VersusVersus is one pretty unique concept for a martial arts film.  Basically it’s like a supernatural Zombie vs Yakuza style action flick that takes place in the woods.

So yeah,  it’s a little different.

So the introduction lets us know that are 666 portals (nice coincidental number) on earth that connect this world to the other side. Where this movie takes place, there is the 444th portal which resurrects the dead (apparently).

We’ve got two brothers who fought some 500 years ago and were killed.  We learn that both have been resurrected but also of the bodies in the area seem to be coming to life also.  So using their guns, swords and extensive martial arts skills, they fight off zombies to survive, whilst trying to fight each other.  This means killing everyone twice as when they are killed they come back to life shortly after.

As these two brothers powers reach their peak they must fight each other in a fast paced action show down.

The Prisoner

Something a little different

I’m sure we’ve all asked the question, what would a Yakuza/martial arts action movie be like with zombies?

Ok, well I haven’t but someone out there obviously did!

The way the events of this film unfold and we learn about the characters and their past is pretty cool.  Around every corner the universe expands slightly, keeping  things interesting and always moving.  Without giving away anything, the movie ends with a nice little twist just to top it all off.

The zombie theme combined with the way the story is told and the eventual twist make it a really entertaining watch with a winning combination.  Our man character (known as Prisoner KSC2-303) plays a bit of an anti hero, carrying a nice hard edge which adds further to the film’s hard hitting image.

The film isn’t exactly deep though, and is merely a cool supernatural action film with some killer fights.

Ready to Fight

The Action & Martial Arts

Versus was an independent film shot with a low budget.  This alone really impresses me considering the overall quality of the film’s action.

Our leading man, the Prisoner, is played by a martial artist and underground street fighter named Tak Sakaguchi, who debuted in this movie and performs extremely well in these well shot and choreographed fights.

Each fight is fast and furious offering a lot of visually impressive movements in a mixture of chopped up shots that set the pace of the action as vicious and exciting.  Eventually of the main men get their hands on some epic swords and add a new layer of action as the sword fights seem to come together as well as the hand to hand fight scenes.

The action reminds me more of a ‘Hong kong / Hollywood’ (leaning more toward HK) style of fighting compared to other Japanese martial arts films I’ve seen – with the emphasis on intensity.  It’s an entertaining combination of cool style and martial arts style fighting which surpasses expectations of a small independent film.

The Verdict?

A unique and modern classic of martial arts mixed up with the supernatural themes and zombies.  Worked for me, check it out!

On Blu Ray –

Region A (US & Canada)
Versus

On DVD –

Region 1 (US & Canada)
Versus (Special Edition)

Region 2 (UK, Europe, etc)
Versus [DVD] [2000]

More info on Movie Regions here.

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