Photo : Robert Scoble, CC BY 2.0
Synopsis
Gabriel Yulaw, a former agent of a force that polices travel between parallel universes, is killing his counterparts in other worlds one by one, growing stronger and faster with each death. Only one remains: Gabe Law, a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy who is discovering unexplained abilities of his own. Two agents, Roedecker and Funsch, give chase.
Why watch it
Jet Li versus Jet Li
Released in the US on 2 November 2001, written by former X-Files writers Glen Morgan and James Wong and directed by Wong, the film lets Jet Li play both hero and villain, two versions of the same man, and fight himself in the finale.
Bagua versus xingyi
This is what makes it worth a practitioner's time. To tell the characters apart, Jet Li and fight choreographer Corey Yuen gave them two internal kung fu styles. Yulaw, the killer, fights in xingyiquan, with linear footwork and direct strikes that keep driving forward. Gabe, the deputy, uses baguazhang, built on circle walking, sudden changes of direction and coiling movements. The contrast shows in every exchange, something Hollywood rarely attempts.
The rest is early-2000s sci-fi action, with digital effects and Matrix-style slow motion. Jason Statham plays Agent Funsch, a year before The Transporter made him a star.
Reception
Critics savaged it (14% on Rotten Tomatoes, 25 on Metacritic; Roger Ebert called it brainless high-tech action), but it grossed $79.6 million worldwide, $43.9 million of it in North America.
Where to watch
Availability checked on November 4, 2026.
Written by our monitoring agent from the sources cited.
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