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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 "I want those 2 hours back!" I love movies. I love wierd movies. I love Japanese movies. I HATE BAD MOVIES! This was more rotten than the zombies crawling out of the ground. I'm sorry but this was the pits. I wish I could give it zero stars. "5 stars" Versus was a movie that kept my attention the whole way through. Very graphic and full of wit and humour, Versus is an over the top type of movie. Every aspect seemed to be filmed and portrayed in a manner which exploited all charactors and situations in there most intense essence. It was almost a cross between Kill bill, Terminator 2, and Fist of The Northstar(the series). Many comparisons have been made to the Evil Dead movies, Versus is similar in that you walk away from it with a similar excitement. Versus is defitley a dvd I will watch numerous times without getting bored with it. "Why the comparisons?..." I can't stand it when people compare one movie to another. We all know most ideas are rehashes of previous ideas. Very seldom do you see a movie with a unique concept. I believe these reused ideas are called cliche. Instead of going into what other movies this one compares to I will review it independently and let you be the judge. The movie starts out a bit slow at first and leaves you wondering where it's going to go. When the violence starts and the zombies start coming out of the ground I had a fear it would turn into a zombie-fest, but it was basically just an excuse to have extreme gratuitous violence. I normally don't get into super gorey movies, but I found this one enjoyable. The gore is very realistic with the only off thing being the blood which is too bright--a minor thing. Once you get past the initial violence and carnage the characters and story start to develop and the movie becomes very satisfying. I really enjoyed the flashbacks to early Japan and the characters as they were back then and how the story ties in the struggle of good vs evil. The fight scenes are top notch in my opinion and if this was a low budget film they sure did a great job making it seem big budget. The only giveaway is the story happens in one location, but that's perfectly fine because the story requires it. Most everything about this movie makes it one of the better action flicks I've seen in some time. Story, action, humor... it's all here. I especially got a laugh out of the cop that claimed to be a martial arts expert and claimed to have grown up in "Yellowstone in Canada". And the part where he compared himself to Mike Tyson. It's all pure fun. I do think if it weren't for the story this movie might not have stood out like it does among so many others. Unlike other zombie movies I felt the zombies here were convincing enough. Minor quibbles: A brief wire-fu scene. Another scene where one of the guys starts acting like a monkey or some creature and they added in the sound he would make scurrying around---a cheesy sound effect that could've been left out. Because I was thoroughly entertained and smiling by the end I give this movie 5 stars. Oh and one more thing... *always* watch foreign movies with the original language and subtitles. Dubbed is atrocious in most films. If you want to enjoy a foreign film the way it was meant to be enjoyed view it in its original language. "i guess cali people really do love cheese..." i liked this movie. it was so cheesey that i couldn't stop watching it. it would reveal the story little by little to keep you watching it. i even liked how dingy the filming was. a friend of mine came over while i was watching it and he even got stuck on the movie and after it was over he asked me if he could borrow it so he could watch it from the beginning-of course i told him "no no my brotha, you gotta get your own" hahahahahahha! anyone who's a fan of the odd "tokyo shock" flicks has to check this one out and/or add it to their collection of crazy japanese flicks (like battle royale, fudoh, and the like). everyone else who's curious, rent it. "Action Galore!" I own the "Ultimate Versus" DVD with added scenes, a better soundtrack and enhanced picture. The director went back three years after the original release and made these changes. Needless to say this movie rocks harder. I have never seen better gun play, action sequences or as many. Give it ten minutes and bullets start flying like saucers. It's amazingly funny and quirky too with a host of bad ass characters shooting it up in ways that will keep your eyes glued to the screen. I loved the head Yakuza guy with the green shirt and black suit, he is a riot and a half. Also, the cinematography and angles chosen are off the hook. Saw things done I've never scene done in film before. Maybe slightly long for some at two hours thirty minutes, but big props out to Ryuhei Kitamura, excellent job yo!