between universes within the "multi-verse." It involves wormholes and CGI effects from the Lawnmower Man. He worked for the MVA regulating travel between universes, sort of like Timecop except using a really fancy PDA. Two years ago in another universe, Evil Jet Li had to kill Random Other Jet Li in self defense. As predicted by Star Trek, this tore the hell out of the space-time continuum. The energy linking all the Jet Lis in the universe was disrupted, and the power (and in all likelihood chi) of Random Other Jet Li was distributed evenly among the 124 Surviving Jet Lis. They all became stronger, faster, and smarter.

The discovery of this Highlander Corollary to the Star Trek Theorem turned Evil Jet Li evil, and he quit the force to pursue a full-time career of killing all the other Surviving Jet Lis in order to become The One. The One would either be a "god" or a "singularity" destroying the entire "multi-verse." Evil Jet Li pretends not to care either way, but seems to be hoping for the first one. His former partner, Roedecker (played by Delroy Lindo, who had previously collaborated with Jet on the loving tribute to Oakland, CA, that was Romeo Must Die) now pursues him across the "multi-verse" to prevent him from becoming The One. Not with much success, though, since as of the opening sequence Evil Jet Li has dispatched 122 of the 123 Surviving Jet Lis, leaving only him and Good Jet Li (in our universe) alive, each with the combined strength of their fallen brethren. This complicates the apprehension of Evil Jet Li, because now killing Evil Jet Li will just make Good Jet Li into The One.

Roedecker and his rookie partner Funsch, played by Transporter star Jason Statham, pursue Evil Jet Li into our universe with orders to arrest and exile him to the Hades Universe, apparently an entire parallel universe sealed off and converted to a giant prison (which offers an enticing sequel prospect: Kurt Russell in Escape From Hades Universe). Failing that, they must simultaneously kill both Evil Jet Li and Good Jet Li, to prevent either of them from becoming a god and/or destroying the "multi-verse."

The two find Evil Jet Li just in time to foil his assassination attempt, and then explain the situation to an understandably confused Good Jet Li. They vow to protect him, failing to mention the "killing him" aspect of Plan B. Roedecker and Funsch then agree to split up and trail Evil and Good Jet Li, respectively. Thus begins the gripping race for the first major character death between the smartmouth rookie and the sole black man in an action movie.

The black guy wins, indicating that Roedecker must've held the "four days to retirement" tiebreaker. Roedecker confronts Evil Jet Li, loses his gun, and proceeds to fight him unarmed. It is just as the ancient general and essayist Sun Tzu said: "That's what you get." In this case, that's what you get for challenging a man with the strength of sixty two and a half Jet Lis in hand-to-hand combat.

Thankfully, the action choreography takes a firm stand against subtlety and nuance. People paid good money to watch superhuman Jet Lis battle for the universe. There can be no "over the top." The only thing better than Jet Li picking up a police motorcycle and using it as a blunt weapon is Jet Li swinging a police motorcycle in each hand. In a similar vein, the use of slow motion made popular by The Matrix is perfected in The One. When Evil Jet Li flings a cop through midair, the film speed slows to a crawl, allowing us to watch the super-fast Jet sprint over and kick his ass on the way down. This is the gift that The One gave to Hollywood: What was once mere hyperbole is now movie reality.

But seeing Evil Jet Li fling motor vehicles through the air, travel through wormholes, and kill dozens of innocent bystanders isn't really why we watch this movie. We watch this movie to see Evil Jet Li fight Good Jet Li, preferably in a building with a maddeningly intricate floorplan of catwalks and staircases and filled with large, explosion-prone equipment. Thankfully, that is exactly what we get in the wonderfully scripted finale. Granted, there are some people who would say that the first hour of the film is nothing but a drawn out prelude to this fight scene, but this neglects the ten-minute sequence where the two Jet Lis practice their contrasting forms of wushu. This chops up the plot development into two easy-to-digest half-hour segments.

Evil Jet Li sets the finale into motion by killing Good Jet Li's wife, thus establishing conflict beyond the trying to kill Good Jet Li and dominate/destroy the "multi-verse" thing. As a result Good Jet Li is driven into a suicidal rage and all-consuming desire for revenge, both of which, as hero, he is required to have. Thus they meet in a large factory with three stories of catwalks and twelve-inch pipes holding a mysterious green liquid, which according to Hollywood bylaws must be acid. The two Jet Lis fight at length, denting, rupturing, and detonating various sections of the plant.

Safety Note: Although at first the plant appears deserted, five minutes into the fight a generator is damaged and the foreman runs out to evacuate everyone. This indicates that "flying superhuman Chinese wushu masters fighting to the death" needs to be added to the list of emergency procedures.

Even though the two Jet Lis have the exact same strength and ability, the fight ends in a deadlock. Funsch springs into action with his wormhole-opening PDA, flinging all three of them into Funsch and Evil Jet Li's universe. After a brief misunderstanding when the sworn protectors of the "multi-verse" accidentally drag Good Jet Li off for exile because Evil Jet Li tells them to, they square it away and exile Evil Jet Li to the Hades Universe.

The Agency then tries to send Good Jet Li back to our universe for a life on the run from the cops, but Funsch intervenes and quickly changes the coordinates to a universe where Good Jet Li is a free man, the parallel version of his wife is still alive, there's no smog in L.A., and presumably people walk around town handing out free cotton candy. As the "multi-verse"-crossed lovers meet again for the first time, we fade out, content in the knowledge that Good Jet Li's life will be back on track right after he clears up the legal red tape in that universe surrounding his previous murder of himself by himself.

I would have to say that The One is the greatest movie I have ever seen.