There isn't just one universe. There are many; it's a multiverse. And there is a version of each of us in every multiverse. When one of our counterparts dies, that power and energy is equally distributed to the remaining versions. So this story starts off showing how one man (the "bad" Jet Li) is jumping, via wormholes, from multiverse to multiverse killing off the other versions of himself, to ultimately make himself the most powerful man alive. But he's got one version left (the "good" Jet Li) to kill in ours (one of the remaining few multiverses that have no idea there are other multiverses). This movie reveals there are 125 multiverses in existence, so each of these two remaining Jet Li's has the power of 62.5 men.

The bulk of the movie has the "bad" Jet Li searching for and trying to kill the "good" Li. In the middle are some confrontations when you really don't know which one is which. You, as well as the other characters, are kept in confusion most of the time. Tracking the "bad" Li are two multiverse agents. One of the agents is played by Jason Statham (of "Snatch" and "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" fame). My only problem with him is that he's an Englishman trying too hard to deliver an American accent. It just doesn't work. Sometimes he sounds like he's a tough guy from the south, and the next minute he sounds like he's a tough guy from the Bronx. Along with Statham and the rest of the cast, there are no big names here. And I think that's fine, since we get two Jet Li's for the price of one (actually, we get three).

The special effects, though interesting, are nothing you haven't seen before. Even when shot at, Jet Li dodges the bullets in slow motion ("bullet time" as it's called by its inventors). However, some of the effects were tweaked a bit for this film. Li would either speed up or the rest of the world would slow down, depending on the situation. And there are a few special effects and plot ideas added just for a "oooh, aahhh!" factor. For instance, during the final showdown of the two Jet Li's, they're dressed identically. So, the "bad" one takes his outer shirt off so the audience can tell them apart. And then we have sparks falling over the two men as they fight (a la "The Natural"), so that when we enter "bullet time" with its rotating camera, we have some neat sparkles to watch as they wizz by the characters. And while none of this is ground-breaking, or plot-enhancing, it still is a neat thing to watch.

If this all sounds confusing, relax. About halfway through the movie you think, "Oh, I get it now!" The question that's presented is: what happens when there's only one (Jet Li) left -- or none? Will the multiverse collapse on itself? My thought is, how can it? I mean, people die every day. Wouldn't the multiverse have collapsed billions of times? And about this distribution of power thing -- wouldn't really old people be really powerful? Surely out of all those multiverses a 100 year-old person must be the last remaining version of himself. Maybe I'm thinking about it too much. But that's a good thing. A movie that makes you think is better than one that doesn't.

The beginning is a bit tough to understand. As it builds, the movie does become an interesting action flick, despite a few goofy lines. There's even an ending that could set things up for a sequel. Will I buy the DVD? No, but it was well worth the rental price!

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older