A Man Apart (2003)

A man known as Diablo emerges to head a drug cartel after the previous leader is imprisoned. A Man Apart is an ambitious action/drama that i think was mistaken from both critics and viewers alike. Vin Diesel's perfomance as a cop who lost his wife and seeks revenge was captivating and both the drama and the action was a good mix in my opinion plus i loved the soundtrack and the direction from F. Gary Grey was also very good. It's not a movie for everyone but some people will definitely enjoy it. (A+)

Vin Diesel tries his best to emote in this ultimately routine crime / revenge saga. He plays Sean Vetter, a former gangbanger turned DEA agent. The persistence of Sean and his colleagues over the course of seven years finally pays off, as they successfully apprehend a drug kingpin, Memo Lucero (Geno Silva). The consequence of this episode is that soon Seans' beloved wife Stacy (Jacqueline Obradors) is killed in an assault on Seans' house. Once he's recuperated, Sean is hellbent on finding out just who gave the order to attempt murder, if it wasn't Lucero. All he knows is that a mysterious figure named El Diablo has taken Memos' place and is even more evil and ruthless than Memo.Larenz Tate plays Seans' friend Demetrius Hicks, who must make a decision between being loyal to Sean and letting the law handle things. Ms. Obradors is an absolutely gorgeous and appealing presence here, and she and Diesel do make a believable couple. Silva delivers a creditable performance as the low key crime boss, with whom Sean actually makes a connection when Luceros' wife falls victim to El Diablo. There's other notable talent in the cast: Timothy Olyphant, Steve Eastin, Juan Fernandez, Jeff Kober, Marco Rodriguez, Mike Moroff, Ken Davitian. The filmmaking is reasonably slick, with the soundtrack full of hip hop and rock, and the action scenes are high energy stuff. But it's hard to get all that interested in this tale when everything just feels so familiar and predictable, not to mention senseless.As this viewer already said, Diesel gives a reasonable effort as the tormented and enraged lead character, but he's simply outshone by his supporting cast.Watchable enough for 110 minutes but pretty forgettable.Six out of 10.

Wow! This movie actually made me shed a tear, and with me that is rare. I probably started to leak because I've been in a similar situation as Sean. I've been to hell and back a few times, and a part of me is still there and always will be.The sad part really got to me, and that's a big plus. That is a sign that the people who made this movie have done their job properly. The start was great. To use my famous action-curve, it started out pretty high and it went a little down to push the sadness and the storyline on us, and then it went up, up and away with some minor detours down. In other words, it was great.The acting was, as expected with Mark Vincent (aka Vin Diesel), freaking awesome! He is, always have been and always will be one of my favorite actors. Now Vin may have done a perfect job, but he wasn't the only one with acting skills out there. Larenz Tate and that Olyphant-guy who played Hollywood Jack were great as well. They made me believe it. And that is always a good sign in this business.Now, let's talk ending. Without giving anything away, I can say, honestly, that I was genuinely surprised at the ending. First I was a bit confused with the handcuffs, I was thinking about what would happen next, and he turned his back and I was genuinely disappointed, disappointed for 2 seconds give or take. I did not see that one coming! Not at all! And I seriously see EVERYTHING before they come! OK, to sum it up. It had everything, even a few laughs appeared, and not on the screen. So, it was perfect, give or take. Simply perfect. Which means it gets a perfect 10 out of 10 stars from me. I also recommend you to see it, I really do. I would almost say this is a must-see movie.Until next time, Ciao! Buenas noches! Bonsoir! Good night! Shevy

Sean is a man whose life is destroyed after he captures a drug lord. So he decides to avenge the death of his wife and goes after the drug lord who he imprisoned..Only to find out it is not him...In fact another drug lord has taken over...One far more dangerous.Okay the acting is not Oscar material, but Vin Diesel carries it off..with his larger than life, broody and moody attitude.The action is satisfactory and after all it is an action movie... The film itself is very glossy and shows the 'Hollywood' perception of how Cartel's live their lives...Which was a disappointment.. But all in all a good action movie..