Wasabi (Ws Sub Dol)

Starring:Jean Reno, Ryoko Hirosue, Michel Muller, Carole Bouquet, Yoshi Oida, Christian Sinniger, Alexandre Brik, Jean-Marc Montalto, VÃ©ronique Balme, Fabio Zenoni, Haruhiko Hirata, Michel Scourneau, Jacques Bondoux, Osamu Tsuruya, Akihiko Nishida, Yan Epstein, Anthony Decadi, Ludovic Berthillot, Elodie Frenck, Stefan Nelet
Director: GÃ©rard Krawczyk
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

This high-energy Dirty Harry in Japan stars Jean Reno (The Professional) as a maverick Paris cop with sledgehammer fists and a short temper. Promoted to sudden fatherhood when he "inherits" a spunky Japanese daughter (Ryoko Hirosue) he never knew, he becomes her droopy guardian angel, protecting her from an army of yakuza gangsters. Written and produced by Luc Besson, the former fashionista director of Euro-sleek shoot-'em-ups, this colorful B-movie blast is as gritty as an oil slick on a water slide but packed with explosive action. Director Gerard Krawczyk punctuates his gunfights with the Hong Kong school of recoil (bullets blast victims across the screen) and an undercurrent of humor. As long as you don't lean too hard on such niggling details as logic, legality, and the laws of physics, this silly, splashy, family bonding bulletfest is a spirited good time. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Wasabi .......2007-04-03

This is a great movie! Wasabi is about a police detective (played by Reno) who has to travel to Tokyo in order to sort out his past when he learns that the only woman he has ever loved has died. If you are a big fan of Jean Reno you will really enjoy this movie. It has a great combination of action and humor and is a good addition to a movie collection. I highly recommend this film if you are looking for a mixture of action and fun, especially if you are a fan of anything by Jean Reno.

great movie.......2007-03-13

I have seen this movie twice and it is a very funny movie. I am a big fan of Jean Reno I have seen almost every movie he has stared in and every movie of his is great. I highly recommend this film to anyone that likes action and humor combined.

ONE OF JEAN RENO'S BEST.......2007-02-13

WASABI IS AN ACTION MOVIE THAT A JEANO RENO FAN CAN'T BE WITHOUT. JEAN PLAYS HUBERT, A COP WHOSE PUNCHES (LITERALLY) SEND THE RECIEVER ACROSS THE ROOM. THE CAST FOR THIS MOVIE IS ALMOST PERFECT AND THE FIGHTS ARE WELL DONE. IF YOU LIKE JEAN RENO, OR ACTION MOVIES IN GENERAL, YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS.

A great Jean Reno fix.......2006-11-25

Jean Reno does the Dirty Harry (burnt out cop) schtick better than Clint, whether it's in an action flick like the Crimson River series or Ronim or in a comedy such as Wasabi you can count on him to deliver a character that's credible, imposing and soulful.

Whipped Flambe.......2006-09-08

With "Hotel Rwanda" & "Ronin" in his past & both "The Da Vinci Code" & "The Pink Panther" out in 2006, Jean Reno's profile in the States is riding high. His performance as the cop Hubert is a blockbuster. Gerard Krawczyk who directed "Taxi 2," "The Messenger: The Joan of Arc Story" & his recent "Fanfan la Tulipe" does a good job of keeping the pace brisk and the story like a whipped flambe, full of flavor but light. Hubert's daughter Yumi is played by Ryoko Hirosue in the 3rd of her 4 films. "Poppoya: Railroad Man" & "Himitsu aka Secret" are other credits of hers I have yet to taste. She does an excellent job dressing like a Japanese Cyndi Lauper, while just wanting to have fun. The bright oranges of her costumes are wild & wonderful. Hubert's sidekick in Japan is Momo played by Michel Muller from "Like a Fish Out of Water" & "The Daltons." Muller does an excellent job of keeping the comedy light, being just dumb enough to make the jokes work and bright enough not to get shot. The film works if you don't look at the plot too closely. (At the end, why does Hubert have to leave when he's on a 2-month suspension that started 2 days ago?) The Japanese actor who plays the Zebra does a great job. It's fast paced and breezy, like a French version of an American movie. This is an excellent evening's entertainment. Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

awesome recess
A PRETTY GOOD DVD
A Disappointing Finale For An Out Of This World TV Series

Recess - Taking The Fifth Grade
Starring: Ross Malinger , Andrew Lawrence , Justin Shenkarow , Elizabeth Daily , and Andrea Martin
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

All Disney Titles | Disney Home Entertainment | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Recess - All Growed Down
Recess Christmas - Miracle on Third Street
Recess - School's Out
Kim Possible - The Villain Files
That's So Raven - Raven's Makeover Madness

ASIN: B0000C52DY
Release Date: 2003-12-09

Description

Only here can you see the final chapter of the RECESS series. Everyone's favorite fourth graders have graduated! It's an all-new school year for the kids from RECESS -- and the gang hits the fifth grade running! But they're stopped in their tracks when they discover some unwelcome changes -- no pizza, no playground . . . no lockers! And to make things worse, their teacher turns out to be the cantankerous Miss Finster! It's all too much for T.J., who is determined to find a way to stand up for what the gang believes in and improve the school they love! The fifth grade brings out the best in everyone ... even Miss Finster and Principal Prickly! Full of excitement, surprises, and loads of laughs, you'll discover TAKING THE FIFTH GRADE proves that working together is a great way to learn about friendship, cooperation, and most of all, fun!

Customer Reviews:

awesome recess.......2004-02-16

Recess Taking The Fifth Grade is awesome.This video movie is based on the Recess series and theatrical movie. This review contains spoilers. This movie isn't just one story it's three stories into one movie about T.J and his gangs' misadventures in fifth grade. In the first story T.J and his gang go to their first day in fifth grade expecting it to be the best first day ever, but instead they find out thatMiss Finster is the new teacher. The food is disgusting,and the playground gets taken away from everyone in the school. T.J makes a protest to make everything back to normal. Mr White makes an unexpected appearance,but don't worry it has a good ending. In the second story the gang goes to meet the new king Larry of the playground, who T.J thinks will give him a reward for the protest, but instead shows the gang to the secret fifth and six graders club. But when the gang finds out Mikey and Gus are making fun of the little kids the gang decides unexpectantly to ask a kid to help them stop. The old king Bob of the playground makes an appearence. In the third story it's Halloween and Spinnelli is thinking she's to old for Halloween. It will take the gang and a little help from Mrs Finster to help Spinelli have the Halloween spirit. This movie is awesome and as a treat the D.V.D has the first two episodes of the show. Everone in the movie, including Robert Goullet as principal Prickly, do a great job.This movie has plenty of laughs and fun. If your a fan get it!

A PRETTY GOOD DVD.......2004-01-02

I have to say I am a HUGE Recess fan and when I heard the news of this DVD and the Kindergarten one, I was very excited! I of course went and bought them the first chance I had and I was very dissapointed, mostly because of the boring Kindergarten one.... but Neways Taking the Fifth Grade is pretty darn good considering it is made up of 3 NEW episodes. They don't exactly all focus on fifth grade but they are just as great as the orignals, but I just can't help how annyoing TJ's voice is! It sounds NOTHING like the original TJ who went through puberty and was too deep so they cast some boy who sounds like a teenage girl!

A Disappointing Finale For An Out Of This World TV Series.......2003-12-29

If you have bought "Recess: Miracle on Third Street" and/or "Recess: All Growed Down" and wondered what was up with the whole flashback thing...and why Disney is giving substandard and disappointing DVDs..

It's because usually Disney gives any cartoon series a 65 production limit (even if it's a huge sucess [like Recess] or a horrible failure) but since Recess was SO popular Disney hesitantly accepted for 13 new episodes to be made and they are being put into DVDs or they were shown after the Recess: School's Out movie (I think only 4 were shown on TV: Terrifying Tales of Recess, Lost Leader, Kurst the Not So Bad, and Mundy, Mundy) Sadly instead of Disney continuing to make NEW episodes, that still has a potential gold mine of profit, Disney believes that kids won't know any better and believe showing the same 65 episodes again for syndication will make them think it's still new. But my younger cousins (8-12 years old), and I know other kids are smarter than that...and can tell what are reruns..

But back to the DVD, this DVD like the other 2 I mentioned earlier are loosely held together, but thankfully this time ALL OF THESE episodes are never before seen. There are three new episodes where TJ stands up against school changes, the gang discover a 5th/6th grade club under the jungle gym, and when Spinelli thinks she is too old for Halloween (this episode is great for kids around 10 who are questioning whether celebrating Halloween is childish or not).

The DVD contains two bonus TV series premiere episodes: The Break In, and the New Kid.

TJ, his gang, and the school are not the only things that have changed! The original voice actors for TJ and Mikey are different since the original actors' voices had become too deep. (Their voices are OK, and you'll notice the change but the spunk in TJ's voice is kind of gone.) If you are hoping for any type of dialogue or conflict with the Ashleys, Gelman, Hustler Kid, or any other kid characters...there are very little.

If you are worried about the characters not remembering their last year experiences...don't worry they do and the dialogue shows that.

This DVD is announced as the final chapter to the Recess series, and I find it as a hollow disappointing finale (considering it's supposed to be the finale.) I was expecting something grand, exciting, and momunmental like the Recess: School's Out movie but the three stories seemed average and kind of flat.

(I thought a proper finale would have been when the gang was leaving Third Street [ending 6th grade] since they would be leaving the school they had so many adventures in, they would be going to a new school, and that Recess would never be the same since they are going into middle school.)

The "luster" of these stories in the 5th grade DVD are dulled somewhat by making the gang's experiences more average or ordinary [like a regular, real world school] compared to the TV series.

If you are huge Recess fan, I'm sure you'll want this to catch up on your favorite characters but don't hold your expectations too high like I did.

It's rumored that there is another DVD in August of 2004 called "Recess: First Day of School"...Hmmm I wonder what that's about if this 5th grade DVD is the finale?

Anyway, it's kind of sad that Disney is throwing away such high-rated, award winning, and huge profit making cartoon. It's still remarkable that it's still airing on network television since fall of 1997, but ever since 2001...it's now just showing reruns.

I guess all good things have to come to an end, it's just too bad that it had to end in a small solitary "kazooing" blow (you know those blowing toys the kids make noise with)...

Description

For the first time on DVD and video, see your favorite RECESS kids as kindergartners! Discover how the gang met with a look back at all your favorite characters when they first came to the Third Street School! The fun begins when the big kids get "captured" by a gang of wild new kindergartners led by Chief Stinky, the self-proclaimed kindergarten king. It takes T.J. and the rest of the RECESS kids to convince the kindergartners that good friends can come in all sizes . . . big and small! Join in the joy and laughter of ALL GROWED DOWN -- full of hilarious twists and turns, lessons about meeting new friends, and the very fun business of growing up!

Customer Reviews:

A Satisfactory DVD.......2004-01-02

Recess: The Worlds Favorite Cartoon...I remember when I found out about this DVD I figured it would be a whole hour on how the gang met in kindergarden but boy was I wrong! The DVD is only a review of 3 old episodes and then a short stupid episode of how they "met" and for some strange reason Gus just "happened" to go to kindergarten there for a few days (that was too cheesy for me). I am a HUGE Recess fan but I have to say, I was very dissapointed. Not to mention the voice of TJ is torture to listen to! I mean it sounds like it's a boy in the middle of puberty with a cracking voice! It's just not that ol' spunky TJ! But if you're up to see 3 old episodes of Recess then go and buy this dissapointing but still satisfactory DVD!

Disappointing...ONLY ONE SHORT NEW EPISODE!!.......2003-12-29

First of all I want to inform you guys that I'm huge Recess fan. So this is coming from a fan's perspective.

So you really want to know what this is? This is like the "Miracle On Third Street" DVD with where the actual stories are loosely held together. There are 4 actual stories (3 already seen TV episodes) and only one new 13 minute episode.

It starts out when TJ and his gang go back to the old, abandoned playground at the back end of the playground and are captured by the kindergarteners. They are held "hostage" by the new chief called Chief Stinky and the gang tries telling them stories about their experiences with the kindergarteners and then lastly Gus tells when the gang were kindergarteners (the new episode.)

The three already seen episodes are "The Legend of Big Kid", "Wild Child", and "The Kindergarten Derby." The Bonus DVD Episodes titled as "Fans' 3 Favorite Episodes" are: The Challenge, The Story of Whomps, and One Stayed Clean.

*I kind of doubt that they are the most favorite because I know "The Experiment" is really popular among fans because it's when TJ and Spinelli first kiss.

Also if you wonder why Gus is on the cover when he supposedly entered Third Street at 4th grade. Well in the DVD, Gus went to Third Street during Kindergarten but only for a couple of weeks and only he remembers kindergarten while the rest of the gang doesn't remember a thing about that year which explains why Gus is on the cover.

You'll notice that TJ's and Mikey's voices are different (not too different or annoying but it's noticable) because the original voice actors' voices had become too deep.

Anyways, when I bought this DVD I thought it would be an hour long adventure of the story when TJ and the gang were kindergarteners...but sadly it was not. It was really pathetic of Disney to do that and give such a careless piece of patched up "already seen TV" episodes. I gave it only 2 stars because of the one new episode. If you bought "Miracle on Third Street" and were disappointed, I don't think you would want this. If you are new fan, and haven't seen all of the episodes...then this a great DVD for you to catch up on!

If you are a parent and considering this as simple whimisical entertainment for your child, I would HIGHLY suggest this but more so because the DVD and episodes are hilarious but yet can also have powerful good messages of friendship and believing in yourself, and so forth. I know that most kids like this because my own younger cousins (around 8-12 years) like the cartoon also and can relate to the characters with them being in school.

Customer Reviews:

Only buy it for Anna.......2007-06-09

Anna Nicole's brief onscreen appearances are the only plus side of this movie. While the ideas were fun, the stereotypes were sad. Also, Alexis Arquette and the rest of the "Santa Ana Annas" were terrible! Their wigs were cheap, costumes predictable and not really Anna Nicole enough. We have better wigs here in Boise (and better Anna Nicole impersonators, I might add). Alexis Arquette screams her way through a sad script. Allana Ubach and Antonio Sabato Jr.'s performances were nice though. This could have been executed a whole lot better.

Average customer rating:

Wasabi
great movie
ONE OF JEAN RENO'S BEST
A great Jean Reno fix
Whipped Flambe

Wasabi [Region 2]
Starring: Jean Reno , Ryoko Hirosue , Michel Muller , Carole Bouquet , and Yoshi Oida
Director: Gérard Krawczyk
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Crimson Rivers
Empire of the Wolves
Crimson Rivers - Angels of the Apocalypse (Special Edition)
Leon - The Professional (Deluxe Edition)
The Visitors

ASIN: B00009V8XX

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Wasabi .......2007-04-03

great movie.......2007-03-13

ONE OF JEAN RENO'S BEST.......2007-02-13

A great Jean Reno fix.......2006-11-25

Whipped Flambe.......2006-09-08

Average customer rating:

Enertaining the first time through. Leaves you Hungary later.
Spicy grooves, but short on instruction and length.

Akira Jimbo - Wasabi
Starring: Akira Jimbo
Director: Mossmann , and Erskin
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Fujiyama

ASIN: 0825850762
Release Date: 2003-04-01

Customer Reviews:

Enertaining the first time through. Leaves you Hungary later........2005-09-12

`Wasabi', a film directed by Gerard Krawczyk and more importantly written by Luc Besson (`The Professional', `The Fifth Element', `La Femme Nikita') and starring Jean Reno (of many of the same films), is a French take on the American Dirty Harry / Axel Foley type of loose cannon policeman played by Jean Reno in place of Eastwood and Murphy. This may be a bit odd as Reno is much less the hot Murphy figure as he is the French equivalent of the modern Noir hero as played by Harvey Keitel. In fact, Reno and Keitel played exactly the same role in `La Femme Nikita' and the less successful American remake.

The unfortunate thing is that while the plots of `Dirty Harry' and `Beverly Hills Cop' are an interesting framework on which the rogue cop struts his stuff, the plot of `Wasabi' is almost inconsequential. That doesn't mean the film is not fun to watch, as Reno and his two primary supporting characters do great jobs of bulking up their characters to fill out the absence of a meaningful plot.

The story, briefly, is based on Reno's character, Hubert Fiorentini, a Paris policeman and former French intelligence agent in Tokyo is summoned to Tokyo because he is the only beneficiary in the will of a Japanese girlfriend who jilted him 19 years earlier when they both worked in the French embassy in Tokyo, Reno as an intelligence operative and girlfriend as a crypographer.

In Tokyo, we meet the second of the three main characters, an operative colleague of Fiorentini both were France's covert strongarms in Tokyo. Soon, when Hubert sees the lawyer probating the will, we meet the third major character, the 19 year old daughter of the Japanese code breaker and our Hubert. Daughter does not know Hubert is her father, and threatens to kill her father when she meets him. Daughter is a chip off the old Nikita character block, slightly younger, less larcenous, and certainly less dopy, but just as manic and irresponsible.

The big surprise which drives what is taken for a plot in the movie is when Hubert discovers that dead girlfriend / mother has $200,000,000 in her Japanese bank accounts in trust for soon to be legally adult daughter. It seems, however,that this money was somehow taken from a Japanese gangster who does a rather poor imitation of Italian-American gangsters as depicted by directors far less talented or imaginative than Martin Scorsese or Frances Coppela. With a combination of the fact that our Nippon scarface (yes, he has prominent scars on his face) has relatively inept bodyguards and the fact that our hero Hubert is something of especially adept at fanciful means of incapacitating bad guys, Hubert is able to keep himself and daughter out of scarface's clutches for most of Act II.

In the last act, with the help of some heavy duty hardware from the French Tokyo cold war stash of weapons and Hubert's Tokyo wingman, Hubert ultimately teletransfers the money out of the bad guys' clutches and take down the whole gang with help from his long dormant network of Tokyo operatives.

The fact that it is so much fun to write this review is a sure sign that the movie is fun to watch, at least once. The problem is whether or not the DVD is worth buying. The thin plot never explains how dead girlfriend got the 200 million bucks from scarface or exactly how girlfriend died or what connection a hidden notebook had to the case or even why the seeming larceny occurred many years ago, as 4/5 of the loot was interest, which could only have accrued over many years.

The point of the title is based on no more than a sight gag of Reno's character eating gobs of undiluted Wasabi with no sigh that he senses the very high heat in this Japanese horseradish. The point is made when faithful henchman eats a small portion himself and is rewarded with a scorched mouth which he demonstrates clearly with mumbles and large amounts of drinking water.

Very few comedies wear well after multiple viewings. Aside from Shakespeare's comedies and Woody Allen movies, there are very few I consider worth owning, and this is not one of them, although I sincerely enjoyed the experience of watching it the first time, as I am something of a Jean Reno fan.

Note that like most French movies, watching with the original French soundtrack and English subtitles is superior to watching the dubbed English, as you always loose something in the inflections of the dubbed speech. And, the two translations are different, and based on my rudimentary High School French, I think the subtitled translation is better.

Spicy grooves, but short on instruction and length........2003-12-14

Akira Jimbo is one of the most famous drummer to come out of Japan in the last 20 years. He possesses superb technique, limb independence, and a very creative approach to drumming. Midi trigger pads are incorporated into his set, allowing him to create an integrated harmonic and rhythmic presentation. I had high expectations when I ordered this DVD, and Akira's playing was up to the task: smooth, imaginative, and dynamic. The camera work, sound quality, and production values were great. However, I wasn't pleased with the overall DVD.

The main section of the Wasabi DVD runs 41 minutes!! That is nowhere near long enough. The DVD format allows for over 2 hours on a single side, so why is this so short? The material that Akira covers could easily have filled 2 hours, but the instructional approach of the entire DVD was not detailed enough. For example, when Akira demonstrates a pattern that he is going to expand on (using the Wasabi method), he plays it for a few bars, but doesn't break it down in detail so that you know exectly what he is playing. Then when he applies the Wasabi methods, you still don't know exectly what he is playing (even though it sounds great). Concepts are quickly addressed, but not analyzed deeply enough. Hand and foot techniques are touched on, along with drum tuning, and how to practice. It is shallow at best.

The Wasabi methods are applied to a chosen pattern, and are composed of changing note values, changing the instrument source, chaning the starting point, or adding another pattern. One pattern is used to demonstate these concepts, and they were very powerful.

Only 4 complete performances are included on this DVD, which I think isn't enough when compared to other instructional drumming DVDs by Steve Smith and Marco Minnemann. The instruction itself on this DVD was lacking (versus the Steve Smith DVD, which sets the standard), but if Wasabi is supposed to be about adding spice to your grooves, how about demonstrating MORE grooves in MORE detail? 41 minutes doesn't cut it.

I wish Hudson Music had produced this DVD, because it would have been exactly what I was expecting (and what it needed to be). Akira has it all, but this DVD doesn't. Maybe next time...

DVD:

DVD List

DVD

DVD

Lugosi & Karloff Collection (4pc)

Floating Weeds

Dark City [1998] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Dementia 13

Black Eyed Peas - Behind the Bridge to Elephunk