Rating System:1 star = abysmal; some books deserve to be forgotten2 star = poor; a total waste of time3 star = good; worth the effort4 star = very good; what writing should be5 star = fantastic; must own it and share it with othersSTORY: DEA agent is out to take revenge on the drug dealers that killed his wife.MY FEEDBACK:1) Forget XXX or Fast & Furious, this is a much better Vin Diesle movie (Pitch Black is still his best though). Vin does some decent acting and his general charisma carry a large portion of the movie.2) Good attempt at developing the relationship of Vin's character with other characters in the movie3) Not a huge action flick but enough guns to keep this drama moving4) Some suspension of belief is needed in this movie5) Seemed the editing didn't explain a plot twist or two but cut things out leaving gaps in the story.OVERALL: We enjoyed the movie and didn't feel like we wasted out time with it. A Man Apart
I know a lot of people laugh at the thought, but this film illustrates that Vin Diesel can act...he's actually damn good at it.I think this is Diesel's best film ever. Sure, it's got lots of action and fighting, but what really makes this movie for me is the transformation of Diesel's character from beginning to end. It's quite possibly the most tangible thing throughout the entire film. That's not even doing it justice...it jumps out the screen, grabs your heart in it's fist and bursts it...yeah, that's a little better.You owe it to yourself to at least check this film out as a rental. You'll be glad you did.
This movie truly shows another side of Vin Diesel in a way. He's such a bad ass in his other movies. He's a bad ass here too but he's also a sensative man. He plays Sean Vetter, a former gang member turned DEA agent whose street smarts make him the top dog. In the beginning of the movie, he brings down Memo Lucero and it looks like the drug empire is over. But not so fast. A new dealer named Diablo orders a hit out on Vetter at his house and the bullet meant for him accidentally hits his wife and she loses her life. He's devastated by the loss of his wife and seeks revenge against Diablo. Vin Diesel was a perfect pick for the lead role. The emotion and intensity of Vetter was captured perfectly by Diesel. And Larenz Tate as Demetrius Hicks is the perfect compliment to Vetter with his subtlety and calmness. This is one of the best action movies ever made and it's Vin Diesel's best movie ever!
A Man Apart (F. Gary Gray, 2003)At this point, it's getting hard to imagine F. Gary Gray (The Negotiator, Friday, The Italian Job) directing a bad movie. Gray specializes in quick, tense, mindless action thrillers, and he seemingly never fails to deliver on the goods.Take A Man Apart. While it may well win the race for dumbest movie title of the year (original title Diablo was scrapped after a threatened lawsuit from Blizzard Entertainment, who are doing a movie of the videogame franchise of the same name), there's nothing at all wrong with the movie itself. Vin Diesel plays Sean Vetter, a narcotics officer involved in the taking down of drug kingpin Memo (Geno Silva, who ironically appeared in the TV movie El Diablo thirteen years before) Lucero. When a new guy known only as Diablo moves in to take over Santos' old operation, he begins by trying to take out Vetter. The assassins fail, but in the process, Vetters' wife Stacey (Jacqueline Obradors, recently of NYPD Blue and Tortilla Soup) is hit by a stray bullet and killed. I don't think anyone will be surprised when Vetter and his partner Demetrius (Larenz Tate of Menace II Society fame) start cleaning house.It's an old and well-used plot, and I'm sure a lot of people saw the twist coming at the end. (I didn't.) What makes the movie work, and work very well, is the chemistry between the characters. Gray gets emotion out of Vin Diesel for the first (and possibly last) time since Multi-Facial. The chemistry between Diesel and Tate is the best buddy-cop stuff since the first Lethal Weapon movie. It all works very well.Two hours of pure, brainless entertainment. Naked women, things blowing up, and Riddick and O-Dogg shooting lots of people. How can you possibly go wrong? *** ½
This movie was not what I expected it to be. It's sold as an action film when it is actually a solid drama that happens to have guns in it. When I think action I think over the top thrills and intense stunts. I think adreniline, fast-paced suspense, and a certain momentum. I didn't find any of that in this film. But what I did find was a genuinely interesting story. Perhaps the concept has been done before - but that's the case with a lot of films these days. Looking past that: the movie does have substance. It delivers believable emotion and is worth sitting through at least once. I'd say the main draw is getting to see Vin Diesel stretch his wings a bit and hit us with something fresh. Sean Vetter is a little more unique than any of his previous characters.Perhaps not dramatically so - but we can see that Vin put forth an effort. I like the direction he's moving in - and you must admit - seeing him move in a different direction is reason enough to watch the movie. This one isn't about and edgy street racer like in The Fast And The Furious. Or an attitude-driven adreniline junkie as seen in XXX. This is a story about a man who loses his wife. A man who is driven nearly to the breaking point. A man who discovers what his friends are made of when he truly needs them the most.
Revenge movies generally do well with American film audiences, if for no other reason than that they achieve something that other film genres cannot. This type of film speaks to our sense of justice, when someone we love has had some wrong done to them, whether they be hurt, robbed, or worse, be killed, we want to go and set things right. However, in reality we cannot always act on these feelings, as much as we may want to, which is where these movies come in. For one, we don't actually have to go through any real pain or suffering, we simply vicariously live through the characters on screen, and through the emotional connection that is made, if something should happen to one of them, it instantly stirs that feeling for justice to be done.
"A Man Apart" is the story of a volatile DEA agent, Sean Vetter (Vin Diesel), who along with his partner Demetrius Hicks (Larenz Tate), go undercover to bring down the top Mexican drug lord. With the toppling of the top drug lord in Mexico, a new cartel begins to assume control of Mexico, led by a man called Diablo, this new drug cartel is even more ruthless than the one before it. To get the attention of the DEA, more importantly Sean Vetter, Diablo orders a hit on him, Vetter narrowly escapes with his life, sadly his wife was not so lucky. Vowing to take revenge on Diablo, Vetter strikes a deal with the very drug lord he just put away, and with the aid of his DEA partner, Demetrius, sets out to deliver his own lethal brand of justice.
Many revenge films have been hugely successful in Hollywood such as, "Desperado", "The Punisher", "Four Brothers", and many others. Now, "A Man Apart" can be added to the list, directed by F. Gary Gray (director of "The Negotiator" and "The Italian Job"), "A Man Apart" delivers a solid story of a broken man, that has lost the love of his life, and will stop at nothing until those responsible feel his wrath. Vin Diesel delivers possibly his best performance to date, showing a wide range of emotions that he hadn't needed to portray in his previous films "Pitch Black" or "The Fast and the Furious", though some doubted his acting ability, Vin proves here that he is more than just another action hero. The supporting cast is fairly strong, Larenz Tate is solid for the most part, as Vin's right-hand man, there are some weak spots in his performance, but they can be overlooked. The action is fast-paced and frantic, but serves to show the fractured state of Vetter's life without his wife. A problem many films of this genre can suffer from is an over-reliance on action, with not enough of a story to keep the audience engaged. "A Man Apart" succeeds in eluding this pitfall, with a story that continues to engage the audience emotionally, so that the vengeance doesn't seem pointless.
If you enjoy revenge tales or are a fan of Vin Diesel, then this is definitely a movie you should see. Also, if you are one of the many nay-sayers regarding Vin Diesel's movies or his acting, then you should put your skepticism aside and give "A Man Apart" a try, I believe you will quickly see that Diesel definitely has what it takes to be more than just an average action star in Hollywood.
"A Man Apart" is rated R for violence, language, and brief nudity/sensuality. - Cops - Crime Drama - Revenge - Action'
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