Was (film)

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Movie
German title Was
Original title Was
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 2007
length 103 minutes
Age rating FSK 18
Rod
Director Phillip G. Atwell
script Lee Anthony Smith
Gregory J. Bradley
production Steve Chasman
Christopher Petzel
Jim Thompson
music Brian Tyler
camera Pierre Morel
cut Scott Richter
occupation

War is a 2007 American action thriller directed by Phillip Atwell and Corey Yuen choreographed the fight scenes . The film was released in the US on August 24, 2007 . The leading roles were played by Jet Li and Jason Statham . Its working title, Rogue , was changed to avoid litigation with the producers of Rogue , an Australian horror film by the Weinstein Company , also released in 2007. War was renamed Rogue Assassin in Hong Kong , Singapore , Australia , the Philippines, and some European countries .

action

FBI agents John Crawford and Tom Lone stumble upon the notorious contract killer Rogue, who now works for the Japanese yakuza , after a shootout with Chinese triads in a port warehouse in San Francisco . After an ambush, Rogue is about to shoot Crawford when his partner Lone shows up and shoots Rogue in the face, causing him to fall into the water. In the later investigation, the corpse of Rogues is not found. In retaliation for the life-threatening injury, Rogue penetrates Lone's house, where he kills him, his daughter and his wife, only to start a fire in the house. Crawford then wants revenge on Rogue for his friend and partner, but Rogue disappears. Three years later, Rogue reappears in San Francisco.

Rogue breaks into a yakuza nightclub and kills Shiro Yanagawa's subordinates. When the police investigate the murders, Crawford and his new partner look at the crime scene and take over the case. Crawford finds a titanium cartridge case that only Rogue uses. Crawford is now head of the FBI's Asian Organized Crime Division and is determined to find Rogue. He strains his family life excessively with the pursuit of Rogue, so that his wife is now separated from him.

It seems that Rogue works for the triad boss Li Chang, whom he helps against his archenemy Shiro Yanagawa, the leader of the yakuza and Rogue's previous employer. Rogue's job is to get two ancient golden horse statues back. These heirlooms were stolen from Chang's family by Yanagawa 30 years ago. When the horse statues are transported through the yakuza, all men involved in the transport are put in police uniform by triad members and executed. When a witness to the execution of the Yakuza, a corrupt police officer, is shot dead by Rogue, the latter escapes the subsequent pursuit by Crawford. After Yanagawa's daughter Kira arrives in San Francisco, she calls on the local yakuza boss, who is under Yanagawa's command, to get the horse statues back.

Rogue calls Crawford where to meet him. Crawford comes to Chang's warehouse, who is as amazed as Crawford that there is only Rogue in the warehouse. After Rogue has lured Chang's deputy into the Yakuza district, he kills him. So his brother seeks revenge, and Rogue gives him the clue where the yakuza leadership can be found. A wild mix develops between triads and yakuza on the one hand and the police on the other. Rogue kills witnesses again with a sniper rifle. Crawford sees Rogue trying to escape using his car and takes up chase, but gets stuck in a tunnel at a construction site. It turns out that Rogue only appears to be working for the Triads, but secretly for Yakuza boss Yanagawa. Crawford also discovers that Rogue is a former CIA agent who has changed his face over 20 times in the course of his career as an agent.

The Yakuza then raid Chang's house, with Chang being shot by Rogue. However, Rogue does not follow all instructions and leaves his wife and daughter alive. That same evening, Shiro Yanagawa arrives in San Francisco and Crawford informs him that Rogue killed the ninja Shiro gave him to kill Chang in order to save Chang's family. Since Rogue Yanagawa wants to hand over the golden horse statues personally, the two meet in a warehouse. He is captured by Yanagawa after the surrender, and it turns out that the statues of horses given to him are only fakes. After getting rid of his guards, Rogue destroys Yanagawa's office with explosives hidden in the two suitcases of the horse statues.

When Rogue puts Yanagawa to fight and defeats him, it turns out that Rogue was killed by Lone three years ago and he has taken his place. Yanagawa reveals to Lone that Crawford worked for him and betrayed Lone. Lone sends Chang's wife one of the two golden horses and Yanagawa's daughter Kira her father's head. Lone meets with Crawford in the warehouse by the harbor where he shot Rogue. After a fight, Crawford explains to Lone why he did this. When an agent from Crawford's team has Lone in their sights, Crawford throws himself between the two, preventing the agent from shooting. Meanwhile, Lone shoots Crawford and says his name is no longer Lone, but Rogue.

background

The film was shot in Vancouver . Filming began on 6 March 2006 and ended on May 5, 2006. The budget of the film is 25 million dollars estimated. War celebrated its world premiere on August 24, 2007 in the USA and Canada . The film played in the US on the opening weekend at US $ 9,820,089 in 2,277 cinemas, equivalent to US $ 4,313 per room. In December 2007, the film had grossed 22.6 million US dollars in the United States. The film has had more success since DVD was released, with revenues of $ 52 million greater than the box office grossing worldwide. In Germany the film was on May 8, 2008 as a DVD releases. It was first broadcast on German free TV on April 17, 2011 on ProSieben .

In various interviews, Jet Li stated that he was neither satisfied with the film nor with its production. He did not trust director Philip G. Atwell and, according to his own statements, knew already during the shooting that the film would only receive mediocre reviews and would not make a profit.

In one scene, Jet Li rides a Confederate Motor Company motorcycle , an F131 Hellcat Combat. The car Jet Li drives is a Spyker C8 Spider , which costs just under $ 290,000. Rogues weapon is a Walther P99 , but with cartridges of the caliber 5.7 x 28 mm , which were developed for weapons such as the FN P90 and the Five-seveN . No variant of the Walther P99 uses this caliber.

criticism

The film was viewed rather critically in the USA. In the San Francisco Chronicle that despite the participation of the choreographers - big problems of the work were, for example, in a review of three pointed Corey Yuen the scene of the action, San Francisco is a lack of combat scenes, Jet Li's lack of acting ability and that, too much like the location Vancouver look. The first two of the aforementioned criticisms can also be found in Wesley Morris' analysis for the Boston Globe , who used the term robot in connection with Li's acting performance. The lexicon of the international film wrote: "Action thriller in a noir look, told with barely comprehensible twists and turns and second-rate fight scenes."

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Release certificate for goods . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , February 2008 (PDF; test number: 112 908 DVD).
  2. ↑ a b c d e background information according to the Internet Movie Database
  3. ↑ Locations according to the Internet Movie Database
  4. ↑ a b c Budget and box office earnings according to the Internet Movie Database
  5. ↑ a b Start dates according to the Internet Movie Database
  6. ↑ Peter Hartlaub: Review: Martial arts film 'War' lacks action - among other things , SF Chronicle, August 27, 2007
  7. ↑ Wesley Morris: As action films go, 'War' is a losing battle , Boston Globe, August 25, 2007
  8. ↑ Was. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed November 28, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 

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