The One (2001)
★★ — The One (2001)
James Wong had come off the back of Final Destination (2000), a modest studio horror that performed well enough to give him some leverage, and The One was his attempt to shift into bigger, flashier action territory. Released in November 2001 by Revolution Studios, the film was built squarely around Jet Li, who was then at something of a commercial peak in Hollywood following Romeo Must Die (2000) and Kiss of the Dragon (2001). The multiverse conceit gave the production a neat excuse to film Li fighting himself, leaning heavily on wire work and the kind of speed-ramping slow-motion that the post-Matrix action landscape had made fashionable. Wong co-wrote the screenplay with Glen Morgan, his longtime collaborator from their X-Files days, and the pair clearly had one eye on that show's fondness for parallel-world mythology.
Great premise. Awful movie lol The acting from Jason Statham is absolutely dreadful, even by his standards. The only saving grace for the film is that the story is actually pretty cool and the fight scenes are fine. The soundtrack is great if you're into nu-metal but honestly I just found the whole things absurdly silly.
Rating: ★★ | Year: 2001 | Watched: 2025-05-15
Where to watch (UK)
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Sky Store
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Sky Store
Physical: Amazon UK
Affiliate disclosure: Movies With Macca may earn a small commission on purchases or subscriptions started via these links. It costs you nothing extra.
Related on Movies With Macca
More with Jet Li: The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) · Unleashed (2005)
More from the 2000s: Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) · Daredevil (2003) · Apocalypto (2006)
More action: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · The General (1926) · Hand of Death (1976) · Daredevil (2003)
More science fiction: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) · Fantastic Planet (1973) · Nightmare City (1980) · The Long Walk (2025)