| The
Review: |
While "Wasabi" may appear to be
just another foreign action flick, viewers will be surprised
at how little the film relies on the usual venues of the genre.
With only two minor shootouts and one explosion to its name,
there's more than enough room to be filled in the short 96-minute
running time. Fortunately, with Luc Besson helming the script,
and Jean Reno inhabiting the main role, what could have easily
become a stupid, moronic exercise in failed style ends up
turning into a bright, breezy, comedy/thriller that has as
many laughs as it does illogical plot developments. ***
Reno is Hubert Fiorentini, a Parisian
police officer whose methods of bringing criminals to justice
have a history of being somewhat extreme (even still, it's
rather funny watching him kick the crap out of an entire legion
of would-be drag gueen bank robbers). The story hook comes
when he receives notice that his former lover, who left him
when the two lived in Japan, has recently passed on. Or did
she? His arrival in Tokyo signals the surfacing of some new
clues leading to the realization that she was murdered; from
here on, the film is pretty much predictable, right down to
the final standoff between Hubert and the killer, not to mention
an entire group of gun-toting hitmen. ***
The story may be second-rate, late-night,
TV-movie fodder, but director Gérard Krawczyk manages to incorporate
enough fun and vivacity into the proceedings to transform
it into a pleasing ride. His style is top-notch, incorporating
a groovin' techno soundtrack to accentuate his slick, high-gloss
vision. Reno looks as if he's having a great deal of fun with
the character, especially as he tries to deal with the sudden
fact that he's the father of Yumi (Ryoko Hirosue), the secret
kept from him by his lover until her death. And as the goofy
sidekick, Momo, Michel Muller is absolutely hilarious, stealing
every scene he grazes. ***
The best part about "Wasabi" is
its action, a delightful blend of humor and energy that really
kicks booty. It's all routine, without a doubt, but also very
effective in generating some good-natured chuckles, especially
a sequence in a shopping mall where Hubert singlehandedly
takes out seven would-be attackers without breaking his stride.
It's this high-spirited sense of fun that makes the movie's
flaws easy to overlook; in the end, it may not be as extreme
or mouth-watering as its namesake, but "Wasabi" knows how
to get us going, and where we want to go.
|
| Image
and Sound |
The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen
transfer for "Wasabi" is another fine effort from Columbia
Tristar. The movie's slick visual appearance is preserved
exquisitely by the blemish-free picture, which is almost completely
free of film noise and artifacts. There is some very slight
haloing around the pristine edges, but it's hardly worth noting;
small object detail is terrific, and overall clarity superb.
Colors are rich and vibrant, accurately saturated with no
bleeding or noise. Contrast is also a big plus, with great
light-to-dark transitions and deep, pure blacks. A very impressive
picture indeed. ***
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track
(French, that is, not the horrid English dub) is also a rewarding
experience. Full engagement of the surrounds is almost constant,
with some of the most impressive imaging you'll hear anywhere.
Voices and sounds drift from channel to channel as characters
walk through hallways and into rooms, while the techno score
gives off little beeps and blips that have such a wonderful
ambiance. Dialogue sounds natural and isn't overpowered by
everything else. Deep bass, while not quite as powerful as
I had hoped, is still very rich and clean, and only shows
up when needed (which is almost always!). So crank it up and
have a blast!
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