War (film)

Infobox Film
name = War


caption = Promotional poster
director = Phillip G. Atwell
producer = Steve Chasman
Christopher Petzel
Jim Thompson
writer = Lee Anthony Smith
Gregory J. Bradley
starring = Jet Li
Jason Statham
Terry Chen
music = Brian Tyler
cinematography = Pierre Morel
distributor = Lionsgate
released = August 24, 2007
runtime = 103 min.
country = flag|United States
language = English
budget = $25,000,000 US
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website = http://www.warthefilm.com/
amg_id = 1:349929
imdb_id = 0499556

"War" is a 2007 action/thriller film, directed by first-timer Phillip G. Atwell with fight choreography by Corey Yuen. The film was released on August 24, 2007 and was rated R by the MPAA for "sequences of strong bloody violence, sexuality/nudity and language". The film stars Jet Li and Jason Statham. Its working title was "Rogue"; it was changed to avoid conflict with another film with the same name. It was re-titled as "Rogue Assassin" in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Philippines and several European countries.

Tagline: Vengeance is the ultimate weapon.

Plot

During a shootout against Chinese Triads at a dock warehouse, FBI agents John Crawford (Jason Statham) and Tom Lone (Terry Chen) stumble across the notorious assassin Rogue (Jet Li), a former CIA assassin who now works for the Japanese Yakuza. Rogue ambushes Crawford and is about to execute him when Lone appears and shoots Rogue in the face, causing him to fall into the water. Rogue's retaliation against Lone, his wife and his daughter leaves three corpses in the ashes of their home.

Three years later, Rogue re-appears, working under Chinese Triad boss Chang (John Lone). Rogue is assisting Chang against Chang's arch-enemy and Rogue's former employer, the leader of the Japanese Yakuza, Shiro (Ryo Ishibashi). Rogue's task is to recover a pair of antique gold horses, family heirlooms of Chang that were stolen by Shiro many years ago. However, Rogue is secretly setting the Yakuza and the Triads against each other, in order to push the two sides towards all-out war.

Crawford, now the head agent of the FBI's Asian Crime Task Force, is determined to hunt Rogue down and exact revenge for his partner Lone's death. Crawford's pursuit of Rogue has taken a toll on his personal life; he is now separated from his wife, and is so obsessed with his work that he is unable to have a stable family life. Crawford comes close to catching Rogue in the wake of Rogue's various killing sprees against the Triads and Yakuza, but Rogue always manages to stay one step ahead.

Ultimately, it turns out Rogue has been working for Shiro all along, his mission being to gain Chang's trust in order to betray him later. However, Rogue shows reluctance when he is ordered to kill Chang's wife and child as well. Although Rogue does eventually execute Chang, he kills the Yakuza minions sent to help him kill Chang's family and helps Chang's wife and child escape to safety.

With Chang dead, Shiro is finally ready to come to America, where he intends to take over Yakuza business operations. However, he is confronted by Crawford and the FBI; Crawford presents Shiro with proof that Rogue has betrayed him and spared Chang's family, but Shiro refuses to assist Crawford in locating Rogue.

Later, Rogue appears to deliver the horses to Shiro personally. Shiro, knowing of Rogue's betrayal, captures Rogue and demands the location of Chang's family. Rogue kills all of Shiro's men, and engages in a sword fight against Shiro himself. Rogue reveals that he is actually FBI agent Tom Lone; after the real Rogue killed Lone's family three years ago, Lone managed to overpower and kill him. Lone then assumed Rogue's identity (aided by their similar facial injuries, and Rogue's known habit of using plastic surgery to disguise himself) in order to get revenge for the death of his family. Rogue/Lone reveals that his actions have all been designed to bring him face-to-face with Shiro, so he could kill the man who ordered the death of his family. Shiro reveals that the man responsible is actually Lone's partner Jack Crawford; Crawford has been working for Shiro all these years, and gave Lone's identity to Shiro as an FBI agent as well as his home address. Angered, Rogue disarms and decapitates Shiro.

Meanwhile Changs' wife receives a package from Rogue/Lone, inside are the golden horses that belongs to Changs' family and a message reading, "Make a new life". Shiro's daughter also receives a package with the same message and inside the box is her father's head. Rogue then calls Crawford as he was packing up his office, telling him to meet him at the dock warehouse where it all began three years ago. Before going to the warehouse, Crawford enlists the help of Goi (Sung Kang), an FBI sniper who helped in the investigation throughout the film.

At the warehouse, he and Rogue battle each other in an intense hand-to-hand fight. When Rogue reveals his identity as Lone, a devastated Crawford reveals he has been working for Shiro, and that he only gave Lone's address to Shiro because he thought that the Yakuza were only going to rough Lone up to teach him a lesson for shooting Rogue. Crawford says he had no idea Shiro would send Rogue himself to Lone's house to kill him and his family, and asks for forgiveness. Rogue informs Crawford that "Tom Lone is dead, my name is Rogue", implying that his old life is over and he is starting a new life as Rogue. He then prepares to shoot Crawford. Goi takes aim and is spotted by Crawford who steps in front of Rogue/Lone and shouts "No!". Rogue/Lone pushes Crawford away and shoots him in the back. The film ends with Rogue driving away and starting his new life with the money that Shiro gave to him.

Box office and critical reception

"War" opened on August 24, 2007 with $9,820,089 from 2,277 theaters, a $4,312 average. As of December 2007, the film grossed $22.6 million in United States. It has a 14% rating on the movie rating website Rotten Tomatoes. But the film found more success on DVD, with sales now exceeding $52 million - more than twice the film's theatrical take.

Cast

*Jet Li — Rogue
*Jason Statham — John Crawford
*Terry Chen — Tom Lone
*John Lone — Li Chang
*Mathew St. Patrick — Wick
*Sung Kang — Goi
*Luis Guzmán — Benny
*Devon Aoki — Kira Yanagawa
*Ryo Ishibashi — Shiro Yanagawa
*Mark Cheng — Wu Ti
*Nadine Velazquez — Maria Chang
*Steph Song — Diane Lone
*Andrea Roth — Jenny Crawford

External links

* [http://www.warthefilm.com/ Official Site for "War"]
*imdb title|id=0499556|title=War
*rotten-tomatoes|id=war|title=War
* [http://stargoss.co.uk/movies/modules/news/article.php?storyid=187 "War"] at BeenToTheMovies.com (Trailer, Gallery, Preview)