Wasabi

[Bobtheduck]

Wasabi is a French movie by Luc Besson, the director of Léon (the Professional, with Jean Reno and Natalie Portman) and Fifth Element. It is an great movie, though not as good as Léon by any stretch...

It also stars Jean Reno, as a cop in Interpol who learns that a woman he used to love when he was working for French Intelligence in Japan has died, and though he hasn't seen her for 19 years (which brings up a major continuity error, but it shouldn't distract too much), he is still in love with her and he goes to Japan to claim what she left him in her will.

This is where the big surprise comes in... This woman had a daughter... It was his daughter. He is given guardianship of her until she turns 20 (I guess that's "adult" age in japan, I was unaware of this until I watched this movie, though I knew at age 20 a person could drink and smoke...) The problem is, Jean Reno's character, Hubert, realizes that the woman did not die a natural death. All signs lead to the Yakuza... He intends to find out why, as well as Protect his daughter from the Yakuza who try to come after her like they did her mother...

The movie is an action comedy, and they DDR in it... I mean, that scene alone was worth the price of the movie! Yay! Um... yeah... Even without the DDR scene, it's a great movie...

[true_noir_chloe]

I watched this movie a while back because I loved "The Professional" and I'm a Jean Reno fan. However, it was a very so-so movie for me. It didn't quite make sense, the actress who played the daughter was a very sub-par actress and it just wasn't very good. Perhaps, I just expected it to be at the same caliber as "The Professional" or something. I don't know. However, the DDR scene and his love for Wasabi was fun to watch.

But, it seems we have the same taste in movies, Bob. This is off topic, but have you seen the new episode of "Tru Calling?" I recalled you liked that show.

[Mi-Ru-Me]

The movie was funny. I think the part in the store were he beats the heck out of the people and his daughter dosn't notice a thing is great.

[Bobtheduck]

Yeah... The DDR scene is the best, and the mall scene is great... Some of the stuff (like that golf scene, and some of the beginning of the movie) was rather stupid, but it was a decent movie overall... If you go into it expecting Léon, you will be disappointed... Léon was Besson's best work, hands down...

As for Tru Calling, I don't get TV here... I haven't seen a new ANYTHING in a long time... I am getting the Season 1 DVDs in netflix, though...

[EricTheFred]

I searched on "Wasabi" to see if anyone had posted on the subject, prior to posting my own recommendation, and found this old thread. Reviving it instead of creating a new one.

I want to strongly recommend this movie to any and all English (or French) speaking Anime lovers who also like a good action flick. Because you are probably better prepared to enjoy this (because even though it's a French film, it takes place in Japan and, I suppose, because it's a Dub/Sub) than anyone else.

Because the Japanese spoken in the film isn't subtitled for the French track, it isn't subtitled in English, either, so it's also a good opportunity to try out your otaku no nihongo vocabulary.

Being regular Anime watching team, my son and I watched this in French (it was actually a way for him to listen to some French, since he's taking it in High School) so we did kind of laugh at the number of French speakers among the teenage girl's disco buddies (the above mentioned DDR scene) not to mention the French-speaking yakuza.

[Bobtheduck]

If there were a hungarian movie about, say, Aliens, the aliens would likely speak hungarian. Especially if it were a lower scale sci-fi movie where they don't care about those kind of details... This is a comedy, so the same sort of leniency with the rules of realism apply. I think it would be too much if no one spoke French...

[Tommy]

Isn`t Wasabi like horseradish?

[Sync]

that it is, though you'll mostly find immitation stuff anywhere outside Japan

like that golf scene, and some of the beginning of the movie

the first golf scene back in france? I had a good chuckle when the carjacker gets beaned

[EricTheFred]

If there were a hungarian movie about, say, Aliens, the aliens would likely speak hungarian. Especially if it were a lower scale sci-fi movie where they don't care about those kind of details... This is a comedy, so the same sort of leniency with the rules of realism apply. I think it would be too much if no one spoke French...

I should have explained more clearly. Most of the time, who did or didn't speak French ratio among the Japanese population was quite reasonable in the film. The places where it wasn't were weird, because of the good job they had done the rest of the time.
An interesting note about the Dub, something quite refreshing. They had dubbed only the French dialogue (i.e., if characters were speaking Japanese in the original, they weren't dubbed) but they also seem to have hired Japanese voice actors who spoke English to dub for the Japanese characters who were speaking French in the film. Gave the dub a very well-made feel.

[EricTheFred]

that it is, though you'll mostly find immitation stuff anywhere outside Japan.

I go to a Japanese market to buy my Japanese ingredients. Real wasabi, real miso, good noodles and good rice. Can't beat it.