Rating: 
Summary: Please, please note that this is an Edited version
Review: Don't get me wrong; I loved Versus when I saw it some time ago. This was before any DVD version had been released in the U.S., and I was stoked when I rented this DVD to show some friends. I am SO glad I didn't buy this version. This is an R-rated version and scenes have been cut. I don't know why anyone that is into movies like this to have anything to do with an edited version. (Ever see the R-rated version of Peter Jackson's Dead Alive (a.k.a. Braindead)? Same problem.)Beware.
Rating: 
Summary: Camp Chinese Classic!!!
Review: It's hard to describe VERSUS in a matter of Hollywood (or American) terms: think of it as Sam Peckingpah directing THE EVIL DEAD meets CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON starring a virile Bruce Lee -- in place of the legendary Bruce Campbell -- but re-envisioning the story with mythologic, Biblical, punk, and gangster overtones. Once the viewer figures out what's going on, the film plays out its light wonderful, high spirited, blood-filled camp: three souls, all quasi-immortal, continue to meet reincarnated versions of themselves for combat-bloody-combat within the Forest of Resurrection, only one of 666 Portals on the Temporal Plane located on the planet Earth. Inside the Forrest, no one can die without facing re-invigoration as a gun-toting, sword-swinging zombie ... except for our three nameless principles who can't seem to avoid running into one another. (For all its foibles, "zombiehood" never looked so aerobic.) VERSUS is filled with dazzling camerawork, and Director Ryuhei Kitamura achieves great mileage out of quick shots of incredibly energetic gun and swordplay. The make-up work is exemplary; when comical, it's comical, and when serious, it's serious. The actors are all very much at ease in what seems consistently to be moments of utter absurdity ... but, rest assured, it all makes sense in its own sort of violent, cosmic way. Ultimately, the story is far more about the pursuit of inevitability than it is anything else. To search for greater meaning in a film filled with comic moments so bloody that you cringe is pure folly. Regardless, Kitamura does an admirable job keeping the action at a frenetic pace once all Hell breaks loose, and it doesn't let up until the epic conclusion ... followed by one epic epilogue that still keeps the viewer guessing. Possibly dismissing as little more than just kung-fu fighting immortals of death, VERSUS presents a complex woven series of events that seemingly -- for all intents and purposes -- must play out again every 99 years (or so) within the Forrest of Resurrection in order for humankind -- or, at least, the lives of these nameless characters -- to maintain a meaningful balance. VERSUS is great flick for budding film students, Asian film buffs, or midnight matinees. THE VIDEO QUALITY: It's the reason for the four stars and not five. It's not completely distasteful, but it appears as it a fifth-generation video copy. At times early in the film, the images are extraordinarily grainy (ala THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT), and, while they do improve at times during the final third of the film, ultimately they never rise to the level of a respectable digital transfer.
Rating:
Summary: Great movie, poor DVD
Review: Versus is a very entertaining movie, but the quality of the DVD is lacking. The vidoe quality is very poor, and the audio is just ok. There was supposed to be a DTS track included, but there is not. They were nice enough to leave the original stereo track as an option though. There is a lot of extras that are available on the Special Edtion version, but most of them aren't very special. Buy the DVD for the movie, and not for the presentation.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent flick with a forced, heavy handed ending.
Review: I loved this movie. If Tarrantino made an asian inspired sword and sorcery epic with the design team from the first couple of Evil Dead movies it would be Versus. I'm not going to rehash plot here. A few reviews here on Amazon already go through the story almost scene by scene. The acting is passable, but we're not talking Shakespear here. The fight scenes are excellent, but what really made this movie memorable for me was the camera work. One school of thought is that if you notice the camera work in a film, the cinemetographer isn't doing their job. The first time I watched this flick I was so pulled in by the visuals that I wasn't even aware of the fact that I was watching a movie. I truly felt carried away by the film. However, when skipping through a few scenes I really enjoyed a couple of days later I noticed a very interesting tool used by the filmmakers. Each of the fight scenes is shot in a completely different manner. An early series of shots where we have no idea what is going on is patched together seemingly at random. Loads of quick edits get the viewer totally lost in the action. You really get the feeling that you're seeing the coolest moves and effects, but it's hyper-real and very confusing. At the end the camera pulls back just so we can see who is left standing and who is down. Later there is a sword fight between two principle characters that is shot in a very interesting manner. When the combatants are in motion, so is the camera. When they pause between attacks the camera does as well. Very effective. The only mis-step, in my opinion, is the hackneed ending. Where there are questionable motivations for all the characters involved and no one really even knows what side they are fighting for leaving a questionable ending would have suited me just fine. The epilogue feels tacked on at the request of a bunch of studio execs. Just turn the flick off when the last folks left alive get on the motorcycle and you'll feel like watching Versus was time well spent.
Rating: 
Summary: I HATE YOU
Review: versus is a samurai-infused gangster flick with a heart. if you dont like it, you are probably a communist. i mean we're not expecting Schindler's List over here, are we? just buy it, and you'll love it, or you may not love it, but at least you bought it. if you liked bill and ted, you should but this movie. not that they're the same or similar, but i just think you should. peace.
Rating: 
Summary: no heads and tails
Review: well this is a fun movie. A wanna-be cult movie or horror movie (who cares) which turns into farce. I could make no heads or tails out of it except for the fact that the actress is extremely ugly and the actors are comic versions by their own right.
Well to start with the story line - there is none at all - very sketchy - even soap operas have better story line. Deals with some souls (zombies) who are fighting some useless battle for years. Their choice of weapons vary but a samurai sword is a must. This is just making joke out of the Japanese culture. They hero and the villain (difficult to understand who is the villain) fight over this extremely ordinary looking gal who is suppose to have some "real" powers (lol).
The dubbing is funny - it is so funny that can be compared to a comedy show. The most frequently used statement in the movie is - "what the hell are you saying man". Why can't they spend a couple of hundred dollars more on the dubbing?
The good point is the cinematography and camera work - both are excellent.
Rating:
Summary: what if Yuen Wo-Ping did this movie??? hmmmmmm
Review: Prisoner KSC2-303 escapes with a fellow inmate and flees to an anonymous forest to a rendezvous with a group of men who will lead them to a safer place. When the men ultimately arrive with a female hostage in tow and with fueled by more sinister intentions, they kill his partner and KSC2-303 flees with the girl into the woods, which turn out to be the legendary "Forest Of Resurrection", one of 666 portals to "the other side". It's then a non-stop battle against the living dead and cunning assassins to simply stay alive, let alone find freedom. Although this movie showed about 20 or so minutes of zombie action (if you're expecting this to be a zombie film), it is still a very awsome movie. A very good plot, great effects, tight gore, great fight scenes and, everything you expect from a movie. Better than any Hollywood movie in my fact. Get it on DVD. This movie is a cross between EVIL DEAD and BLADE. BUY IT NOW! (some zombies) most entertaining part: THE COMBAT
Rating:
Summary: Versus will stay with me always
Review: I saw this movie about a year and a half ago before any American websites were catching on about it. I watched the first 20 minutes and was confused so I left and went to work. When I came home I had to finish it, there is nothing more rude than to not finish a movie because the filmmaker designed it to be watched all the way through. I loved it. It's RES DOGS meets THE EVIL DEAD. I read an above review that says they didn't understand it...well that's what makes it a good movie...YOU HAVE TO THINK!! It's not some piece of garbage lile an ADAM SANDLER movie (excluding Punch Drunk Love, which is brilliant). If you're a fan of asian cinema you should already have this in your collection with the region 2 format edition, but if you're new, pick it up...yu'll enjoy the ride. PLus if you like this check these out: BATTLE ROYAL, PRINCESS BLADE, RETURN of the LITTLE MATCH GIRL, VOLCANO HIGH SCHOOL, EQUILIBRIUM...
Rating:
Summary: Waste of time
Review: I've wasted 2 hours of my life. This movie makes absolutely no sense. Who buries their murder victims with their guns? Why can they not be hit by bullets, but everything else seems to be plenty effective? (knives, punches, etc) It's the Superman complex. Bullets will ricochet off, but he'll duck when the empty gun's thrown at him. Don't waste your time with this movie. It's just not worth it.
Rating:
Summary: A fun ride
Review: I didn't know what to expect when I picked this up, but it had a cool cover, it was in japanese, and it had an unintelligible plot summary on the back cover-- hey, I couldn't resist. So I borrowed it and watched it. And watched it with a group of friends. And watched it again with my brothers. Which made got me some late fees from Blockbuster, but what the hell, I had a lot of fun with this one so I didn't care. This is what moviemaking should be- creative, funny, and most importantly, cool. And man, this movie oozes with coolness, and a sense of humor that isn't so pronounced compared with other asian cinema. This is an independent, Yakuza, Samurai, Zombie flick, and man, it all comes together under 40,000 dollars. If I tell any more, it wouldn't be as fun. Get this, watch it, and love it.
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