This being Easter weekend, and HMV having a sale, I ended up parting with some of my hard earned cash – acquiring in return – a few DVDs… Though the official reviews of Vin Diesel’s Babylon A.D. were mixed, I must say I was pleasantly suprised!

The movie reminds me of Vin Diesel’s best movie ever: Pitch Black – an excellent horror flick that was done on a shoestring budget.

Unlike other action heroes, when given the chance, Vin Diesel can actually act – and he deals very nicely with the grim subject matter of this movie, as well as with the transformational aspects of his own character from someone who does not give a damn, to someone who is willing to give up his life.

As is the case with many post-apocalyptic themed movies, in this movie, we are reminded, by way of allegory and imagery, of the ever growing stark gap between the haves and the have nots, and of the corruption endemic in corporate and political institutions. On a tangent, one cannot help but wonder, for example, why it is that Shreddy Freddy’s pension is a matter of contract law, while firing 9000 employees – is not…

Coming back to Babylon A.D., however, the movie does have an Achilles heel – one that most movies dealing with comic book adaptations struggle with. Of course, I m talking about the portrayal of the villain(s). In particular, should the villain be a black-and-white caricature, or perhaps a tragically flawed human being? In this respect, Babylon A.D. walks a fine line. But I m glad that the movie errs on the side of caution, and avoids exaggerated caricaturisation.