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Versus (Special Edition) Director: Ryuhei Kitamura Number of Items: 2 Format: Color, DTS Surround Sound Audience Rating: Unrated Studio: Media Blasters, Inc Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2003-08-19 Buy from Amazon

Customer Reviews: Total numer of reviews: 93 Average rating: 3.5 "Ultra Cool" Simply put, this movie is cool. It has almost the perfect blend, action, visuals, complexity and we can't leave out humor. The humor is not overdone in this movie at all, it lends a nice break to the edginess, some things are funny enough to be humorous but not overly so to be comedic. I won't spoil this for anyone but it is a movie that makes you wonder who's who and what's what...the ultimate example of yin and yang, opposing forces and not the more simplistic and easy good and evil. "sensationally cool gore" Some gory horror films make you squirm in your seat. Some make you laugh, some give profound metaphors for life. This one, however, makes you want to put on a long leather jacket over your little mod dress, strap on sunglasses, and jump in a luxury car that cruises around the neon-lit city streets. Set in the Forest of Resurrection, Versus allows monstrous creatures somehow both zombie and vampire assault each other on the bloody way to eternal enlightenment. With humorous facial movements and inconsistent acting, the characters wield guns at one another, fistfight, and rip out the swords. The wonder of this movie is that, while an action film at heart, it is also a cool combination of myriad horror styles, spurting blood, and humor. What stands out about the film is the camera decisions, as it moves in 360 degree circles around characters, exposing the efficient use of natural lighting. Angles are very often confrontational, with shot reverse shots occurring straight into camera. Different lenses are employed for a change in the surreal nature of the forest, and angles are often low and dutch. Guns shoot into camera, and it travels through torsos and brains like it would a train tunnel. If a mere single reason to view this Evil Dead 4-ish film is declared, the astounding and sublimely cool camera work is most definitely it. The cool factor of the film is enhanced by a truly superb electronic soundtrack originally composed by Nobuhiko Morino, while editing by Shuichi Kakesu is refreshingly unique while managing to be efficient to the material. Versus is a fast-paced action-based horror film excellently made on nearly all fronts, an exhibition of true cool, and an entertaining journey into a river of blood. "A Thrill Ride of a Film--Big on Fun, Short on Sense" It's over the top. It's somewhat gory. It's fantastic. A good, old-fashioned zombie film. It's true that the main group of zombies have little to do with the convoluted plot. There's no good reason for them, other than to show that there are zombies. But that's reason enough, in a zombie film. And these zombies are tool users. Not limited to shambling around, they. They can use swords and guns and generally just make a huge mess. What more do you want? If you answer that question "A satisfying plot," you probably ought to look elsewhere. If you just want to have fun, though, this could well be the zombie movie for you. "Get ready for entertainment" I lived in Japan for almost four years; so there was time for me to come to appreciate Japanese filmmaking. Versus was really popular there, however I did not get a chance to see the film until I returned to the US recently. I did not know what to make of it at first; but I kept watching, because hey, it's a Japanese film. I laughed throughout the whole movie, from the over-eager and psychopathic hitmen to zombies shooting guns, I really couldn't get enough. I have to agree that the voice-overs were horrible, but that is exactly what made it even more entertaining. I must say the cinematography was brillant and the ending is mind-blowing... although it does leave you with one big question. I highly recommend it. "Amazing!" Don't listen to anyone who tells you this movie is anything less than great. A solid story backs up beautiful cinematography and the most outrageous zombie action on film. Japanese filmmakers have a great eye for compostiton and this film works it better than most. There's a lot of thought put into every shot and every part is connected. It's something you don't see in the quick-cut American action films or the long shots of gore in the Italian films (and their imitators). When a zombie's head is chopped off it flies out of frame and into a second shot where it bounces off someone else. Likewise with spraying blood. A fight between two individuals cuts to a second set of characters fighting. These two are momentarily seperated and one of the combatants from the first fight stumbles backwards between them. In print it's hard to describe, but on film it brings a sense of connection to scenes that are really utter chaos. It allows the action to go non-stop without boring or confusing the viewer. And that makes the chaos so much more delicious. What really makes this film is the action. It barely stops for more than a couple of minutes at a time. There's no crappy computer effects (there is wire work)- the fights are fast, fast (yes that's 2x fast), and perfectly choreographed. Some zombie purists might bemoan the fact that the zombies aren't the traditional stereotypes, but you forget all that as soon as an approaching zombie akwardly works the slide on his pistol and starts firing. Though I'm not sure why the Yakuza would bury their victims with guns, it really doesn't matter. Zombie fans with open minds will love this. There's so many bullets flying and swords swinging you never have time to look away. Also, I've never seen a movie where the heroine is punched-out by the hero so many times. Even though the story is a little bit predictable (except for the plot twist at the end), you never know what to expect next and the filmmakers deliver like you can't believe. It's not just a zombie movie, by the way. When you add it all up, the cinematography, the action, the comedy, and the excellent musical score make this one of the most entertaining movies ever put to film.