24 years ago, this science fiction film with Jet Li and Jason Statham wanted to compete with Matrix but it was mainly ridiculous

After the release of Matrix in 1999, we saw many films overflowing on the success of the masterful work signed Lana and Lilly Wachowski. Influenced by the visual style like the bullet time and the futuristic themes, these productions have largely borrowed from the Matrix universe without ever equaling its genius.

Matrix, major influence

From Equilibrium to Daredevil by passing Aeon Flux, Ultraviolet or Resident Evilife, action cinema was very much inspired by the Wachowski saga, without ever reproducing the narrative or the stylistic impact. Among these Ersatz de Matrix, a work is particularly distinguished from others: The One by James Wong.

Released in November 2001, the film led us to a distant future, where the parallel universes exist. Yulaw (Jet Li), an agent of the multiverse, knows this to have often intervened during his missions. This is how he learned that our double living in each of these worlds are linked to each other by a flow, and that when one of them disappears, his energy is redistributed to others.

Since then, Yulaw aims to eliminate her doubles to harvest their power and thus become the absolute being. The Roedecker and Funsch agents then receive the order to neutralize Yulaw. Gabe is a police officer who leads a lifeless life. But it will not last: it is the last double, the last obstacle on the road to Yulaw. A crazy chase begins between the 4 men.

Inspired very largely with the visual and narrative style of Matrix, between action and science fiction, The One borrows (flies?) All that can be borrowed! Bullet Time, hero who is split, dynamic fights filmed in slow motion … James Wong had fun reproducing everything that made the success of Matrix, without arriving for a second in the ankle of his illustrious elder. He thus looted his aesthetics without ever understanding the essence.

Beyond the visual aspect, The One tinks a pseudo-scientific idea for multiverse: a man kills his doubles to become the ultimate “elected”. Like Matrix, there is an almost messianic dimension in the main character. But unlike the film with Keanu Reeves, The One avoids any real depth on identity, reality or freedom: everything is a pretext for action.

It's typical of the Hollywood phenomenon: when a film is a hit, the studios immediately try to reproduce the formula. Jet Li was a rising star at the time in the United States (the fatal weapon 4, Romeo must die), so the idea was clear: Jet Li + Matrix-Style = assured success. But without vision or background, it remains an empty shell.

Jet li vs jason statham

However, The One benefits from a solid casting. Jet Li does everything he can to leave in the middle of this catastrophic company; The actor notes the level of the film by his acrobatics, his athletic abilities and his skills as a fighter.

The artist Martial even faces a young Jason Statham, who began his career in action cinema before exploding with the carrier a year later. For his part, the actor Delroy Lindo, despite his charisma and his striking physical presence, fails to save this work.

Columbia Pictures

Noted 2 out of 5 by the spectators Allociné, The One has been largely tangled: “It is a pure nanar combining both martial arts with science fiction! Rather daring, the result is far away, but then very far from being credible; in the end we are entitled to effects with grotesque slow motion, choreographies all more pitiful than the others in which we do not believe a single second, without forgetting a scenario that does not offer any genre. Statham does not convince;Balance Ranger.

It is a pure nanar combining both martial arts with fictional science! Rather daring, the result is far away, but then very far from credible.

For her part, Maculturegeek is a little more forgiving: “The One is a very nice little science fiction film, the kind of series B which relaxes you the time of its duration. Without being perfect (it is even rather mediocre), it gives us good little action scenes not too badly choreographed, even if the result is filmed with the feet, worthy reflection of action films/SF post-matrix”he analyzes.

Logically, The One was a bitter failure, collecting $ 79 million worldwide for a budget of 50 million. In France, he still managed to bring together 500,000 spectators, based on the popularity of Jet Li, at his maximum at the time.