When it comes to the box office, theactiongenre can be fickle (unless you are Tom Cruise) with big names not always bringing the guaranteed payday. It happens to the best and beefiest of the genre, but when two fan favorites come together, success is almost expected. BothJet LiandJason Stathamhave amassed impressive careers, kicking a** and taking names for decades, with the 2000s being particularly kind to both actors.
2007’sWarshould have been a success,but it did not manage to win over critics and underperformed at the box office. Almost two decades after its release, we will look back and see why the action flick fell so flat and whether it is worth revisiting with fresh eyes.
Jason Statham and Jet Li Attempted to Raise War at the Box Office
After FBI agent John Crawford (Jason Statham) witnesses the death of his partner, Tom Lone, and his entire family at the hands of the elusive assassin Rogue (Jet Li), he becomes obsessed with finding the man and exacting revenge. Behind the scenes, Rogue manipulatesthe Japanese Yakuzaand the Chinese Triads in San Francisco to create a turf war from which he can profit. These actions slowly allow Crawford to track him down, and the two go to war.
The pairing of Jason Statham and Jet Li seemed like a winning formula, likely leading to confidence that their collaboration would attract action fans to the box office in droves. Statham, though coming off of the much-despisedIn the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale,was still at the height of his popularity, with bothCrankandTransporter 2coming out a few years prior. Jet Li was already an established legend of the genre, withHerocoming out earlier in the 2000s, bringing him the deserved global recognition.
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The two worked together in 2001 on James Wong’sThe One, though Statham played more of a supporting role.The prospect of having Jason Statham and Jet Li opposite each other in co-lead roles was exciting.Warwas the debut of director Philip G. Atwell (also his last work to date), who, before that, focused on music videos, which may have caused some concern. Still, the involvement of legendary director and fight choreographer Corey Yuen working on the project should have appealed to die-hard action fans. Despite everything going for it,Warfailed at the box office.
War Failed to Capture Audience and Critical Praise
The ratings forWarpaint a pretty sad portrait of the film’s reception overall.On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie sits at 15% rotten with 59 critic reviewsand a lukewarm 51% popcorn meter. Other aggregate sites are only slightly kinder toWar, with 6.2/10 on IMDb and 2.6 on Letterboxd.War was not a box office flop, but it underperformed, grossing $42.7 million off a budget of 25 million (it only made $22.5 million) domestically. Despite the poor critical reception, the movie may have struggled regardless, going up against two other action movies inThe Bourne UltimatumandRush Hour 3, twoanticipated entries in action franchises, up against an action movie with a (admittedly) horrible title.
Still, many critics had harsh words for the production, with Paul Arendt of theBBCstating, “For all the bloodletting, this is more of a gangster procedural than a martial arts slugfest, the action sequences are a mush of Ritalin-fuelled editing, and there is little of the refreshing silliness that characterizes Statham’s best stuff.“Many negative reviews focused on the weak script,lack of engaging action scenes, awkward editing,and a weird and disappointing ending. All of these elements are true, yet the movie has still found favor with some audiences, which begs the question of whetherWaris worthy of a watch over a decade since its initial release.
Should You Give War a Second Chance?
Waris not without its fans, withmany being able to tune in and just enjoy the action flick as mindless fun. Where critics found the conclusion to be a bumbled mess, fans who rated the film positively felt it was a unique concept for the genre. Of course, there are those who love anything with Jason Statham or Jet Li, who feel that even having them on the screen at the same time, even if in a subpar movie, was a treat. To some, it is a guilty pleasure, a film not to be taken seriously and enjoyed for what it is.
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Still,it is difficult to recommendWarto action fans or fans of either actor, as it is far from their best work. The pair would get a bit of redemption forWar, as they would both go onto become part ofThe Expendablesfranchise. If you are an action genre fan, these movies obviously have more on offer thanWar.At the same time, if you want to see Statham at his best, check outSnatch(2000),The Transporter(2002) orThe Bank Job(2008). For the best of Jet Li, check outOnce Upon a Time in China(1991),Hero(2002), orFearless(2006).You can streamWar(2007) onPrime Video,The Roku Channel, orPlex.
