A MAN APART is a dumb-guy-with-nothing-to-lose explosion movie, which is forgiveable, but it is a pretentious, manipulative, incompetent, and dumb explosion movie, which is not. The usual conventions are in place -- the strip club scene, the "you need some time off, give me your badge" scene, the humorous interlude with the small-time drug dealer, the partner who first says he won't go along on a boneheadly rogue mission but then shows up at the crucial moment, and of course the many, many, many moments of hitting, shooting, and blowing things up. But none of the scenes have any life, originality, or conviction. And there is this irritating effort at making it all seem more meaningful, with voiceovers that just sound silly, even with Diesel's gravelly voice.