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War

It’s the ultimate showdown between cliché and more cliché

By Matt Pais

August 24, 2007

Critic's Rating:

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Amid a complicated organized-crime war between the Japanese Yakuza and Chinese Triads, FBI agent Crawford (Jason Statham) hunts down Rogue (Jet Li), a notorious assassin who Crawford believes killed his partner. In other words: Now it's personal!

Big question: With such a generic plot, you gotta ask: "War," what is it good for?

Skip it: Churning out the same old conspiracies, betrayals and macho posturing, "War" fights a losing battle against every other movie ever described with the words "conspiracy" and "betrayal." Li has few stunts, and Statham just seems really proud of himself whenever he mutters a complete sentence.

Catch it: To experience truly innovative action-movie dialogue, such as, "Somebody talked. Somebody on the inside. Close to us," and, "That's the trouble with this business: You never know who's working for who." Genius!

Bottom line: Crisp action makes "War" superior to its worthless comedic doppelgänger, "Rush Hour 3," but such an accomplishment doesn't deserve applause.

Bonus: Be careful when you sit down to make your lunch because, apparently, a plastic surgeon who worked on Rogue "accidentally impaled himself with a knife making a turkey sandwich." Deli meat is so dangerous!

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