Martial Arts With a Gun Instead of a Kick

Remember when a martial-arts movie was a martial-arts movie, and stars like Bruce Lee and the young Jackie Chan didn’t need wires, digital effects or firearms to convey their prowess? Today, it seems, anyone seeking a pleasant summer afternoon of dramatic Asian-style fisticuffs must settle for the kind of urban-action/martial-arts hybrid that is “War.”

Though the movie’s final act offers an effective twist, its climactic showdown is all too brief and its denouement abrasively abrupt. Most regrettably, “War” squanders the considerable merits of its leads.



Like Mr. Chan, Mr. Li, a veteran of Hong Kong cinema, possesses true martial-arts skills. His character, however, is merely a cool gunman, firing automatics while barely breaking a sweat amid flurries of lightning editing.



Mr. Statham, who has shown a rugged, understated machismo and wry, winking humor in the “Transporter” films and the cartoonishly entertaining “Crank,” can’t match Mr. Li’s physical virtuosity, but he generates emotional heat. With his blend of menace and melancholy, his star remains ascendant.



Forget Mr. Chan and Chris Tucker: this pair really could have been the kung-fu commandos of the summer. Oh well. There’s always next year.