?Babylon A.D.?
D:Mathieu Kassovitz
S: Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, Melanie Thierry, Gerard Depardieu and Charlotte Rampling

MANILA, Philippines?In Mathieu Kassovitz?s ?Babylon A.D.,? a fine line separates a mercenary from a terrorist: Set in the latter part of the 21st century, soldier of fortune Hugo Toorop (Vin Diesel) is hired by Gorsky (Gerard Depardieu) to smuggle Aurora (Melanie Thierry), a mysterious young woman, and her nun-nanny, Sister Rebeka (Michelle Yeoh), from a convent in Mongolia to New York?and he only has six days to accomplish his $500,000 task!

But, when he is confronted with the dilemma of turning over his expensive package to the ?enemy? in exchange for a million bucks, he?s quick to prove that there?s honor even among thieves.

Imagine Toorop?s surprise when he learns that Aurora, a certified virgin, is pregnant, and with twins, at that?a condition that is keenly monitored by a brilliant geneticist (Lambert Wilson) who claims to be the expectant mom?s father, and the gun-toting high priestess (Charlotte Rampling) of a religious cult, who awaits the birth of the new ?Messiahs?!

Diesel gets enviable support from world-cinema icons: Aside from Depardieu, Rampling and Yeoh, who lends her quiet grace and martial arts savvy to a thankless role, the director himself has an impressive rep. Arthouse cinema enthusiasts remember Kassovitz as the filmmaker cum screenwriter behind 1995?s memorable crime drama, ?La Haine (Hate).? As an actor, he played Audrey Tautou?s paramour in 2001?s ?Amelie.? Unfortunately, an artist can?t rest on his laurels?especially if the studio behind his film has the final say.

Kassovitz?s futuristic thriller about genetic manipulation is as narratively muddled as it is half-baked, and he blames 20th Century Fox for considerably cutting the movie?s running time, altering its ending, and tampering with his cinematic vision.

True enough, despite its impressive cast, the film has a disjointed, cut-and-paste feel: When Aurora performs miraculous feats?like running a submarine, predicting a bomb that?s about to go off, or performing scalpel-free surgery?you feel alienated by their suddenness, like they?re coming from out of nowhere.

Aside from its illogically ?resolved? ending, the movie is further dragged down by a lack of cohesive focus and awkward staging of dreary-looking action sequences?and not even Diesel?s brawn or Thierry?s beauty can save it.