The arrival of ‘Babylon’

Movie: "Babylon A.D."

When: Opening Friday at local theaters

Cast: • Vin Diesel, Mélanie Thierry, Michelle Yeoh, Lambert Wilson, Gérard Depardieu, Mark Strong, Charlotte Rampling

Director: Mathieu Kassovitz

The story: With war -- and nuclear-meltdown wastelands -- dominating a not-too-distant future version of Planet Earth, a kill-or-be-killed mercenary accepts an assignment to smuggle a mysterious young woman from post-apocalyptic Eastern Europe to still-teeming New York City.

The buzz: French filmmaker Kassovitz ("Hate," "The Crimson Rivers") returns to English-language thrills and chills for the first time since 2003's "Gothika." But this adaptation of Maurice G. Dantec's French novel "Babylon Babies" has been plagued by so many delays -- before, during and after production -- it seems appropriate that it's scheduled to hit theaters six months to the day after its initial Feb. 29 release date.