Age of Heroes (2011)

A special British commando unit has been ordered on a suicide mission into Nazi held Norway to compromise an early form of radar. Pretty cool and believable war movie. The cast is small so its easier to identify with the characters. Nothing real heavy although some of the interrogation scenes may be tough for delicate constitutions to watch. They make it real easy to cheer for the good guys in this one. If you are tired of comedies and don't want something that will make you cry or drain you to watch, this wouldn't be a bad choice.

Drive Angry (2011)

A man escapes from Hell to avenge his daughter and save his grandchild. This film has the feel of a group of people listing stuff they think would be cool to see in a movie and everyone is agreed when Nick Cage yells 'from hell!'. Lots of action, lots of FX, cool cars and not a lot of character development or sticky mish-mash. If you enjoyed Ghost Rider (2007) chances are good you will enjoy this one as well.

Green Lantern (2011)

An alien crashes to earth and bestows a ring of astonishing power upon a bungling test pilot. This one is likely to satisfy fans and non fans alike. There are no forced laugh lines, no over cooked romance scenes, and some very cool FX. The story and dialogue flow naturally and all players are in good form. Did I mention cool FX? I look forward to the sequel so we can meet more of the corps and which I predict will be the downfall of Sinestro, given they set it up. Hard to go wrong with this one- good action and cool FX- a flick the whole family can enjoy. Recommended.

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

Po the dragon warrior learns the secret of his origins. As funny as the first with a couple laugh out loud moments (the street dragon scene is hilarious!). No way you miss with this one. Be prepared for a 3rd (oh geez) as the sequel for Rise of the Panda is built in. Stellar voice cast. Highly Recommended.

Your Highness (2011)

Fighting for the girl of his dreams a prince must depend on his bungling stoner brother to help him rescue her from a evil wizard. Not the side splitter the trailers made it look to be (yeah big shock I know) but no where near as bad as it could be. I'm thinking this movie was formulated during a weekend D&D session as much of the comedy seems to revolve around genitalia or the lack thereof. Action is fairly good but well within Hollyweird canned formula. Enjoy it for what it is, would make a good rental for a stoner comedy double header.

Thor (2011)

The god of thunder is stripped of his powers and banished to Midgard for crimes against the kingdom of Asgard. For those of you who know nothing about Thor this movie will be better than fair despite some painfully cheesy and forced laugh lines (how many times you going to hit him with a car?). For those of us who know Thor this is another come up short for Hollyweird. While its not a complete disaster, they take a lot of liberties with a guy who is supposedly the fiercest warrior in a realm of warriors. If you can get past that, the Dawsons Creek dialogue, and the predictability, you are left with some cool FX, action and a surprisingly cool portrayal of Loki. Oh and the built in plug to the Avengers movie. Marvel movies are starting to look, unfortunately, more and more like their comics.. speaking for myself I am tired of plug-n-play and would welcome something that requires a little chewing. Artwork is nice, but you need story for an encore.

Priest (2011)

The war between man and vampire has ended.. or has it? One Priest will defy the Church when a loved one is taken in a raid. This is basically a rehash of Judge Dredd (1995) with vampires and 3D gimmicks, some story tweaking aside, but not near as cheesy. Action is very good throughout as are the FX. It does have a built in sequel that promises to be much more violent and bloody than this one. The story is set in a 'old west' style theme with 'modern' civilization being confined in huge walled cities. This should appeal to adrenaline junkies, vampire slayer buffs, and those who like movie watching on the lighter side. Thankfully there is no 'comic relief' redshirt.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)

When terrorists steal a new super weapon the services of a multi national spec ops organization is called upon. Okay I have to admit I wasn't expecting much from this one, especially after talking myself into seeing Masters of the Universe (1987) (IMDb gives it 5 stars.. o.O I will never live it down). However with the awesomeness that was Transformers (2007) I decided to give this a go and am glad I did. This is a very entertaining veggie watch movie with just enough back story to keep the plot all plump and succulent. There is nothing heavy here, just a whole lot of fun.. cool FX.. action.. and one hell of a built in sequel. If you are in the mood for just something just north of mindless fun this wouldn't be a bad choice.

Beowulf & Grendel (2005)

A warrior of renown sets off to aid a foreign king against a terrible monster. This is a much more 'realistic' telling of the story of Beowulf than the highly stylized and top heavy Beowulf (2007) that would claim the spotlight 2 years later. If you have to pick one of the two and want a solid story told in a 'historic' manner, then this is the one I would go with. Gerard Butler portrays Beowulf in a manner that is mighty and honorable as well as thoughtful and humble. Compare to The 13th Warrior (1999). Fans of the genre should not be disappointed. Recommended.

Immortal (Ad Vitam) (2004)

In the year 2095 a Pyramid appears floating over New York City. For seven days Horus is free to roam before his sentence is carried out. This is a tasty little gem of a sci-fi story in the style of the late 1970's and early 80's Heavy Metal magazine. Partially animated, the story is one of competing interests by powerful forces (the idea, the corporation, the politician, the alien, and the god). Live action FX are on the weak side, but the animation is top shelf. Its a lot to wrap your brain around in a relatively short period of time, they don't connect all the dots but its not overly complex. This isn't going to appeal to everyone, in fact I imagine the interest will be rather narrow. If the name Allgood means something to you, you may want to give this a watch. Hard core sci-fi fans and seekers are encouraged to see this one.

The Way Back (2010)

Based on actual if somewhat unbelievable events, a group of men escape from a Siberian gulag and walk 4000 miles overland to India. While listed as a drama the character development is fairly light and straight forward with roles being clearly defined early on and each staying in character throughout. While showcasing the incredible, and in places icky, hardships this band endured the real magic for me was the amazing scenery. Once free of the gulag viewers are treated to about an hour of some of the most stunning on location wide shots of landscape both beautiful and harsh. Its like taking a vacation on your couch. If you need a break from loud flashes and mythical creatures this one has your name on it. Despite the harsh story, viewing is easy and fairly light. Recommended.

Insidious (2010)

When they find out the source of the haunting isn't the house, but their son who is in a coma, the father's childhood becomes the key to getting him back. Poltergeist (1982) gets an upgrade in this better than your average thriller. Like the aforementioned, the creepy factor starts very high then falls off into an action style fight against the supernatural. Of course this is the same guy who brought us Saw (2004) and Dead Silence (2007) so don't waste your time waiting for the warm fuzzy at the end. Nice medium intensity hair raiser with good tension.

Super (2010)

Franks life was defined by two events.. when drugs and criminals seek to rob him of one of those God steps in to show him his destiny. This is one brutally zany flick.. from Monty Python style humor to gore and violence this is a movie of extremes. A mash up of Defendor (2009) and Kick-Ass (2010) with all the polish of a Dave Chappelle celebrity roast after a week long binger. From pipe wrenches to pipe bombs the Crimson Bolt is out to exterminate crime.. add to this a psychotic nymphomaniac and tips from The Holy Avenger and its hard to imagine making this trip any more bizarre. Mindless fun. Twisty humors only need apply.

Hobo with a Shotgun (2011)

In a town gone mad with vice and violence one man stands up from the gutter and screams "I'M TIRED AND I NEED MONEY FOR A MOWER!". There is so much cheese on this one you have to pay extra! A wonderful low budget exploration into blood bath exploitation! If you like your movies somber and serious then don't even pick up the box because this is anything but.. revolving disgust, humor, and in your face raw nastiness this leaps right off with terrible puns, juvenile antics and wonderfully awful one liners that for some reason work great. This isn't Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama (1988) but they probably have similar budgets. If you are a fan of the drive in double headers then this has your name on it. Great fun!

Limitless (2011)

A man who's life is on the skids stumbles across a wonder drug that enables him to unlock the power of his brain. A fairly cool zero to hero story presented in the now popular narration style. This isn't a squishy story about self discovery or lost love, instead you get a movie tribute to Huey Lewis 'I Want a New Drug' with plenty of action and tension. A very enjoyable watch that will appeal to the get rich quick in all of us.

The Eagle (2011)

A valiant Roman officer seeks to restore honor to his family name by recovering the lost standard of the infamous 9th Legion. In many ways this is similar to Centurion (2010) plot wise.. the differences in story and characters are fairly inconsequential but there is a fair bit more grit in this one. Two big fight scenes, one at the beginning one at the end.. fairly sanitary in that they let your imagination do most the work for the blood and gore. In some ways this could be looked upon as a sequel to Centurion. Fans of the genre shouldn't be disappointed.

Source Code (2011)

A man wakes up in the body of another man with 8 minutes to live. This is a mix of Deja Vu (2006) and Groundhog Day (1993) (trade humor for romance) with some RoboCop (1987) flavoring. Sound confusing? Well this will be your condition for about the first 20 minutes of this film; once things are laid out you won't have too much trouble keeping abreast of the story. If you are a fan of the temporal paradox like I am, then chances are good you will enjoy this one. But it doesn't stop there, we get a little romance and a warm fuzzy tacked on the end so your lady friend won't sit and stare daggers at you the whole time because you are such a geek.. well she might, but it won't be because of this movie. Something a little different, a flirt with the weird.. oh go on, you can always take a shower after. Platter of baby back ribs and an appletini.

Sucker Punch (2011)

At the moment of truth anything is possible. Okay here we go... this one is a mind bender. If you gag ball your brain and just watch the movie you will be treated to a mish mash of Dragons, Orcs, giant Samurai, steam powered Nazis, and I-Robot style death machines told over the span of 4 adventures. Baby Doll leads a band of Comicon wet dream style erotic dancers (each in appropriate costume) on missions that start and end with an unbelievable amount of ass kicking. Fun Fun Fun. But now your brain has spit out the gag ball and is screaming 'What the Hell is going on?!' Because all this is supposedly happening in a fantasy world contained within Baby Doll's on stage gyrations and coincide with real world actions which we find out is a hallucination. Now do you understand why you need to shackle that troublesome brain? To enjoy this movie treat it like a roller coaster.. get in, hang on, and enjoy the ride. If dragons fighting B-24's are something you can groove to then join the geek fest! Tasty mystery meat. 0.0!

Knowing (2009)

An astrophysicist is confronted with the sudden answer to an age old question and a horrifying revelation. This is a great story in an okay movie. If you are a fan of premonitions and prophecies then I expect your reaction to this film will be similar to mine..with wonderful tingles up the spine at all the right moments. FX are very good, especially in the last 5-8 minutes or so. The characters are not well developed and some of their actions don't really make much sense.. the time span of the movie is measured in days so you would expect characters to stay fairly consistent.. but I doubt it will be so noticeably bad that anyone will pull the disk out of their player and set it on fire. Sci-fi and end of the world types apply within.

Red Riding Hood (2011)

The 1062nd retelling of the classic old fairy tale, and only the 1045th version with a werewolf, Little Red is once again threatened by the big bad wolf. A fairytale setting with some cool FX and sequences and Gary Oldman wasn't enough to save an already over done and thin story from the doldrums. Its pretty obvious from early on that a stick figure with puffy lips rolling around her absurdly large eyes was supposed to be the one to carry this movie.. she doesn't. Now I'm not ready yet to call this a complete waste of time, some of the new tweaks were interesting, but by and large this is one that will be quickly forgotten. Save your cash and make it a rental if you must. Third day leftovers.

Unstoppable (2010)

A run away train carrying dangerous freight is just hours away from causing the worst disaster in Pennsylvania history. Once again we are treated to the lesson that its not the story but how you tell it that makes for great entertainment. Denzel Washington is joined by a very impressive Rosario Dawson in creating just the right formula of tension, excitement, and hoorah! for a 'based on actual events' winner as they race to prevent the devastation. Aside from a couple places where they drop the F-bomb, this is family friendly viewing. Highly Recommended.

Arn: The Knight Templar (2007)

Accused of crimes against the church Arn is separated from his true love Cecilia and sent to fight in the crusades while she is sentanced to a nunnery for 20 years. This is a very good Swedish made period piece and a top shelf bit of cinema. The story is pretty evenly split between Arn and Cecilia with each holding to their honor while being mistreated by those jealous of them. While there is action and sword fighting, this is for the most part a drama and love story and comes off as more 'realistic' than Braveheart (1995) just to pick a name. Of course being realistic means its not comic book exciting with lots of color and noise, but rather more relaxed and subtle. Anyone who enjoys the genre should find this well within the margin of enjoyable and entertaining. Chicken Alfredo with a glass of Chardonnay. Recommended.

Season of the Witch (2011)

Two knights who have had their fill of slaughter and killing leave the crusades only to find themselves pressed into service by the church once again to deliver an accused witch for trial at a distant abbey. Historically flavored swords and sorcery fantasy action with a side of supernatural is what you get with this one, which is a lot of words to say 'she's a witch!'. I found this to be fairly entertaining and only wished they would have stretched the middle of the story out some more. Nothing real heavy here, just light entertainment with swords. Not going to win any awards, although I thought Claire Foy (pictured) does a superb job as 'the girl' a.k.a.the witch. I would say make this a rental.

Paul (2011)

A couple blokes from the UK on holiday in the US for a whirlwind Comicon/Alien sightseeing tour are in for a shock when they encounter a real Alien. This is pretty much a gimme for Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Seth Rogen fans. The pitch is that Paul (the Alien) has been influencing our culture since his crash in Roswell, so the movie uses bits and pieces of a dozen other movies in the telling. Humor is soft serve, mostly understated, and a bit randy in places so gird your virgin sensibilities. If you enjoyed their other stuff no reason to think you won't be entertained by this one as well. A six pack and a roasted wanker.

Rango (2011)

A house kept chameleon vaudevillian bounces out of the car and into the role of a lifetime. Animated. This starts out fairly light and goofy with sight gags and colorful characters (look close for the Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) plug) and moves into a stereotypical western style story with Rango making up stories as he goes along. No big surprises in this one, unfortunately no big laughs either. Interesting cameo near the end. Hard to say what demographic they were aiming for. Regular chips with ranch dip.

Battle: Los Angeles (2011)

Marines versus Aliens in L.A. This starts out very promising with cool FX and just enough prologue to get everyone on deck. Once the action starts its fairly butt puckering until about halfway into the movie, then the tempo changes. What starts out as fairly straight forward US vs THEM sci-fi shoot-em-up turns into a PSA for soul searching and bonding on the battlefield. Personally I have no problem with that kind of movie and thought Black Hawk Down (2001) was an excellent example of being more than just a action movie. However it doesn't work in this case in large part because I only connected with two of the characters.. the rest could have been Lego blocks. But things do ramp back up for the finale' with a great big OORAH! (and a built in sequel). Over all not a bad viewing experience, just not what I had hoped for. But they do a great job with the FX and mechanics so visually its not disappointing.

The Good Heart (2009)

A crotchety old man dying from a failing heart meets a homeless boy who tried to kill himself. Seems a match made in heaven. Even though this is listed as a drama I found it funny and laughed out loud in places.. maybe its just me. Brain Cox does bastard like few people can and he really ramps up in this role. As the owner of a seedy back alley bar he decides to make the homeless kid he meets in the hospital his ward. Even though much of the movie comes as no surprise, it doesn't take away from its enjoyment and while I thought I had things figured out early my mind started to change as the movie progressed. Definitely aimed at a mature audience. If you are able to laugh at everyday things I think you will find this one as entertaining as I did. Call this one roasted duck with brandy sauce. Recommended.

The Next Three Days (2010)

A model family has their fairytale life turned upside down when wife and mother is convicted of murder. This is about as entertaining as a movie is likely to get that will appeal equally to him and her. There is romance, tension, drama, loyalty, action... a very smartly done piece of cinema. It never gets too heavy or too jovial, maintains a good pace with enough peppery intrigue to keep your attention on the screen without laying it on so thick you are worn out at the end. I have one small bitch about a scene towards the end that actually causes me to yell at the character, but I drink a lot of coffee and I no longer smoke. A very well done beating the odds style movie. Recommended.

Flashbacks of a Fool (2008)

A fading star looks back over his life remembering the moment he chose one path over the other. While I imagine most women and some of the men will go see this for Daniel Craig nudity, there really is a serious story involved. I guess how hard a gut check this is will depend where you find yourself in the spectrum of regret with the choices you have made. Definitely aimed at the mature audience, the tale is told from the primary player's point of view with some third person thrown in to fill the gaps. The long road to closure I guess. Maybe a little nostalgia. Best served up as a solo event for a quiet thoughtful evening. For the women who will be wondering, no boys didn't make a habit of hiding in fun houses and masturbating with our friends.. but guilty as charged for most of the rest... O.o

Star Trek (2009)

This is an origins/reboot of the upstart James Tiberius Kirk and friends in an alternative timeline. Clear? lol. The movie starts with the temporal shift and the birth of Kirk. It bounces back and forth between Kirk and Spock with the other characters being introduced as the story moves forward. I enjoyed this movie. All the new players are great in their roles, especially Spock and Scotty. Zachary Quinto really nails the Spock character and improves on it. The one downside unfortunately is the inclusion of Leonard Nimoy as Spock Prime. But its not so bad that it destroys more than a couple scenes. This is a movie that could have benefited from another 30 to 40 minutes as some of it was a bit rushed. You don't have to be a Trek fan to enjoy this, but hardcore trekkers may take issue. I'm kind of excited and look forward to a second movie from this bunch. Recommended.

Mr. Nobody (2009)

The worlds last mortal shares his 9 lives. WOW! Movies like this only come along every now and again. Funny that the entire story is conjured in seconds around a single premise.. brilliant! (yeah I know you are scratching your head). This is one that defies words.. its got romance and mystery and sci-fi and weird stuff and humor and science and its all coming at you from Mars. Go find your brain and give it a good cleaning, you should have it with you for this one. Quality story telling with a moral. Highly Recommended.

The Mechanic (2011)

Jason Statham is Arthur Bishop in this remake of Charles Bronson's classic The Mechanic (1972). For those unfamiliar, Mechanic in this case means assassin. Growing up the Bronson version was one of my favorites and I used to terrorize my family with the 'lickin' chicken' line whenever I could. I'm going to state my bias right up front, nothing will replace the original for me. That said what we do have is an entertaining film with Stratham doing what Statham does best.. kick ass. Interestingly enough however, the big fight scene features Bishop's half pint apprentice in a rock-em sock-em slug fest of death with a mountainous homosexual hit man. Lots to like for Stratham fans, adrenaline junkies, and people who like the screen bristling with flashes and noise. There are some clever subtleties, like the first hit, that deserve praise as well as some story tweaking that removes any hint of the humor of the first. They do keep half the memorable ending however which came as a great relief. A bucket of Chicken Lickin'. Recommended.

Takers (2010)

A group of skilled and successful thieves find themselves in a world of hurt when their world comes crashing in and a pit bull cop catches their scent. This is a well written, well played, well presented high energy film with lots of style and flair. Plot devices are clever, easy to believe and follow the flow very well. This is good stuff. Well polished. Although there is a significant amount of gun play and violence, blood and gore is minimal. I really enjoyed this one.. easy and fun.. Steak and a cold beer. Highly Recommended

The King's Speech (2010)

At the beginning of World War II King George VI of Britain realized his worse fear.. public speaking! What I was sure was going to be a dry drama turned out to be quite a treat. This is a docudrama that begins in pre WWII England. Albert was never supposed to be King, but when his brother abdicated, the stuttering Duke of York was suddenly thrust onto the throne. Geoffrey Rush plays the man who would become his speech coach and lifelong friend. A heartwarming tale about friendship and overcoming fear and adversity. Hard to imagine anyone aside from the most extreme adrenaline junkie not enjoying this film. Call it bangers and mash with a lovely spotted dick to finish. Recommended.

Dead Space: Downfall (Video 2008) / Dead Space: Aftermath (Video 2011)

Animated. A strange alien monolith is found in deep space that causes madness and mayhem.. oh and weird zombies with many arms. The animation varies from good to fair. I imagine the interest in these two videos will be narrow at best. Lots of gore and violence. The story was nothing special although I did like how they wrapped up both videos, being the sick fatalist that I am. Fans of the game may like this, along with genre and animation junkies (I fall into that later category). I wouldn't have a problem with my younger children watching this but that would be a judgement call. Even though the story line runs concurrent, either will stand alone for solo viewing. A greasy taco.

The Tourist (2010)

An encounter with a mysterious woman on a train to Venice turns out to be more than Frank the math teacher from Wisconsin bargained for. This is a cutesy chick flick love story that uses the backdrop of Venice and a measure of espionage to create a very watchable film. Not to be a killjoy but I found there to be a lack of chemistry between the two lead players, with Jolie being very aloof and distant (I do find this a better look for her though, as opposed to the skank look) while Depp is whimsical and a bit stiff.. none of the heat from Chocolat (2000). But there are enough other elements to keep you from getting hung up on that. So nothing real heavy.. a little danger, a little intrigue, a little of this a little of that and you have this nice safe chick flick that won't have the guys squirming. Make this a rental or a matinee.

Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

Just as annoying as the first one but relies on different tactics for the scares. The Spectre of the Blair Witch returns for this 'shot from video' style movie about haunting and possession. The jump and creepy factor is high, unfortunately so is the annoyance factor. Why these people never seem to own a flashlight is beyond me. The kind of movie that guys take gals to so they can cop a feel. To be fair this is a better movie than the first one, but I wasn't a real fan of either. Please.. movie powers that be... bury the Blair Witch, shes starting to stink.

Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie (2010)

Animated. An understrength squad of super bad ass shock troops are sent to investigate a distress call. From the Warhammer game and book series. Animation is up to par with what you will see on 2010 gaming systems. Dark and violent with an interesting premise I found this to be a fairly enjoyable viewing experience. I do wish movie makers would learn the basics of firearm mechanics, especially when they are going to do close-ups of the weapons in action and feature them so prominently. This is my pet peeve however, the typical viewer may not even notice. Be that what it may, if you are a fan there is no reason to believe this will disappoint. Those unfamiliar will be treated to a dark and violent hour and change worth of 'they didn't have cartoons like this when I was a kid' (of course they did, you just didn't know where to look) and a tasty battle chainsaw.. fairly mindless action and gore with a story.. Enjoy!

Vanishing on 7th Street (2010)

All but a handful of people vanish when the power goes out. This is a Motown mix of Dark City (1998), Phantoms (1998), and Genesis. A small group of people struggle to keep the advancing darkness, and the figures within the darkness, from snatching them leaving clothes and possessions behind. Throughout the movie various references are made so that when the movie ends you will understand the Genesis comparison. At first I had those wonderful goosepimplies running over my body but after about 30 minutes my attention started to wander a bit. A series of character flashbacks tend to break any build-up in the tension in addition to a 'I'm going to count to 3!' overtone that draws out into 'two and a half.... two and two thirds...' that really worked against an already thin storyline (I mean come on.. the generator is dying for 2/3rds of the movie). This may work for you if you don't watch many movies and want something mildly spooky that may stick with you for a little while.

I Spit on Your Grave: Unrated (2010)

A young writer rents a cabin in the sticks for some peace and quiet. She gets neither. This movie is a mix of Hostel: Part II (2007), Hard Candy (2005) and any number of hillbillies gone bad films. The set up is fairly standard horror movie fare with a group of assholes gang raping the lead. Now without giving anything away the story reaches a fork where it could go in one of two directions and I started to get goosebumps. Unfortunately that's not the path the movie follows but this doesn't make the direction it does take suck. A good vengeance style movie that will benefit from a lack of scrutiny, especially as it nears completion.

Exam (2009)

Eight candidates seek a position with a powerful and mysterious cooperation and are seated together in a room and given 80 minutes to answer a question that isn't asked.
A fairly engaging mystery drama that remains elusive right to the end. Bring your brain for this one, its not likely to help you figure anything out but you are less likely to get bored. Tension builds well and its not long before some of the characters are acting in a manner that is almost less than believable. I don't want to give anything away, but the ending is kind of like finding a pearl in an oyster.

The Hunter (2010)

A man returns home from hunting to find his wife and child have been killed in a police shootout crossfire. After finding no satisfaction from the police, he decides to kill a couple policemen at random. The language of this film is Persian, so I'm guessing it is supposed to take place in the Iran region, I had initially thought India. This is a easy but complex movie. What is in the mind of the lead player is never given to us, we are left to guess why he does the things he does. The quality of the film is good as are the players and there are enough plot twists to keep things unpredictable. There are too many other movies out there that are far more satisfying an experience to recommend this one, but if you are like me and seek the oddness in the world this may be for you.

Blades of Blood (2010)

A son who survives the political slaying of his family teams up with a blind swordsman as they seek vengeance. Pretty cool Korean period movie taking place during the Japanese invasions of the late 1500's. One of the Korean political parties, led by a charismatic and skillful swordsman, seeks to seize control of the government to repel the Japanese invaders. While much of the action is similar to Japanese and Chinese movies, there are subtle differences that I found interesting to note. Much of this film plays out as a drama with the action being fairly brief, brutal and widespread. Something a little different. Pickled cabbage and ginger with rice.

The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (2003)

A blind man who is actually a master swordsman rids a village of the gang that terrorizes them. Zatôichi / Ichi (One) is a long running character in a series of Japanese TV and movie productions, sort of the Japanese version of Kung Fu (TV Series 1972–1975). While the actual plot line has been about beaten to death there is enough creative character twist (and subplot) as well as the cultural element that more than counter anything negative from that. The FX are a bit lacking, perhaps early CGI or edited in after, but the action is top notch and brutal. Fans of the Kung Fu series and the genre in general should find this highly enjoyable. Sushi from Kyoto in JAX.