025 4 ` Wasabi ' , a film directed by Gerard Krawczyk and more importantly written by Luc Besson ( ` The Professional ' , ` The Fifth Element ' , ` La Femme Nikita ' ) and starring Jean Reno ( of many of the same films ) , is a French take on the American Dirty Harry / Axel Foley type of loose cannon policeman played by Jean Reno in place of Eastwood and Murphy . This may be a bit odd as Reno is much less the hot Murphy figure as he is the French equivalent of the modern Noir hero as played by Harvey Keitel . In fact , Reno and Keitel played exactly the same role in ` La Femme Nikita ' and the less successful American remake .
The unfortunate thing is that while the plots of ` Dirty Harry ' and ` Beverly Hills Cop ' are an interesting framework on which the rogue cop struts his stuff , the plot of ` Wasabi ' is almost inconsequential . That doesn't mean the film is not fun to watch , as Reno and his two primary supporting characters do great jobs of bulking up their characters to fill out the absence of a meaningful plot .
The story , briefly , is based on Reno's character , Hubert Fiorentini , a Paris policeman and former French intelligence agent in Tokyo is summoned to Tokyo because he is the only beneficiary in the will of a Japanese girlfriend who jilted him 19 years earlier when they both worked in the French embassy in Tokyo , Reno as an intelligence operative and girlfriend as a crypographer .
In Tokyo , we meet the second of the three main characters , an operative colleague of Fiorentini both were France's covert strongarms in Tokyo . Soon , when Hubert sees the lawyer probating the will , we meet the third major character , the 19 year old daughter of the Japanese code breaker and our Hubert . Daughter does not know Hubert is her father , and threatens to kill her father when she meets him . Daughter is a chip off the old Nikita character block , slightly younger , less larcenous , and certainly less dopy , but just as manic and irresponsible .
The big surprise which drives what is taken for a plot in the movie is when Hubert discovers that dead girlfriend / mother has $200,000,000 in her Japanese bank accounts in trust for soon to be legally adult daughter . It seems , however , that this money was somehow taken from a Japanese gangster who does a rather poor imitation of Italian-American gangsters as depicted by directors far less talented or imaginative than Martin Scorsese or Frances Coppela . With a combination of the fact that our Nippon scarface ( yes , he has prominent scars on his face ) has relatively inept bodyguards and the fact that our hero Hubert is something of especially adept at fanciful means of incapacitating bad guys , Hubert is able to keep himself and daughter out of scarface's clutches for most of Act II .
In the last act , with the help of some heavy duty hardware from the French Tokyo cold war stash of weapons and Hubert's Tokyo wingman , Hubert ultimately teletransfers the money out of the bad guys ' clutches and take down the whole gang with help from his long dormant network of Tokyo operatives .
The fact that it is so much fun to write this review is a sure sign that the movie is fun to watch , at least once . The problem is whether or not the DVD is worth buying . The thin plot never explains how dead girlfriend got the 200 million bucks from scarface or exactly how girlfriend died or what connection a hidden notebook had to the case or even why the seeming larceny occurred many years ago , as 4 / 5 of the loot was interest , which could only have accrued over many years .
The point of the title is based on no more than a sight gag of Reno's character eating gobs of undiluted Wasabi with no sigh that he senses the very high heat in this Japanese horseradish . The point is made when faithful henchman eats a small portion himself and is rewarded with a scorched mouth which he demonstrates clearly with mumbles and large amounts of drinking water .
Very few comedies wear well after multiple viewings . Aside from Shakespeare's comedies and Woody Allen movies , there are very few I consider worth owning , and this is not one of them , although I sincerely enjoyed the experience of watching it the first time , as I am something of a Jean Reno fan .
Note that like most French movies , watching with the original French soundtrack and English subtitles is superior to watching the dubbed English , as you always loose something in the inflections of the dubbed speech . And , the two translations are different , and based on my rudimentary High School French , I think the subtitled translation is better .
001 4 Luc Besson has written an action packed comic book of a movie with Wasabi . Jean Reno plays a tough , violent cop but with a lonely heart and a past . Years before , his Japanese girlfriend left him for no obvious reason . Reno hasn't been able to love since .
Reno is put on suspension with the police after an especially violent episode , and he is ' encouraged ' to return to Japan when he discovers his lost love has just died and left him her heir . Suprise ! When Reno arrives in Japan , the action really takes off . To tell you more would spoil the fun . . .
Wasabi takes off with a pulsing electronic beat from the opening scene and keeps moving at a fast pace . Sure , there are plot holes . . . sure , some things don't make sense . So what ? This isn't a film you see to make you think . Quite the opposite . . . no thinking , just fast paced action with some light comedy mixed in for good measure , all in a sleek technocolor package .
Regarding the DVD , sound quality was excellent . The video quality was also VERY good , with no contrast problems or compression errors , etc . Bright colors and a sharp image . Enjoy ! ! !
002 4 I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about films , but in purchasing Wasabi ( 2001 ) , I had no prior knowledge about the movie other than it was written by Luc Besson and starred Jean Reno , who were both involved in Nikita ( 1990 ) and The Professional ( 1994 ) , two wonderful films worth any action movie fan's time . Given the talent involved in Wasabi , I thought it would be a pretty worth looking into , and I wasn't disappointed .
Reno stars a Hubert , a retired secret government operative who is now a no nonsense French cop who seems to follow the guidelines within the Dirty Harry Law Enforcement Manual , that's to say his methods , while extreme , get results . The films dives headfirst into the action as we see Hubert single-handedly bust up a transvestite bank robbery ring . While Hubert is very good at what he does , his superior notes that that is all he does , as Hubert has no life . That , along with pressures from a local politician with regards to Hubert's ' old school tactics , forces Hubert's boss to put him on extended vacation , with a recommendation that he basically get a life .
Soon Hubert gets word that a Japanese woman he once loved but who left him almost 20 years ago to which he still carried a torch for , has recently passed , and she has named him in her will . He travels from France to Japan to witness the reading of the will , and see his long , lost love , but gets more than he bargained for as he learns the woman had a daughter , Hubert's daughter . Not only that , but the woman has also left a mystery behind not only in why she left him in the first place , but why now the Yakuza is after the daughter . Hubert must learn his now deceased lover's involvement with the Yakuza , protect himself and his daughter , named Yumi , and deal with the fact that he's an instant father , and the complications of having to try and relate to a 19 year old girl .
Wasabi mixes a very genuine blend of action , comedy , and a pinch of drama pretty successfully . The action is pretty steady throughout , and is more of the comic book variety , like what you might see in a Jackie Chan film . The comedy comes mostly in the form of Hubert's contact in Japan , a fellow Frenchman named Momo , whom Hubert worked with many years ago when he was a government operative . Momo reminded me of a chubbier version of Rob Schneider , except a bit funnier . The drama , while present but not over done , comes in the form of Hubert and Yumi trying to come to terms with the fact that they are now all they have . While the combination of these three elements doesn't allow for a whole lot of substance within the story , that mattered little as this was just a fun , exciting ride I enjoyed all the way to the end . Certainly one who has seen the Besson / Reno film The Professional will notice similarities , but more or less these two films relate superficially . What's really interesting is how much this French-made film looks like an American actioneer .
The quality of the wide screen picture here looks great , and the audio is really excellent . Keep in mind the dialog is in French , with English subtitles available , but there is also a dubbed English track , for those of you who don't care to read while watching a film . I , myself , preferred to allow the original voices to come out , while reading the translation below . The dubbed voices sound a bit weird at times , especially since I am fairly familiar with how Jean Reno's voice sounds like , and the guy hired to dub him is way off . As far as extras go , there are some theatrical trailers available , for this film , and Formula 51 ( 2001 ) , Swept Away ( 2002 ) , and Trapped ( 2002 ) . While Wasabi really isn't a cinematic feast , it's definitely a satisfying appetizer , and sometimes that's all you need .
Cookieman108
003 4 Wasabi is a very popular green-colored Japanese condiment served with sushi or sashimi , and those who love Japanese food must know its pungent taste . The film takes its title from this wasabi paste ( which Jean Reno actually tastes in this film ) , suggesting the content is sharp and spicy .
Jean Reno is a marverick French cop Hubert , whose way of arresting the criminals are so outrageous that he is suspended from the job by the disgruntled police chief . But when a detective like him uses a weapon like fists faster than Jackie Chan's , and golf clubs , who can really hate him ? And , hey , he seems to be having a dinner tonight with no other than ever gorgeous ex-Bond girl Carole Bouquet ( who appears as a cameo ) , Hubert has nothing to complain of .
But he left a very bitter memory in Japan , which he could never shake off . And Hubert receives a ring from a lawyer telling him that his former Japanese girl-friend is dead . But the news do not end here ; it turns out that she left a daughter Yumi , and appointed Hubert as her guardian in her will . Then Hubert flies to Japan , meets his daughter without telling the truth , but soon he finds that Japanese yakuza gangsters are aiming at Yumi for the unknown reasons .
OK . The script of Luc Besson ( who also produced through his film company Europa ) is as thin as you can imagine , and the tone of the film is very light . There are many actions ( including that of using games and . . . er . . . golf balls ) , but the charm of the film largely comes from understated humor of Jean Reno as laconic Hubert . He is not as cool as the assassin in The Professional ( aka Leon ) ; his relations with Yumi is not as convincing as the one with Natalie Portman . Still , the ride goes pleasantly . The film is good as pure entertainment .
Some informantion about the production . Besson obviously made Wasabi in French and Japanese film market in mind , and he decided to use fully the potentials . So , French actor Jean Reno is called in , who is very popular in Japan ( far more popular in Japan than in USA or UK , I can say ) while Japanese popular actress Ryoko Hiroshue is cast as Yumi as his daughter . The director is Gerard Krawczyk , whose previous action-comedy TAXI 2 was a huge hit in France ( more than 10 millions came to the theatre in France , where the population is much smaller than in USA ) . So , you may call Wasabi a unashamed result of market research , or product . But it is defenitely better to see good product than to watch awful art , isn't it ?
The film is mostly shot in Japan . You can watch briefly a temple of Kyoto ( Kiyomizu Temple ) and the streets of Tokyo , and will have a glimpse ( just a glimpse ) of how teenagers are having fun in this city ( such as game center as we call it in downtown of Shibuya ) though the film is fast enough not to indulge in showing these scenes . The film's location is not as exotic as the title implies , and its camera always focuses on the two leads , both of whom are great . I don't tell you much about super-cool Reno except that he is as good as before , and he shouldn't have been in Rollerball . About Hirosue , you may feel that her costumes and behaviors are too spanky for a Japanese girl . In fact , some of her costumes , I admit , look too cartoon-ish , directly from Powerpuff Girls , but they are all intentional . And as a teacher in college in Japan , I can tell that her dresses are exaggerated , but not so exceptional in downtown Tokyo . And her frequent use of cell phone is nothing unusual among Japanese teenage girls .
Wasabi is too light-weight , it is true , but it gives fun certainly . Just don't think . Enjoy yourself and that's all you have to do .
004 4 It's not the greatest , deepest movie ever filmed . But it doesn't aim to be . Luc Besson provides a light , humorous , and easy-on-the-brain flick that leaves a clean taste behind . Great for casual rental or to have in your DVD library to entertain friends when they're looking for something to watch . The pace keeps you engaged , the story is silly but fun , and the actors are more than watchable .
005 4 This review is from :
Wasabi ( DVD )
I am a big fan of Jean Reno , so I guess that I am a bit biased . This is one fun movie , though even if you are not a fan of Reno . This is in part due to the writing credits of Luc Besson , a long-time collaborator of Reno's , famously teaming together for the brilliant Leon aka ' The Professional , my all time favorite piece of cinema ! While this movie doesn't have the depth and brilliant script of Leon , it is certainly a fine piece of work from both Besson and Reno . Adding to the wonderful spicy flavor of this dish , we have Ryoko Hirosue , who is an absolute gem as Hubert's surprise daughter , and Michael Muller , Hubert's longtime partner , who is hillarious when he takes a big scoop of wasabi and puts it in his mouth , the look on his face . . . . priceless ! ! We should see more of him in domestic movies , he is quite a card ! The cast plays off each other very well and the scene with Hubert's past love , lying in the coffin as Reno looks at her , is very touching and sweet . Bottom line , this is a sweet fun movie , plenty of action , humor and entertains divinely ! ! The movie also has a wonderful soundtrack , although it is not available here in the states , but definitely worth going to the trouble to get . I highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a great fun movie and it will be definitely worth the time you spend to watch ! ! ! Hai !
006 4 I am a big fan of Jean Reno , so I guess that I am a bit biased . This is one fun movie , though even if you are not a fan of Reno . This is in part due to the writing credits of Luc Besson , a long-time collaborator of Reno's , famously teaming together for the brilliant Leon aka ' The Professional , my all time favorite piece of cinema ! While this movie doesn't have the depth and brilliant script of Leon , it is certainly a fine piece of work from both Besson and Reno . Adding to the wonderful spicy flavor of this dish , we have Ryoko Hirosue , who is an absolute gem as Hubert's surprise daughter , and Michael Muller , Hubert's longtime partner , who is hillarious when he takes a big scoop of wasabi and puts it in his mouth , the look on his face . . . . priceless ! ! We should see more of him in domestic movies , he is quite a card ! The cast plays off each other very well and the scene with Hubert's past love , lying in the coffin as Reno looks at her , is very touching and sweet . Bottom line , this is a sweet fun movie , plenty of action , humor and entertains divinely ! ! The movie also has a wonderful soundtrack , although it is not available here in the states , but definitely worth going to the trouble to get . I highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a great fun movie and it will be definitely worth the time you spend to watch ! ! ! Hai !
007 4 I just saw this yesterday , on a foreign DVD , and it was FAN-TAS-TIC ! ! ! I've always believed that anything with Jean Reno in it can't be all THAT bad , ( ok maybe except Just Visiting ) . Wasabi has got the pulse-pounding techno beats of the Replacement Killers , the comedy of the Visitors ( French ) , and the colors of the Fifth Element ! Luc Besson was smart to put his seal of approval on this ! The acting from both Jean Reno , and the young girl played by Ryoko Hirosue , is wonderful and you really believe the characters . The arcade scene is GREAT ! You'll have to see it to believe that Mr . Reno CAN dance . . . ok maybe not . . . but , it's still funny ! This is a must see for any Hong Kong action fan who also loves Jean Reno's past films ( Mission Impossible , The Visitors , & Ronin ) . Definitely worth buying ! ! !
008 4 If you like Jean Leon and Crismon Rivers , you will adore this film ! Not only do you have action , with a body count , but you also have drama and a real plot , with humor and pathos too . Jean Reno the coolest frenchman in the world , plays a french officer , with an out of control cop rage , and a past with special ops . When he is given a manidatory leave , he finds out the love of his life ( who disappeared 19 years ago ) , has passed away , and he must travel to Japan for the reading of the will . From the moment he hits the airport , the action and the plot twists start . The supporting cast is great , and his old special ops friend provides wondeful comic relief . I bought the DVD as soon as it came out , and everyone I have lant it to , has thought it was get . yes it is volient at times , but it can also help you with your golf game ( hint ) .
009 4 Wasabi is a high-spirited French action comedy with a Japanese name . This Luc Besson production stars Jean Reno in a wonderful performance as a tough-guy French cop who is as quick to use his tongue as his overeager fists . One day , out of the blue , Detective Fiorentino discovers that he has a 19 year-old daughter by a Japanese woman who left him almost 20 years ago , breaking his heart in the process . The girl , Yumi , turns out to be an orange-haired free spirit who hates cops and has been led to believe that her father raped her mother . Much of the film is spent with Hubert and Yumi getting to know one another , as they uncover secrets about her mother s past that seem to have made the young woman the target of some rather unsavory characters .
The plot is the least of the matter in this film . As directed by Gerard Krawczyk , Wasabi is really all about style . Besson s screenplay is fitfully amusing , doling out cleverness and cutesyness in roughly equal measure . Cinematographer Gerard Sterin brings out the colorful richness of the urban Japanese landscape and editor Yanne Herve doesn t linger longer on the jokes and sight gags than is absolutely necessary . These elements help to compensate for the somewhat desperate air that afflicts the screenplay from time to time .
The prime asset of Wasabi is Jean Reno s performance . Reno perfectly mines the comic potential inherent in the material through the tone of weary cynicism and superiority to all around him that he conveys throughout . As an actor who has played this type of rogue-cop character many times in his career , Reno obviously relishes this opportunity for a little good-natured self-ribbing . And he does a splendid job .
Wasabi is little more than a piffle when all is said and done , but Reno makes it worth seeing .
010 4 This was a solid film . A lot of people didn't care for it because they believed it to be rather hokey , to me that's what made it great . Watch it in French with English subtitles or you lose the feel of the film . Michele Muller and Ryoko Hirosue boast great cameos , but Jean Reno showed why he is one of my favorites in Hollywood these days . His role as Hubert in a dilapidated combination of rogue cop and gentleman bring's the viewer back to why Leon was such a fine film , Reno's acting . This was great and one that you generally find by accident , a great accident .
011 4 Jean Reno stars as Hubert , an ex-intelligence officer who is now a cop in Paris . Basically , Hubert lives and breathes his job , has no life , and the only relaxation he gets is playing golf every Sunday . Then he gets a call from Tokyo . It seems Huberts old flame has died suddenly and left him everything in her will . . . . . and the 19 year old daughter he didn't know about . . . and some trouble with the yakuza .
If your looking for something deep and meaningful then look somewhere else . But if your looking for an enjoyable bit of fun to kill a rainy afternoon then look no further . Jean Reno is his always watchable self and I have to admit he looks GREAT in this movie . And I have admit that the daughter wasn't as bratty as she could have been . And kudos to the fellow who played Momo , he was pretty funny . All in all , a harmless bit of fluff . Enjoy !
012 4 My mother rented Wasabi a few months ago and she said it was hilarious.I wasn't too sure about the movie , at first , but then she said that one of the main characters ( whom I later found out was Ryoko Hirosue ) looked like one of my favorite Anime / Video Game characters.Of course , I was curious about this character , so I watched the movie and . . BOOM ! I loved it ! The way Hubert ( Jean Reno ) handled the gangsters was very funny , especially when he grabbed the golf club ! WHOO ! I really liked Ryoko the best.Her character's clothes were pretty outrageous , I must say , but not so much so when I compare them to what some of my friends wear ! All that being said , This was a great movie and I like it alot.My advice : Rent it , watch it , and , hopefully , you'll love it just like I do !
013 4 I have seen this movie twice and it is a very funny movie . I am a big fan of Jean Reno I have seen almost every movie he has stared in and every movie of his is great . I highly recommend this film to anyone that likes action and humor combined .
014 4 With Hotel Rwanda & Ronin in his past & both The Da Vinci Code & The Pink Panther out in 2006 , Jean Reno's profile in the States is riding high . His performance as the cop Hubert is a blockbuster . Gerard Krawczyk who directed Taxi 2 , The Messenger : The Joan of Arc Story & his recent Fanfan la Tulipe does a good job of keeping the pace brisk and the story like a whipped flambe , full of flavor but light . Hubert's daughter Yumi is played by Ryoko Hirosue in the 3rd of her 4 films . Poppoya : Railroad Man & Himitsu aka Secret are other credits of hers I have yet to taste . She does an excellent job dressing like a Japanese Cyndi Lauper , while just wanting to have fun . The bright oranges of her costumes are wild & wonderful . Hubert's sidekick in Japan is Momo played by Michel Muller from Like a Fish Out of Water & The Daltons . Muller does an excellent job of keeping the comedy light , being just dumb enough to make the jokes work and bright enough not to get shot . The film works if you don't look at the plot too closely . ( At the end , why does Hubert have to leave when he's on a 2 - month suspension that started 2 days ago ? ) The Japanese actor who plays the Zebra does a great job . It's fast paced and breezy , like a French version of an American movie . This is an excellent evening's entertainment . Enjoy !
015 4 This review is from :
Wasabi ( DVD )
so glad to check out this movie . . . watched it in the original french version . . . eng . subs - no problem . plot is great . . . amazed at all the japanese actors speak french so fluently . the japanese actress who played the jean reno's daughter . . don't believe the japanese actors ' french are dupped . . . looks like they're all bi-lingual in french and japanese . how awesome . highly recommended for those who have yet to see this movie . the dvd we bot from amazon is digitally remastered and plays great visual with good sound system . it is rated R for some violence on the dvd cover . . . but the violence is nothin ' compared to hollywood's . ( imho )
016 4 so glad to check out this movie . . . watched it in the original french version . . . eng . subs - no problem . plot is great . . . amazed at all the japanese actors speak french so fluently . the japanese actress who played the jean reno's daughter . . don't believe the japanese actors ' french are dupped . . . looks like they're all bi-lingual in french and japanese . how awesome . highly recommended for those who have yet to see this movie . the dvd we bot from amazon is digitally remastered and plays great visual with good sound system . it is rated R for some violence on the dvd cover . . . but the violence is nothin ' compared to hollywood's . ( imho )
017 4 Very entertaining movie , that is both an action movie and kind of a comedy as well as there are many funny scenes in it . Jean Reno carries the movie , which is set in a Japanese environment with Japanese gangsters and what not . Certainly preferable to any classical Hollowood movie .
018 4 This is a great movie ! Wasabi is about a police detective ( played by Reno ) who has to travel to Tokyo in order to sort out his past when he learns that the only woman he has ever loved has died . If you are a big fan of Jean Reno you will really enjoy this movie . It has a great combination of action and humor and is a good addition to a movie collection . I highly recommend this film if you are looking for a mixture of action and fun , especially if you are a fan of anything by Jean Reno .
019 4 WASABI is a light-weight Hong Kong action film from writer / producer Luc Besson starring the always charismatic Jean Reno .
High-energy hi-jinks unfold when no-nonsense Paris detective Fiorentini ( Reno ) is summoned to Tokyo to settle the estate of the only woman he loved . He discovers that her death was not an accident and that he's the father of a strong-willed , red-haired , Japanese teenage daughter ( who is worth hundreds of millions of dollars ( not yen ) . Oh yes , and some very , very , very bad guys want the big bucks .
Terrific action set pieces deliver the pleasurable jolt of the spicy title .
I liked this move a lot as a passing diversion . No profound meaning , but it sure looks great and the action rarely lets up for more than a few minutes . And there's plenty of sly wit to season the mayhem .
Much better than you might first guess since you're probably wondering why you haven't heard of this title . With Reno and Besson doing their thing , it's slick and colorful and sly .
020 4 Essentially it's a story about a man ( Jean Reno ) called Hubert . He has no life other than his cop life . He has a tendency to proceed about investigations in a rather violent manner ( he actually punches anyone , good guy or bad guy , who gets in the way or interupts him ) . The chief puts him on leave for 2 months for his violent behavious . Then he gets a phone call from a lawyer telling him that his lover , Miko , has died . The whole movie is about the mystery Miko leaves after her death . Along the way , he manages to find out that he has actually fathered a Japanese daughter ( with Miko ) called Yumi .
This movie can be ' analysing material ' , but not as itself . This is because Jean Reno has this history of playing men who have fighting and shooting as their job description , e.g . The Cleaner in Luc Besson's Nikita ; The Professional . So Jean Reno actually brings his screen experiences on board the show . Unless you happen to be watching him act for the first time , it is quite hard to detach yourself from his film pressence .
The French and Japanese mix is interesting enough . But Japanese culture is not really presented realistically here . Sure , the surface materialistic youth culture carries across , but no more than this . Yumi's plaintive cries for her papa are touching , but shallow . She also cries a whole lot .
The dialogue is witty . The camera angles are nice , especially when Yumi sticks her legs up in the lawyer's office . It's a great movie , not too intense , enjoyable , funny , action packed . Would I buy the DVD ? Probably not . I do not think it bears rewatching .
021 4 Good entertainment , if you want a movie with a happy ending and a lot of dead bad guys.Since the French public prefers American movies to their own , the French now make American style movies.Fun to watch , no more . . . . . . Jean Reno is great . . . . .
022 4 This is a very fun action comedy that throws together a father and daughter that didn't know each other existed . Style , culture clash , humor , and fast paced action are what make this work , as well as some fine performances .
023 4 This review is from :
Wasabi ( DVD )
Great set-up / story . Great characters . Two things I would have liked : more confrontational scenes between Reno & the bad guy and his goons ; and the action ending more drawn-out and more creative than a simple bank shoot-out .
024 4 Great set-up / story . Great characters . Two things I would have liked : more confrontational scenes between Reno & the bad guy and his goons ; and the action ending more drawn-out and more creative than a simple bank shoot-out .
026 4 The movie was easy to locate by the leading persons name . I find Jean Reno to be very good in his role as a detective , never getting over his love for a young lady he had not seen in 18 years and to later find out that he has a daughter by her and that she was murdered . I enjoyed him in the Professional as a hit man who finds a liking for a young girl who hires him to put a hit out on a policeman who kills her family in this movie . I just resently leaned how to surf the internet so tried Amazon again to find this movie . I do find it easy to locate what I need through this websit .
027 4 I remember seeing this movie on pay per view TV once and being awestruck by it . Now that I've seen it again , I've come to appreciate it more . It helps that I think Jean Reno is a marvelous actor , regardless of the kind of Hollywood crap he appears in these days ( Da Vinci Code , the American Godzilla movie , the Rollerball remake ) .
The plot is a little cliched ( character realizes he has a long-lost relative ) , and the additional element of the character traveling to Japan and experiencing culture shock is also a mild cliche , but the other elements of the film overcome this . This film almost never takes itself seriously , from the action scenes that last less than a minute to the film's terrific ending , which I refuse to spoil .
For the most part , Reno puts on a good performance , although he delivers his lines in a slight monotone . Michel Muller is the source of most of the film's humour ( including a scene where Reno and Muller both try wasabi , with heavily varying reactions ) , and the other actors are generally good .
If you're looking for a snappy , self-mocking action film , this is definitely worth checking out . However , I recommend watching the movie in the original French with subtitles , as some of the voices in the dub are horrendous .
028 4 This story of French cop , Hubert ( Jean Reno ) , who travels to Japan following the death of his former lover and discovers a 19 year-old daughter he never knew he had is not Luc Besson's finest movie ( Besson wrote the script of this movie , but did not direct it ) , but it is entertaining enough and Reno is always worth watching . The tone of the script is very much along the lines of Besson's action-comedy , Taxi , with elements of Leon - the Professional thrown in . This film does not take itself too seriously and there are some fun action set-pieces along the way ( the fight scene at the golf range is particularly notable ) , although the film could have been improved by an increase in the number of these action scenes . Overall , I see this film as Besson-light ( much like Bandidas ) . The comedy isn't as fine-tuned as Besson's best comedies and the action isn't up to the same standard as his best action films , but it is still better than a lot of the action-comedies that are around and worth the price of purchase .
029 4 I really enjoyed this movie , and have been looking for the soundtrack for years ! Will say this though - - it's better to watch with the subtitles , with the original actors ' voices . Jean Reno does his voice in the dubbed version though so if all you can find is the dubbed version , it's still a great movie .
030 4 I am a major Jean Reno fan . I think Wasabi is one of his best works , I rented it on VHS , then bought a used copy at Blockbuster on VHS and finally decided it was time to upgrade it to DVD . It is a thoughly entertaining movie , and on a par with Just Visiting . It is one of the real show cases of Reno's comedic / action talent . For several years now Wasabi is one of the standard videos I show people at video get togethers at our home .
031 4 An excellent combination of comedy and action ,
Jean Reno is great in this film
032 4 Jean Reno , once again at his best ( when is he not ? ! ! ) , in a fast paced action movie as a former Intelligence Agent currently burned out on his job who suddenly finds out he is a Dad of 18 years . His daughter , who is superb doesn't know who he is other than her mother's old friend , turns out to be a very fiesty teen who espouses hate for the absentee dad while he's befriending her in the grief of her mother . Danger lurks , action , escapes , and very touching moments . Superb film even for teens with their parents .
033 4 An exhilarating ride that's just as hot as the title implies . It's a family film , a buddy comedy , an action flick , but moist of all it's a French movie . Don't be surprised then that the cinematography is great , the movie is made up of gorgeous color hues . And most of the shots are beautiful . Yet , typical of a French film , this movie doesn't try to be artistic ; it doesn't try to be something it's not and in that it excels .
034 4 Read Cookieman108s review , he says it better than I could . This movie blew me away . I found the movie full of action and comedy . Although not being a fan of foreign films regularly , Jean Reno and Luc Besson are obviously a winning combination . I had seen The Professional years ago , but I hadn't paid much attention to the other movies these two collaborated on . My mistake which I'm correcting . Suffice it to say I will now buy anything the two of them have made . I must say though you probably won't go wrong with anything Reno is in . I caught The Crimson Rivers last night and it was an excellent murder mystery . If you enjoy action movies like The Transporter with some comedy thrown in I think you will like Wasabi . I watched the dubbed version and although other voices sounded a bit odd , Reno's voice sounded like his own to me . Next time I'm going to watch it with the foreign voices and subtitles . Be sure to catch Reno in The Visitors . I bought Wasabi right after I rented it . It was like a cross between a Lethal Weapon and Pink Panther movie . Very entertaining as Reno as a cop finds out his love from twenty years ago has died and named him the will executor . When he gets into trouble at the airport he is saved by a friend that he worked with in coutner-intelligence twenty years ago . Then on arrival in Japan he finds out his love not only left him her millions but a daughter as well that is being followed by the Japanese mafia . What transpires is excellent drama , action , and comedy . I highly recommend it .
035 4 This review is from :
Wasabi ( DVD )
Jean Reno does the Dirty Harry ( burnt out cop ) schtick better than Clint , whether it's in an action flick like the Crimson River series or Ronin or in a comedy such as Wasabi you can count on him to deliver a character that's credible , imposing and soulful .
036 4 Jean Reno does the Dirty Harry ( burnt out cop ) schtick better than Clint , whether it's in an action flick like the Crimson River series or Ronin or in a comedy such as Wasabi you can count on him to deliver a character that's credible , imposing and soulful .
037 4 A fun action ride with some very funny moments . Jean Reno is a wonderful actor . Momo makes for a great sidekick . Contains elements and similarities to films like The Transporter and Leon ( The Professional ) . If you like fun , don't take too serious , in your face , action movies . . . . . . . this is for you .
038 4 This review is from :
Wasabi ( DVD )
I am a big fan of Jean Reno , so I guess that I am a bit biased . This is one fun movie , though even if you are not a fan of Reno . This is in part due to the writing credits of Luc Besson , a long-time collaborator of Reno's , famously teaming together for the brilliant Leon aka ' The Professional , my all time favorite piece of cinema ! While this movie doesn't have the depth and brilliant script of Leon , it is certainly a fine piece of work from both Besson and Reno . Adding to the wonderful spicy flavor of this dish , we have Hirosue Ryoko , who is an absolute gem as Hubert's surprise daughter , and Michael Muller , Hubert's longtime partner , who is hillarious when he takes a big scoop of wasabi and puts it in his mouth , the look on his face . . . . priceless ! ! We should see more of him in domestic movies , he is quite a card ! The cast plays off each other very well and the scene with Hubert's past love , lying in the coffin as Reno looks at her , is very touching and sweet . Bottom line , this is a sweet fun movie , plenty of action , humor and entertains divinely ! ! The movie also has a wonderful soundtrack , although it is not available here in the states , but definitely worth going to the trouble to get . I highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a great fun movie and it will be definitely worth the time you spend to watch ! ! ! Hai !
039 4 I am a big fan of Jean Reno , so I guess that I am a bit biased . This is one fun movie , though even if you are not a fan of Reno . This is in part due to the writing credits of Luc Besson , a long-time collaborator of Reno's , famously teaming together for the brilliant Leon aka ' The Professional , my all time favorite piece of cinema ! While this movie doesn't have the depth and brilliant script of Leon , it is certainly a fine piece of work from both Besson and Reno . Adding to the wonderful spicy flavor of this dish , we have Hirosue Ryoko , who is an absolute gem as Hubert's surprise daughter , and Michael Muller , Hubert's longtime partner , who is hillarious when he takes a big scoop of wasabi and puts it in his mouth , the look on his face . . . . priceless ! ! We should see more of him in domestic movies , he is quite a card ! The cast plays off each other very well and the scene with Hubert's past love , lying in the coffin as Reno looks at her , is very touching and sweet . Bottom line , this is a sweet fun movie , plenty of action , humor and entertains divinely ! ! The movie also has a wonderful soundtrack , although it is not available here in the states , but definitely worth going to the trouble to get . I highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a great fun movie and it will be definitely worth the time you spend to watch ! ! ! Hai !
041 4 I took a chance and bought this DVD because I like Jean Reno and Luc Besson . MONEY WELL SPENT . Worth every penny ! I loved this movie . I had to show it to other people . They loved it ! They went and bought the DVD ! Great action . Funny action . A French cop with an Italian name in Japan . I love it ! The department store scene was priceless . If you like action movies with humor , get this ! Your DVD collection is incomplete without it . As far as the guy who didn't like the subtitles . . . turn them off . ( The subtitles were sanitized . )
Buy it . Watch it . Enjoy it .
043 4 A tough Parisian cop , Hubert Fiorentini ( Jean Reno ) , accidentally beats up the Police Chief's son and is asked to take some time off . In the process , his long lost love of19 years back appears to have died and has given him everything in her will . This means that he has to go to Japan and as he arrives he also finds out that he has a daughter that is now 19 years old who has developed a huge dislike for authority . In addition , there is a bank account with 200 million dollars in it and someone is trying to threaten him and his daughter in order to get it . A question remains as to where the money came from and who is after it . Wasabi is an action comedy that plays with parody as Hubert drags along his huge .44mm Magnum Smith & Wesson , however , the story gets lost in the jokes . This serves as the foundation for a cinematic experience that is neither remarkable or common .
044 4 Great movie , great cinematics , great no-plot and great fun . . . only if you literally swallow Wasabi down your throat just exactly as Jean Reno does by almost the end of the movie . Forget the good-ol ' Reno-The-Cleaner ( Nikita ) , do not expect any twisting , noir and all-french action-plot : just pretend your are reading a colorful comic-book with plenty of no-brainer action .
Besson should get back to deeper , more elaborated plots , with possibly less color extravaganza and much more atmosphere and acting .
045 4 Luckily for me , both my parents are French so I at total ease listening to the original track . . . sigh . . It is brilliant . Brilliantly acted too . But the english subtitles are so far off the mark . . . deep sigh . . .
I won't profess to having any worthwhile advice . If you can understand french welll enough that the subtitles only just help you , then you will love it .
If you rely solely on the subtitles , it will be hit or miss depending on your threshold of comedy .
Really , the subtitles are just not reflective of the spoken dialogue / comedy . Ah , I'll make a recommendation : don't buy it . And this is for a movie I rate 4.5 stars . Sad .
046 4 Wasabi , one of the latest products of Luc Besson sector . However anti-American movie fans have raised their ` Yankee Go Home ' banners ; to my mind this comedy - action film which is harmonized with French - Japon sensibilities , can be an alternative film to American movies .
Luc Besson - Jean Reno cooperation is going on . Leading character Hubert is a puncher policeman just like in American movies , ignoring legal details , fighting against the bad people . Again just like in American movies , Hubert has a chief who is complaining and shouting all the times ; at the other hand he likes Hubert . Love book of Hubert is empty for 19 years , after a Japon woman has broken his heart and left him with memories , meal descriptions and a beautiful pen . Hubert has closed his love book and has focused on crime world . Then he learns that his Japan woman has died and has left him an inheritance : a daughter . Time for a Japan voyage .
Just focusing on the story , it is easy to think that this film doesn't have any difference from American ones . But this film isn't an American popcorn movie ; it is a French / Japan popcorn movie .
There are enough big guns , rocket launchers , bombs ; but the action scenes is not in American style , Hubert generally finishes his work quickly with one punch . In American movies the bullets let people fly backward for 2 meters ; Hubert can fly people for 5 meters .
Sense of humor which is full of small coincidences and comic events is extremely French . Lets turn to the Japan side of the film : there are many Japan people . The beautiful girl of the film is Hubert's Japan daughter Yumi . I find her very cute with her teenage gestures and phone talks beginning with ` mochie , mochie ' .
By this film , I've surprised that there are many Japan including policemen and mobsters speaking French very well .
If you want to watch a French ( and a little Japan ) comedy - action movie similar with American ones ( but not in American style ) , I'll advice you this film . At worst you will lose time .
047 4 There is nothing special about this movie . The action is ok , the humor is not especially funny , and it is sometimes slow . It delivers nothing new to the audiences .
048 4 This was silly at the beginning , silly in the middle , and I don't what at the end given that I was so bored I stopped watching it halfway through . It intends to be funny but falls way short , the characters are annoying - the spunky daughter he suddenly inherits is a willful smart-ass teenager , and the inspector is not convincing as a dad trying to protect his newfound daughter nor as a tough-cracking investigating officer . I regret the sleep I missed for this .
049 4 why do people even care of make these movies especially with great actors like Reno . I would like to know what Reno himself feels about this movie once he had seen it after completion . incoherent completely abnormal and pathetic story line . something between James Bond and Black Rain . This is a disaster of a movie . most directors think that if they can take the plot to Japan or Korea then every thing can be solved using the gang related plot . Well then you end up with this kind of junk movie . This is not worth watching
