War

If I wanted to be amazingly trite, I might now sing (and aren't you glad you can't actually hear me, heh) That Song, but I'm NOT GOING TO DO IT.

Anyway, this movie isn't funny at all. Nor is it the high-flying wire-fu Hong Kong Cinema-fest that you may have come to expect from Jet Li after seeing him in, well, pretty much any other movie he's ever been in. This movie is more of shoot-things-a-lot film. Also, hack-things-apart-with-a-katana.

What it *does* have--something many other action movies lack--is an *excellent* plot. Yes, let me say it again, because it bears repeating: THERE IS A PLOT. IT IS COOL. IT MAKES SENSE.

The "War" referenced in the title is actually a battle between two Asian crime bosses; one of the Japanese Yakuza, one of the Chinese Triads. Both groups are portrayed beautifully in the movie as a bunch of adrenilin junkies drunk on their own testosterone with the good sense and morals of an alley cat.

Jason Stratham portrays an FBI agent whose partner is brutally killed early in the movie by one or the other of these crime groups. Three years later, Stratham has still not gotten over the murder. His wife has left him, his career is going nowhere . . . and the man that killed his partner shows up again in town.

There are a bunch of sweet twists from there, so I won't spoil it for you. Definitely one of the better action movies to come out this year, so go see it!