The One parents guide

The One Parent Guide

Overall D

Martial arts master Jet Li plays an interplanetary agent turned evil who is seeking ultimate god-like power. Moving through wormholes, he tracks down and murders his counterparts in parallel universes, so that their life energy will be added to his own.

Release date November 2, 2001

Violence D-
Sexual Content B
Profanity C
Substance Use A

Why is The One rated PG-13? The MPAA rated The One PG-13 for intense action violence and some language.

Run Time: 87 minutes

Parent Movie Review

Jet Li’s latest sci-fi action film is packed with automatic rifles and lethal punches. Fans eager to watch the martial arts master in motion may be disappointed to find The One features far more gunfire than hand-to-hand combat.

Li plays Yulaw, an interplanetary agent turned evil. Searching for ultimate god-like power, he moves through wormholes to track down and murder his counterparts in parallel universes. The life energy of his prey is then divided among the remaining alternate survivors. Apprehended and put on trial, Yulaw escapes from custody to hunt down his final man.

The last victim, Gabe (also played by Li), is a sheriff’s deputy uneasy with his recent, unexplained increases in strength, speed, and mental prowess. While transferring an inmate, he and fellow officers are ambushed. Gabe is startled during the skirmish when he comes face to face with Yulaw, his perfect duplicate. Although seemingly unaware of the criminal’s intent, or even his existence, it doesn’t take long for Gabe to realize their encounter won’t be friendly.

Close on the heels of the outlaw are two armed interstellar policing agents. Funsch (Jason Statham), a high-strung sharpshooter, teams up with Yulaw’s former investigative partner, Roedecker (Delroy Lindo). Unsure of what Yulaw’s success would mean to the existence of the multi-verse, the pair are bent on stopping him before anyone finds out.

While the martial arts genre has claimed some big screen successes in the recent past, this futuristic film gives second row billing to the combative art form and resorts to high powered artillery for most of its deadly exchanges. In addition to the 123 people murdered by the power hungry con, there is a mass of dead and injured strewn along his vicious sweep through the universes. Blood, while minimal, is graphic when depicted.

With only snippets of storyline interspersed among the action sequences, The One leaves little room for any character development or plot. Even the use of slow motion camera work doesn’t soften the film’s heavy dose of brutal violence. Families may want to keep their guard up on This One.

Starring Jet Li. Running time: 87 minutes. Theatrical release November 2, 2001. Updated

The One
Rating & Content Info

Why is The One rated PG-13? The One is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for intense action violence and some language.

Overall: D

Full of graphic gunfire exchanges and gratuitous violent interactions, The One is short on martial arts movements and storyline, giving most families limited reasons to maneuver this film into their viewing schedule.

Violence: D-

Law officers load guns and put on riot gear. Prisoners taunt officers. Knife thrown at man, hits protective equipment. Extended scene of police officers being ambushed, use of automatic-type weapons. One man shot in head. Man used as shield from gunfire. Men thrown, shot, and kicked. Man bleeds from mouth. Police in vehicles chase man on foot. Character shoots at police. Characters thrown and injured. Cars involved in multi-vehicle accident. Character hit by moving truck. Man chased by military police. Special effects used to depict the procedure of moving through wormholes appears to shred characters into pieces. Man hits and dents metal wall. Murder victims listed at trial. Character put in contraption resembling electric chair. Characters set off immense explosion causing numerous injuries or deaths. Many others killed by gunfire. Repetition of opening ambush scene occurs. Automatic weapons fired at heating ducts. Man methodically shoots through roof of bus in attempt to kill person inside. Man wearing bulletproof vest shot. Man attempts to shoot character—one man killed. Characters stalk shooter through hallways. Man knocked unconscious. Doctor attempts to sedate out of control patient. Gun thrown. Men involved in hand-to-hand combat. Officer points gun at outlaw. Characters involved in intense altercation. Man thrown, then hit with van door. Characters exchange shots. Man killed, blood covered face shown. Man doesn’t respond to police orders. Men thrown, punched, kicked, and slammed to ground. Men hit by motorcycles, officer injured or killed. Man attacked, threatened with being thrown from high building. Car careens down street. Man attacked and hit with object. Man threatens to kill another on numerous occasions. Character shot and killed. Distraught man hits interior of car with fists. Extensive fight scene includes shooting, explosives, and intense hand-to-hand combat. Character caught in hot steam. Man kicked over stair railing. Sparks from machinery rain down on fighting characters. Man kicked into moving gears of machine. Liquid spews from disabled machinery onto characters. Man attacks character with fire axe. Character threatened with axe blade held at throat. Building explodes. Man’s clothing catches fire. Character takes on numerous assailants in hand-to-hand combat, which includes kicking, throwing, hitting and pushing.

Sexual Content: B

Woman—in form fitting dress with thigh-high slit—slowly scanned with metal detector. Married couple embraces. Nurse asks about man’s penile implant. Brief references made to homosexual relationships.

Language: C

At least: 3 mild profanities, 19 moderate profanities, and 3 terms of Deity used as expletives. Name calling and taunting exchanged between inmates and law enforcement officers.

Alcohol / Drug Use: A

None.

 

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The One Parents' Guide

Do you believe in the existence of other populated universes? Would travel between them ever be possible? Do you think that most people in the 1940’s or 50’s believed that traveling to the moon would ever be possible?

Although Yu is on trial for 123 murders, should he be held accountable for all the others he injured or killed during his violent rampages? What responsibility should be placed on criminals who wantonly maim or cause death to innocent bystanders?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of The One movie is March 31, 2009. Here are some details…

Release Date: March 31, 2009

The One releases on Blu-ray Disc with the following bonus extras: an audio commentary with the director and crew, five featurettes, two Easter eggs and interviews with Jet Li and Mark Borchardt.

 

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Looking for other martial arts films? Try Jackie Chan’s Rush Hour, Iron Monkey, or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.