What Do The Critics Say?

"This isn't great cinema, but it adequately fills a niche. Those who like their action loud and bloody won't be disappointed. There's a high body count and lots of explosions and, for some, that's what this is all about." James Berardinelli REELVIEWS "All-the-way-through good, from explosive start to bloody finish, without so much as a momentary lag in the action or the story. Statham and Li seem like the real deal, legitimately dangerous guys who walk the walk better than they talk the talk; and then, without missing a beat or a breath, could rip out your heart and show it to you before you die." Rob Salem TORONTO STAR "If you want action and a convoluted plot, there's no need to wreak havoc. Let Jason Statham and Jet Li do that for you in Rogue Assassin." Linda Cook QUAD CITY TIMES

"Philip G Atwell, making his feature debut after music-videos and second-unit work, adopts a tough, aggressive style that suits the material perfectly. Working with a limited budget, he has been forced to rein in the film's big set-pieces and special effects. There are fewer action scenes than fans might like, but the crew here knows how to make the most of what's available.Dark in tone and almost devoid of humor, it proves that a serious, workmanlike effort can still pay off." Daniel Eagan FILM JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL "It's a complicated plot, but one that leaves plenty of room for everything a fan could want: gunplay, swordfights, brutal mano a mano fisticuffs, motorcycle races, car chases, Japanese gangsters eating sushi off of topless women, and that old standby, a decapitated head in a box. There's a pretty good 11th hour twist, and even though the split-second edits undercut Corey Yuen's fight choreography, it all looks pretty good, and delivers exactly what it promises." Ken Fox TV GUIDE'S MOVIE GUIDE "Rogue Assassin is another generic Jet Li thriller, with body blows and bullets and blood and naked bodies, a few chases, lots of shootouts and a plot twist of a finale that is, at least, surprising, even if it makes little sense. ..stick around for the finale. It's a lulu." Roger Moore THE ORLANDO SENTINEL

The Inside Story "Rogue Assassin" ("WAR" in the U.S.A) debut screenwriters Lee Anthony Smith and Gregory J Bradley had been long time Jet Li fans and disciples of the Asian-influenced action genre when they created the role of Rogue, and they did so expressly to accommodate their screen idol. Many screenwriters write scripts with particular stars in mind, but in this case, producer Jim Thompson ("Diamonds in the Rough") actually managed to get Smith’s and Bradley’s script to Li, who signed on to play Rogue almost immediately. "It's one of those rare occasions where the writers had a vision, they had one guy in mind, and we actually made it happen," says Thompson."We got it to the guy that it was intended for, and the movie actually happened with him in the part, which is rare." An international film star and world-renowned martial arts master, Jet Li first gained notoriety in Asia as a martial arts competitor. His remarkable success in the field led to his first starring role in Chang Hsin Yen's 1979 film, "The Shaolin Temple", which instantly turned Li into a martial arts screen star in Asia. The ensuing years have brought him a worldwide following with the release of such films as "Fearless", "Unleashed", "The One" and the sumptuous "Hero". Steven Chasman ("The One", "Unleashed", "The Transporter" & "Chaos"), who represents Li and acts as one of the film's producers, says he was surprised by Li’s strong endorsement of the script. "When I first read it I didn't think Jet would be interested because the character is really the antithesis of almost everything he's ever played in a movie. But to my pleasant surprise he responded enthusiastically." "I’ve never played this kind of character before," Li agreed. "I don't know whether he's good or bad. I only know this character, who is very violent, has a reason for doing what he does." A devout Buddhist, Li often seeks projects that reflect his philosophical ideals about violence. He admits that he sometimes struggled with Rogue’s particular brand of ruthless vengeance. "Even though I don't agree with what this guy does, I had to commit to it," he says. "When I went to the set, I had to forget I'm Jet Li first and be in that world. Then I’d go back home and think, 'Oh, why am I doing this?' I’d have to remind myself that the character is not me. It's somebody else." With Li on board for the title role, the producers turned their attention to casting Rogue's nemesis, John Crawford, the police officer who risks everything to exact revenge. "John Crawford is pretty much the driving force of the story," director Phillip Atwell explained. "He's an FBI agent who, in a sense, has kind of gone rogue himself. And he's enlisted himself to find the killer who took out his best friend and his best friend's family." The part of Crawford called for an actor who could handle extreme physical set pieces as well as intense, emotional scenes. The role went to Jason Statham, an actor known for his bulldog intensity and strong, onscreen presence. Statham was eager to work with Li again after appearing alongside him in "The One" (2001). He signed on immediately. "I never got to fight him on that movie," says the British actor whose big break came when director Guy Ritchie signed him to appear in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" (1998) and two years later in "Snatch". "Working with Jet Li and doing something with a much deeper storyline, a bit more of a meaningful character for me to play and to actually come head to head with Jet and bash it out was something I was deprived of previously." Statham also reacted strongly to the multi-layered role of Crawford. "Crawford becomes obsessed with seeking revenge on Rogue, trying to right the wrong that has happened even though it's quite possibly out of his control," explains the actor. "In the end, he actually gets to accept what happened to his friend while exorcising a few of his own demons." For both stars, the process of working together was uniquely rewarding. Says Statham, "Li was just great to act with. You just look at his eyes and you've got a great, real connection." "He’s a great actor," says Li of his co-star, smiling. "He’s much better than me." With the stars in place, the producers approached Phillip G Atwell (the owner of Los Angeles based Geronimo Film Productions Inc) to helm the project. Known for his music videos for rap stars Eminem and 50 Cent, Atwell's eye for stylish, edgy visuals was considered a perfect fit for the raw intensity of "Rogue Assassin". "When Lionsgate wanted to make this movie and we discussed directors, my first choice was Phillip," Chasman recalls. "He seems to really have his finger on the pulse of the audience." Atwell gathered together a terrific internationally recognizable ensemble cast, including John Lone ("Year Of The Dragon" & "The Last Emperor"); Terry Chen ("Almost Famous" & "Snakes On A Plane"); Luis Guzmán ("Punch-Drunk Love" & "The Limey") the former social worker who has become a well-known leading and character actor, appearing in over sixty feature films; Nadine Velazquez ("My Name Is Earl); Canadian actress Andrea Roth who got her first big break in the U.S.A when she was chosen to co-star with Sally Field in the Emmy Award winning NBC mini-series "A Woman of Independent Means" and, Devon Aoki ("DOA: Dead or Alive") who began her career as a top model when she was only fourteen years old. Production for the film took place in Vancouver, Canada. Atwell’s most significant decision when making "Rogue Assassin" was to steer the script away from the florid, slick visuals epitomized by the Matrix films. "We still have a bit of a comic book style," he explains. "But the idea was to make a hard-core aggressive movie, as though these things could happen in real life. I didn't want the audience to say, 'Well, wait, how did he climb up the wall like that?' Stuntmen want to flip four times more than they really need to. And for certain films I think that's great, but for "Rogue Assassin" it was important to keep it grounded." 1993 & 1995 Golden Horse Award winner Corey Yuen, arguably the world's best known stunt choreographer and a director in his own right ("Lethal Weapon 4", "Bulletproof Monk" & "A Chinese Tall Story"), teamed up with Li and Atwell to create the films highly realistic fight sequences and impressive stunts. "As much as Jet is a legend as an onscreen performer, Corey is a legend as far as putting these fights together," says producer Christopher Petzel ("To Kill a King" & "The Shadow Dancer"). Petzel, the CEO of Fierce Entertainment notes that "There are one or two household names in the world as far as action choreography and Corey is one of them." Atwell also enlisted cinematographer Pierre Morel, who had previously worked with both Li and Statham on "Unleashed" and "The Transporter", and stunt coordinator Scott Nicholson ("I, Robot", "Fantastic Four" & "Shooter") to facilitate his vision. Atwell's less is more philosophy also set the tone for special effects artists Jason Ward ("Ghost Rider") and Ryan Nicholson ("The Chronicles of Riddick") of Vancouver's Flesh and Fantasy Makeup Effects. "When you watch movies and you see a guy get shot and a big blood pack goes off; well, that's not how it happens in reality," says Atwell. "I think there's more of an impact to show how it really happens and have the actors respond in a real way. That’ll be as painful as seeing a big blood spurt shoot across the screen." To ensure that the action scenes were as authentic as possible, Atwell also put his cast through special weapons training sessions and police recruit boot camps. Says Sung Kang ("Die Hard 4.0"), who plays Jade Squad sniper, Goi, "We learned how to hold a gun properly, how to enter a building, how to cover the rear unit, basically what a S.W.A.T team’s procedures are in terms of staking out, holding the weapon, or firing the weapon." Despite all of this attention to detail, Li maintains that "in action movies the most important thing is the story, not the fighting." Statham agrees, and hopes that viewers will become invested in Crawford’s hunt for Rogue. "Action for the sake of action doesn't carry much weight," says Statham. He describes the film as "a thinking man's action movie. The audience is going to be on the edge of their seats thinking, 'Are they going to get this guy? Is justice ever going to come? Is this Rogue going to pay for all these wrongdoings?' And then when they finally find out, they’ll be taken totally by surprise." Surprised indeed! And I'm betting that at films end, everyone will be hoping it has been left open for a sequel. Synopsis

After his partner, along with his wife and child is brutally murdered by the infamous assassin Rogue, FBI agent Jack Crawford vows to find the elusive killer and personally avenge his partner's death. But Rogue proves untraceable until three years later when Rogue once again resurfaces to ignite a bloody turf war between Chinese mob leader Chang and Japanese Yakuza boss Shiro. Eager to capture Rogue once and for all, Crawford leads his team of crime specialists headlong into the conflict. But Crawford's thirst for vengeance jeopardizes his professional judgment, and as the violence escalates between the rival Japanese yakuza and Chinese Triad criminal factions of San Francisco, Crawford finally comes face to face with his enemy to discover that nothing about Rogue or his plan is quite what it seems. In a long bitter fued that cost Jack his marriage, revenge is foremost on his mind.

The Verdict "Jet Li ("This Is Kung Fu") and Jason Statham ("Mean Machine") are back together in this entertaining story of gangwar, betrayal, revenge and a mysterious assassin named Rogue. Both have great pulling power when it comes to 'action' films and fans will get their monies worth. While the action scenes are spectacular and certainly superbly choreographed by Corey Yue, they are not the be-all and end-all of the film. There's plenty of inrigue and drama, and the films setting makes a great backdrop. Recommended not only to fans of the genre or Statham and Li, but also to those who are looking for something a little different which includes a surprise twist at the end. 3 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "ROGUE ASSASSIN" stars .......
Golden Horse Film Festival Special Award winner Jet Li ["The One", "Hero", "Cradle 2 Grave" and "Unleashed"]; Jason Statham ["The Italian Job", "Collateral", "Transporter 1 & 2" and "Crank"]; Devon Aoki ["Death Of A Dynasty", "2 Fast 2 Furious" and "Sin City"]; John Lone ["King Kong", "Iceman", "The Last Emperor" and "Rush Hour 2"]; Andrea Roth ["Psychic", "The Club", "The Sunchaser" and "Dangerous Attraction"]; Saul Rubinek ["Unforgiven", "Nixon", "The Contender" and "Rush Hour 2"] and 2001 Screen Actors Guild Award winner Luis Guzmán ["Traffic", "Confidence", "Waiting" and "Fast Food Nation"] as Benny.
"ROGUE ASSASSIN" was .......
directed by Philip G Atwell ["Rogue Assassin"]; set decoration by Louise Roper ["Final Destination 2", "Walking Tall", "Man About Town" and "In the Land of Women"]; art direction by Catherine Ircha ["Barbecue: A Love Story", "See Spot Run" and "Hot Rod"]; costume design by Cynthia Ann Summers ["Suspicious Agenda", "Hard Evidence" and "American Dragons"]; production design by Chris August ["Ernest Rides Again", "Ernest Goes to School", "Ernest Goes To Africa" and "Ernest in the Army"]; edited by Scott Richter ["Dirty Dancing 2" and "See No Evil"]; director of photography Pierre Morel ["The Transporter", "Unleashed" and "Love and Other Disasters"]; original music by 2006 ASCAP Award winner Brian Tyler ["The Final Cut", "Paparazzi" and "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift"]. Who's Who?

Jet Li Jason Statham John Lone Devon Aoki Luis Guzmán Saul Rubinek Ryo Ishibashi Sung Kang Mathew St. Patrick Nadine Velazquez Andrea Roth Kenneth Choi Mark Cheng Kane Kosugi Kennedy Montano Terry Chen Steph Song Annika Foo

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Rogue Jack Crawford Chang Kira Benny Dr Sherman Shiro Goi Wick Maria Jenny Crawford Takada Wu Ti Temple Garden Warrior Ana Chang Tom Lone Diane Lone Amy Lone

Run Time 103 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2007 - Lions Gate Films - All Rights Reserved ©2007 All Rights Reserved - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark Laws Apply.