Review of Wasabi

Wasabi (2001)
4/10
Weak and uninspired slapstick action farce
20 March 2011
I'm not sure how to characterize this film. It's not a traditional action/comedy where the characters and plot are somewhat in keeping with reality. This is more a farce, with cartoon-like bad-guys (all the Yakuza baddies where black suits and dark sunglasses) and a ridiculous plot. There's some merit in seeing Jean Reno in lighter fare and there's chemistry between his character and the old colleague he meets up with again in Japan, where Reno has come to bury his long lost love and discovers he has a 19 year-old daughter. But the daughter is one of the most annoying screen characters ever, with her childish antics, ADD-personality, and goofy clothes. Her being such an unlikable character hurts the film. We're supposed to be emotionally involved in Reno's character having to save the girl from the evil Yakuza boss, but we aren't because we could't care less about the girl. Overall this was an odd movie and can't be recommended.
10 out of 18 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed