The first must-see film of the year.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

Leon the Professional is back; this time as a French Dirty Harry. Luc Besson makes good use of Jean Reno (Hubert Fiorentini) and gives us an action film that is very funny. He leaves the directing this time to Gérard Krawczyk, who he also used on Taxi 2, 3, and 4. Krawczyk keeps things moving, and there is never a dull moment.Carole Bouquet (That Obscure Object of Desire, For Your Eyes Only) is absolutely charming as the love interest.But, the story is Japan, not France. Hubert was stationed there 19 years previous, and finds his old girlfriend has died and left him a daughter Yumi (Ryoko Hirosue - Departures). Turns out, they are two peas in a pod.A mystery ensues regarding the death of his girlfriend, and he is immediately surrounded by Yakuza. Yeah, more action. Dirty Harry meet Jackie Chan.He hooks up with a local policeman Momo (Michel Muller). who was his friend and partner 15 years prior.Great film by Luc Besson. Another great Jean Reno performance.

Sometimes it is the idea of a movie that has value, but to get that idea, you have to suffer through a really bad show.Ostensibly, this is a story about a tough, retired French commando. (Note to rest of world: within France, these guys are considered to be tougher than special forces in the rest of the world, probably because the "regular" French armed forces are so universally thought to be wussy.) He goes to Japan and tussles with the local mafia boss. It is a pastiche of tropes and unamusing.But if you sit through it, you begin to wonder at what it is. Its existence is a fascinating thing. It isn't something that makes sense at all, and seems to be — if it is not completely random — the product of a clever mind. The genre was created by Hollywood and then adopted in the third generation by Besson who with great care did to it what Leone did to the western. Its is an anti-ironic twist, taking the ironic, self-mocking attitude from Hollywood and mapping it to something the filmmaker takes quite seriously. All well and good.But then transporting the genre one more cultural fold to Japan? Without the slightest nod to any Japanese cinematic notions? Keeping the style as it came from Hollywood and the seriousness from France? No wonder the man couldn't taste the wasabi.Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

This movie reminds me a lot of movies like Shoot Em Up and The matrix combined...except in French.Wasabi follows the story of Hubert Fiorentini, a French cop who travels to Japan for his former lover, Miko's, cremation, only to learn that her daughter, Yumi, is also his. However, when he also learns of the vast fortune that Miko left Yumi, he knows he must protect Yumi from some bad people that Miko got mixed up with and ended up losing her life to.First off, the comedy/action mix in Wasabi is extraordinary. The comedy is not over-the-top ridiculously stupid like in Scary Movie 4. It goes well with the action and adds to it, making it interesting.The acting is excellent, particularly Jean Reno as Hubert Fiorentini, the by-the-book, witty, skilled cop. We also have a funny performance by Michel Muller, as Hubert's moronic, hard-working, laid back partner Momo. Ryoko Hirosue was also great as Yumi, the hyper, preppy, fun-loving, happy-go-lucky daughter of Hubert.There are a lot of good Matrix-style action scenes here, all well-done and not overly ridiculous. The story was very well written and executed.Over all, Wasabi is a great movie for action fans. Fans of The matrix and Shoot Em Up will not want to miss this one. 9/10.

What the hell was Jean Reno thinking getting himself involved with this lame movie. Although after seeing his painful display in The Pink Panther, I doubt that he has any sense of good scripts at all. The story is weak and tugs on sentimental heartstrings that have been plucked out of tune by countless other " daddy finds long-lost daughter" movies. Reno's acting, as usual, is as wooden and lifeless as ever ( although it worked well in Leon) and the character of the wild, crazy, kooky, neo-Tokyo-bubblegum-pop-teenie-bopper daughter is so obvious and clichéd that it brought me to tears, and don't get me started on Momo - what a retard of a character - what a retard of a movie.