Release Year: 2009

‘Command Performance’ isn’t exactly the worst movie ever, but it is a far cry from the Dolph Lundgren vehicles that we used to know and love.

While Jiang Lu-Xia is definitely a talent for the future the film itself barely seems to register on the excitement scale.

The film is not without its flaws, inclusive of a sometimes-confused narrative structure, but it’s worth a look against its widespread negative reaction for long-time fans of the director.

Loud, day-glo and stuffed with ropey CGI madness, for many ‘Dragonball: Evolution’ will be the stuff of nightmares.

Sure everything in-between the violent clashes on the court is a little amateur but the point of the film is to showcase an original, if unlikely, martial arts sport and on those terms ‘Fireball’ delivers.

At every turn, the film constantly subverts expectations, creating situations that initially seem all-too familiar before sending them in unexpected, often hilarious directions.

Winds up being a complete mess of a movie that is neither suitable for kids nor action-packed enough for fight fans.

Chances are, if you’re a fan of Japanese war history or the Goemon legend, you’ll be pleased as punch with this update. Even if you’re not, Ninja action has never been so beautiful.

There is some pontificating about evil and society and love but ‘Grotesque’ is essentially one long torture set piece.

Packed with exciting fight sequences, huge helpings of blood and some solid leading performances, it is clearly one of the more enjoyable examples of Japanese VCinema.

‘High Kick Girl’ is more like a montage of fight scenes that, with little context provided and characters barely registering as human, becomes monotonous.

While it doesn’t completely succeed in its intentions it is still a brave, and very dark, experimental thriller recommended to the less judgemental out there.