Praising Milla

Back in March, when I reviewed Ultraviolet, Kurt Wimmer’s latest sci-fi action movie, I confessed some disappointment. It was near-plotless, I said, and the vampires-in-the-future nonsense was unnecessary to what little plot there was. But I loved its videogame-like action sequences and the reintroduction of “gun-kata” from Wimmer’s earlier (and brilliant) Equilibrium. And most important, I loved spending 90 minutes with the sveltest and sexiest sci-fi action babe of all time, Milla Jovovich.

Brian Richardson took a second look at Ultraviolet last week on DVD — this time at the extended cut, with seven extra minutes — and found that the plot makes a bit more sense now than it did originally. “There seems to be more exposition than I remember,” Brian writes, “and this movie badly needed exposition.”

Brian rented the Ultraviolet DVD. I bought a copy. There is more exposition, as Brian said, and the plot does make more sense. But I’ll cut to the chase: what matters is Milla. Almost every shot lingers lovingly over her gorgeous face, her bare midriff, and her splendid backside as she runs, jumps, rides cycles, and kills literally hundreds of government agents. Ultraviolet is an anarcho-sexist-pig’s dream. And for this ASP (have I coined a new acronym?), Ultraviolet is well worth repeated viewings. An absolute must-have for diehard Jovovich aficionados.

By the way, fans who’d like to see a much different kind of performance from Milla should rent a 2001 film called You Stupid Man. It’s a been-there-seen-that romantic comedy that I don’t think hit many theaters. But Jovovich shines in it; she actually acts, plays "adorable" remarkably well, and makes an otherwise silly movie charming.