Is it just me, or does it seem like Vin Diesel can't catch a break when it comes to sci-fi movies? Twitch is reporting that Diesel's latest, Babylon A.D., has undergone a serious edit and the film has been reduced from a running time of 160 minutes to a mere 90. Just so we have this straight, it looks like Fox has cut the film pretty much in half. It had been reported that two distinct versions of the film (one for European audiences and one for the US) were going to hit theaters, but now we'll all be getting the same version since a 90-minute cut was submitted to the UK's BBFC for certification.Babylon A.D. was directed by Mathieu Kassovitz, and it centers on a young woman who has been infected with a virus that could wipe out humanity. Diesel plays a mercenary who's been charged with escorting this walking time bomb from Russia to New York City. Joining Diesel is Michelle Yeoh as a butt-kicking nun and Mélanie Thierry as Aurora, the futuristic 'Typhoid Mary'. Originally the film was expected to be a dark action flick (what else could it be with Kassovitz at the helm?) but according to Twitch, the film is now aiming for a PG-13 rating.
Babylon began production back in 2005 with Vincent Cassel in the lead. By 2006, Cassel was no longer attached and Diesel had dropped out of Hitman to star. Just last year, it was reported that the film was over budget and behind schedule -- all of which sounds like bad news for the feature film version of Maurice Georges Dantec's Babylon Babies novel. Babylon A.D. will arrive in theaters (in one form or another) on August 29, 2008.
Insert Caption: Indiana Jones DVDs_thumbnail.jpg)
Cinematical Seven: When an Animated Series Goes Live Action ... and Gets it Right_thumbnail.jpg)
Full 'G.I. Joe' Cast Photos!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-09-2008 @ 5:38PM
Tom Gerlick said...
Wow. Sounds like the really screwed this movie up.
Reply
4-09-2008 @ 6:32PM
madgamer said...
This thing could have a lord of the rings worthy extended directors cut. 70+ minutes of extra footage with an unrated cut. I hope it doesn't turn out to completely suck in edited form. I usually like Vin Diesel movies.
Reply
4-09-2008 @ 7:30PM
NvM said...
Pitch Black wasn't too bad, Diesel wasn't great in his part but it defiantly wasn't bad.
same can't be said for it's sequel.
Reply
4-09-2008 @ 9:21PM
LiqwidZero said...
Well, this means everyone needs to buy the Director's Cut.
Reply
4-09-2008 @ 9:21PM
LiqwidZero said...
Well, this means everyone needs to buy the Director's Cut.
Reply
4-10-2008 @ 10:20AM
Kevin said...
What the hell? Why do the movie exec's think that audiences can't sit through long movies? Last I checked Titanic, LoftR, Braveheart, Dances With Wolves, and tons of other long ass movies did fairly well at the box office. Hell, 160 minutes isn't even THAT long. Cut it down to 2 hours if you're worried, but 90 minute movies generally stink because they never fully explore anything. Especially considering this is an sci-fi/action flick. I'll bet the execs thought that if they cut out all dialogue and left in every explosion this movie would do great, but instead its just going to keep all but the dumbest movie goers from paying for a ticket.
Reply
4-10-2008 @ 12:11PM
kevjohn said...
C'mon folks. Lord o' the Rings is one thing. A 2-1/2 hour scifi movie starring Vin Diesel and a "butt-kicking nun" is another!
160 minutes is A LOT of Vin Diesel, who is even more hit-and-miss than Keanu Reeves. I'll take the 90-minute theatrical version, and maybe the unrated 160-minute version for home viewing.
Reply
4-11-2008 @ 2:25AM
YouFaceTheTick said...
Mathieu Kassovitz is hit or miss as a director. Crimson Rivers was pretty good but Gothika was awful. What the hell happened to Vin diesel's career?
Reply