In the realm of dunderheaded comic-book adventures, Vin Diesel takes the lead in “Babylon AD,” and surprisingly, you don’t need to be a die-hard Diesel fan to appreciate the ride – although, admittedly, it does add a certain charm. Diesel’s latest mission unfolds in a post-apocalyptic Russia, where he’s tasked with escorting a holy virgin all the way to the heart of New York, facing off against cyberpunk goons in the process. What makes Diesel endearing is his shambolic approach to the action hero persona; he delivers lines as if casually flipping through the script during a read-through and wears an air of perplexed annoyance, as if he mistakenly signed up for an entirely different film. All things considered, Diesel comes out of this adventure looking better than director Mathieu Kassovitz, once hailed as the new Godard after “La Haine” but now seemingly navigating the waters as a Luc Besson impersonator.
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