War

War was released in 2007 as an American action film starring Jet Li and Jason Statham.

Plot

In the underworld of San Francisco, FBI agent John Crawford and his partner Tom Lone are the first to arrive at a deadly scene. A shootout between Chinese Triads and Rogue, a CIA agent who left his position and now serves the Japanese Yakuza, is key to inevitable destruction.

John and Tom are both thrown for a loop. They've heard nearly a thousand tall tales of Rogue and the man he's made up to be, but if anything, he kills without question and is not one to be toyed with. Not waiting for backup, John rushes in on the scene and chases Rogue on foot before being on the other end of the gun. Before Rogue could finish off the seemingly impatient FBI agent, Tom comes to his partner's rescue and unleashes two shots, one snagging Rogue in the face before he plummets to the waters below.

With a body never found, Tom and John can only feed themselves lies to quench fear. Unfortunately, fear comes back with a vengeance. Rogue survives the shot and retunrs to kill off Tom Lone along with his wife and daughter before burning the home down, all three corpses left inside.

John, grieving for his close friend and partner, vows to find the true identity of Rogue and end him along with the war between Yakuza and Triad.

Overall

Jason Statham and Jet Li rank high on my man-crush list. They're both amazing actors and the fact that this is their second movie together (after The One which released in 2001) obviously gets me swooning with absolute delight. Not only is the plot behind War an interesting and treacherous one, the war between Triad and Yakuza is something we're immediately thrown into from the beginning.

Even before Rogue is introduced, the opening scene full of death and decay proves that something (or someone) is quite the handy man at execution. Nothing can stand in his way.

Jason Statham, who plays the role of John Crawford, portrays a rugged FBI agent with a dark past. All throughout the movie, it seems as if his obsession over his lost partner is something that drives him a little over the edge. As we get down to the gritty details of the storyline and find out his true intentions, certain actions and motives begin to make sense. Nonetheless, his guilt that has continuously worn him down through the three year time jump has ruined his marriage, relationship with his son and overall image.

And Jet Li, playing the notorious assassin Rogue, is a quiet yet observant man who seems to be playing the field all too well.

In the beginning of the movie, we find him murdering Chinese Triads while serving the Japanese Yakuza. But by the time we see him three years later, he's changed views and has wooed Triad leader, Li Chang, and found a way to pit both gangs against one another. His sly character is already much of a heartthrob, but the fact that he can get under John Crawford's skin without saying anything is also very telling.

Of course, I've seen this movie a thousand times. I've even bought a copy of it though you can currently find it on Netflix. If you're a fan of Jet Li or Jason Statham and haven't watched this movie yet, I suggest you set aside an hour or two to really invest yourself in this intricate revenge film with a plot twist that'll leave you reeling.

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