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Jet Li, Carla Gugino, Delroy Lindo, Jason Statham, James Morrison ... see more see more... , Dylan Bruno , Richard Steinmetz , Bill Dunnam , Ken Kerman , Peter McKernan Jr. , Dean Norris , Denney Pierce , Tucker Smallwood , Boots Southerland , B.T. Taylor , Clement Blake , Harriet Sansom Harris , Mark Borchardt , Alan Purwin , Kevin Indio Copeland , Edward James Gage , David Keats , Teddy Lane Jr. , Darin Morgan , Kimberly Patton , Steve Rankin , Narinder Samra , Joel Stoffer , Thanh T. Tran , Marco Verdier , Archie Kao , Ron Zimmerman

Former X-Files writer James Wong makes his sophomore feature as a director at the helm of this science fiction thriller that's reminiscent of Timecop (1994). In the near future, a technology called "q... read more read more...uantum tunneling" allows human beings to travel between parallel universes. The abuse of this ability by criminal elements has led to the formation of the Multi-Verse Authorities or "MVA," an agency of quantum traveling cops who apprehend violators of inter-dimensional laws. The MVA faces its greatest crisis when a former agent named Gabriel Yulaw (Jet Li) goes renegade, traveling between one universe and the next, murdering his own parallel selves and gaining enormous power with each slaying. It is believed that when Yulaw has become "the one," the only version of himself to exist, he will be omnipotent, but the final Gabriel Yulaw exists in our plane of existence (the "magna universe") and is also becoming stronger, though he doesn't understand why. Hot on the evil Yulaw's trail are his former partner Harry Roedecker (Delroy Lindo) and Harry's new colleague Evan Funsch (Jason Statham). Created with Wong's longtime writing and producing partner Glen Morgan, The One (2001) co-stars Carla Gugino. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Flixster Users

59% liked it

96,640 ratings

Critics

14% liked it

84 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 27 min.

Directed by: James Wong

Release Date: November 2, 2001

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DVD Release Date: March 5, 2002

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Stats: 3,588 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (3,588)

  • fb1463751009
    September 8, 2011
    fb1463751009
    Wow... absolutely horrible. Can't even describe how horrible it was. Do not watch this crapfest.
  • spielberg00
    July 15, 2011
    spielberg00
    As good as this looks, this movie is an awful, awful, AWFUL film. And I am NOT exaggerating. Very little action is good, and the dialogue actually SOUNDS like people reading off of a piece of paper.
  • xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    July 3, 2011
    xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    Stealing the power of the universes one by one.

    An OK movie. More Jet Li action, not much different from his other roles. The movie was a little confusing to me but nevertheless nothing really appealed too much to me. The special effects didn't look so special and the acting was... read moren't there either. This movie is for Jet Li fans. The last fight between the 2 Jet Li's was pretty good I gotta admit but that was it. Nice cast but not used to there full extent.

    There is not one universe, but there are many, which is a multiverse. Supposing you are just one person, there are many other versions of you in the other universes, there are ways to travel, but only a police agency,MVA, can travel only for police procedures. Gabriel Yulaw is a former MVA agent, who killed another version of himself in self-defense. It made the other versions of him stronger. When Yulaw found out about this, he became power-hungry killing the 122 other versions for two years. After killing Lawless and getting captured by his former partner Roedecker and a new MVA agent Funsch, Yulaw managed to escape the prison and is trying to kill his last target, Gabe Law who is a police officer. He is also at Yulaw's strength. Roedecker and Funsch now have to arrest Yulaw before he can kill Gabe. There is a possibility that the universe could die or make Yulaw invincible. After encountering Yulaw for the first time, Gabe thought that it was his split personality, but it wasn't. Will Gabe be able to confront Yulaw before or after Yulaw ruins his life?
  • garyX
    February 1, 2011
    garyX
    A former agent who policed the various different universes finds that killing the other versions of himself increases his own abilities and so sets out to murder them all and become a super being. On paper, this interesting alternate reality premise and the idea of two Jet Lis ba... read morettling each other sounds great, but the workmanlike direction and unimaginative plot turns it into an unrelenting exercise in mediocrity. Essentially a shoddy Matrix clone, the action sequences are clumsy and unexciting and the cast struggle with their cardboard cut out characters, especially Jason Statham who is saddled with a wholly unconvincing American accent. This kind of meat and potatoes generic sci fi flick should be left to keeping the likes of Mark Dacascos in leather trousers; like all of the other Asian stars who get lumbered with similar second rate projects in their attempt to break the US, Jet Li is above this.
  • FireStormStudios
    January 12, 2011
    FireStormStudios
    Interesting idea. Sa it so long ago I can't rememeber how good it was though.
  • sanjurosamurai
    January 3, 2011
    sanjurosamurai
    my love for jet li and kung fu movies may taint my perspective a bit in even calling this film average, but the plot was incredibly inventive, action sequences were decent and the film was very entertaining. having said that there was a lot about this film not to like. the exec... read moreution of the plot and the details of the storyline defied even the simplest of logic as the script was full of obvious holes. the payoff at the end also provided a false hope.re-watchable on a rainy day, but unless youre really into jet li flicks this is a waste of your time.
  • binky013
    December 1, 2010
    binky013
    Jet Li fighting Jet Li -- what could be better? Well, it could have been better. Like with a better story. But I'm glad I saw this. I gotta definitely get me one of them hand-held worm hole detectors. I've always thought that if there really were parallel universes that I'd ... read morelike to get into one where I might actually be doing good. Whatevahs.

    Jet Li fans, no matter what they hear or read,

    A. Should

    or

    B. Should not

    see this one. I guess it really depends on what universe you're in. Pick one accordingly, and then pray

    and knock on wood.
  • fb733768972
    September 25, 2010
    fb733768972
    The One is pretty poor, considering the talent that Jet Li has brought to the table over time. This film has nothing going for it, and should be forgotten about, because it's just not a good film at all!
  • ythelastman89
    August 12, 2010
    ythelastman89
    It feels like an early nineties action movie, but I love early nineties action movies. Seeing Jet Li fight himself is just weird and cool at the same time, it's truly an outrageous plot in the same vein as Highlander and Timecop. I love the atmosphere, the Jet Li one-liners. Jaso... read moren Statham is just a bonus to the already rewarding movie. It's not exactly an academy award winner, but it gets points for being original and unique. You don't see many movies like this anymore, which is a shame.
  • TomBowler
    August 2, 2009
    TomBowler
    an interesting story with dissappointing execution

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Critic Reviews

Ed Park
November 6, 2001
Ed Park, Village Voice

Wong's efficiently creepy Final Destination was as much memento mori as teen disposal unit, but in The One the maze of death leads only to exhaustion. Full Review

Jonathan Foreman
November 3, 2001
Jonathan Foreman, New York Post

This sci-fi/martial arts hybrid has the stale aura of a product assembled out of bits of other action movies.

Desson Thomson
November 2, 2001
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

I guess you would call this a twin Jet movie. That doesn't quite take off.

Stephen Hunter
November 2, 2001
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

A chaotic kung fu, sci-fi, rama-lama-dingdong on themes handled more originally by The Matrix.

Mike Clark
November 2, 2001
Mike Clark, USA Today

Fans of The Matrix will hold their noses, as will those who put down sparring Arnold Schwarzeneggers in The 6th Day (now looking better). Full Review

Peter Howell
November 2, 2001
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

It's the kind of movie ... where the hero is cheered not for the grace of his moves but for the number of rounds of ammo he can spray and the punches he can land. Full Review

Bob Graham
November 2, 2001
Bob Graham, San Francisco Chronicle

Don't worry about Jet Li. He can take care of himself. His latest American movie, however, needs triage. Full Review

Bruce Westbrook
November 2, 2001
Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle

A martial-arts flick that transcends its genre with surprisingly strong sci-fi concepts. Full Review

Rick Groen
November 2, 2001
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

[Wong] drains the artistry from the martial arts, shooting the aerial work without the requisite grace, and adding a plebian array of not-so-special effects. Full Review

Roger Ebert
November 2, 2001
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Offers brainless high-tech action without interesting dialogue, characters, motivation or texture. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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