According to Rotten Tomatoes, the worst Vin Diesel movie is a sci-fi flop

Do you know which Vin Diesel movie has the highest rating on Rotten Tomatoes? This is 1999 “The Iron Giant”, a timeless cartoon classic in which Diesel voices the titular 50-ft. of a tall metal-eating robot who acts as a strong emotional anchor in the narrative. In addition to the stellar voice work, the film is a beautiful, gripping story about the everyday problems that plague us, until its most emotional climax (aka the “Superman” moment, one of the best action scenes ever). But while The Iron Giant sits at a well-deserved 96% on Rotten Tomatoeslet’s shift our focus to the actor’s lowest rated film on the platform. No, it’s not The Last Witch Hunter (although it is a strong a contender for Diesel’s Best Picture). Rather, it is a sci-fi action film that not only failed at the box office, but also the theatrical version of which was abandoned by its director. I’m talking about the wildly convoluted, mind-bogglingly weird Babylon of our era that contains RT Rating 7% at the time of writing.

Before we talk about the movie in question, let’s take a look at the experimental French cyberpunk novel it’s based on. Maurice Dantec’s Babel Babies is about Marie Zorn, a surrogate mother of twins who represents the hope for humanity’s next evolutionary leap. When Marie finds herself targeted by a bunch of cults whose agenda is a homogenized soup of undercooked motivations, a Flemish mercenary named Turop has to escort her to safety. While Dante’s novel explores some intriguing concepts, the book is an overall confusing jumble of characters and ideas (many of which are very dumb) and ultimately culminates in a conclusion that is neither particularly good nor memorable .

Adaptation of the novel yes Experimental by nature, it requires visionary insight and conviction to turn the obvious flaws of the source material into something better. “Babylon AD”, however, just doesn’t have any juice.

I want to preface this with the acknowledgment that the studio is interfering did to prevent Kassovitz from making the film he wanted. The last 10-15 minutes of “Babylon AD” are like a fever dream – no, not a good one – it’s clear that everything was rushed or edited to the point that everything defies logic. Mind you, the film still places its convoluted premise at the center, the lack of cohesion affecting our understanding of each character and how they navigate the dystopian New York backdrop. Even so, I’m sure Kasowitz’s original, unencumbered vision would have been better than what made it to the screen. After all, he is the same filmmaker who made the excellent La Haine.

Back to the plot of the film, Diesel stars here as Turope, a mercenary/transporter responsible for escorting and protecting Aurora (Melanie Thierry), a child prodigy raised by Noelite nuns and desired and feared by the various factions that populate the film’s setting. Aurora is also prescient and seems increasingly concerned about the escalating strife and instability sweeping the world, including rampant global warming and overpopulation. Babylon AD’s futuristic society doesn’t stand out beyond these details, except for the occasional glimpse of advanced technology (which includes neck-implanted passports and slick video call screens) that mostly serve to highlight the dark, cyberpunk nature of this world.

The biggest problem with “Babylon AD” is that it doesn’t delve into the specifics of its sci-fi universe, let alone give its characters compelling motivations. Why is Aurora being chased by all these cultists and what is she capable of? We don’t even learn about her true powers until the third act begins, though by then you may be too tested to really care. There’s some jargon about cybernetic evolution, pristine births, and a human supercomputer, but what does it all mean other than performing genre tropes without sincerity or meaning? And, oh, the film also stars Michelle Yeoh and Mark Strong, who are underutilized and do their best to keep things afloat. They undoubtedly deserve better.