It began in an internet chat room. No, not one of those chat rooms where you try to pick up chicks....it was a movie discussion chat room. I was invited to take part in a discussion about Asian cinema, specifically "Battle Royale". That is where I first heard about "Versus".

"Dude, that movie is friggin' amazing!"

"Holy Shit! I can't believe you haven't seen this movie!"

"How did you miss that one?"

That's just a sampling of what I heard when I stated that I hadn't seen "Versus". The reaction of the folks in the chat was one of disbelief. I began to wonder, "What have I been missing?", so I immediately rode out to find a copy of "Versus". After the purchase I got home, popped it in the DVD player, and sat down for one hell of a wild ride. Yep, "Versus" was most definitely the proverbial "shit", and I was one happy boy.

Soon it became required viewing amongst my friends. I made sure everyone within my circle knew about this film. We had movie nights at my crib where we would gather and watch/discuss flicks, and "Versus" was the one I was most excited to share. And so far, no one has disagreed: "Versus" is friggin' amazing. WHAT? You haven't seen it? Holy Shit, I can't believe you haven't seen this movie! How did you miss that one?

Ok, so what's it about? Well, basically it is about an escaped prisoner, known only by the number on his jump suit, who is unwittingly (or fatefully?) drawn into the middle of a huge mess involving Japenese gangsters. You see, the entire flick takes place in a forest. But this is no ordinary forest. This is the Forest Of Resurrection, so named because whatever dies inside the forest is sure to rise again. So let me recap this real quick:

Japenese gangsters? Check.

Zombies? Check.

Gunfights? Double check!

Martial arts? Yeppers.

Bad ass hero? Oh, hell yeah!!

Prisoner KSC2-303 is a total badass. As played by Tak Sakaguchi he looks like an Asian version of Johnny Depp with the swagger of Bruce Willis and the fighting style of Jet Li.....I mean, this cat is what a cinematic badass is all about. He's being tracked down by a very persistent detective and finds himself fighting gangsters, both dead and undead, while trying to make his escape from the forest. And the dude can straight up throw down - fist fighting, gun battling, sword slinging - just an all around tough as nails bad ass.

But there's a centuries old secret that has to be brought out to light for our hero, and he comes to find out that he is many times reincarnated just for the purpose of fighting an ages-old enemy...an enemy who happens to be in the forest with a few "friends" to aid him in the capture of the film's female lead, a hot little number known only as "the girl".

Some of the most spectacular fight sequences ever fill this flick, and sometimes it gets a bit messy. Oh yeah, there's plenty of blood to satisfy any gorehound. As a matter of fact, the movie is as well known for its outrageous violence as it is for its amazing fight sequences. Heads get caved in, body parts get severed, and people get just plain out fucked up. It's nasty, funny, and disturbing.

Director Kitamura has fun with stylistic camera angles and flashy movements that give the movie a very distinct look and feel. Visually his style is untouchable...with low pans and constant dolly movements the movie has some of the most ingenious shots I've ever witnessed. One scene in particular, the "versus" scene of the title, has a dolly-track shot that has to be seen to be believed. And every shot adds to the excitement, the chaotic feel of the film.

Since gaining mucho popularity via fans and the internet, "Versus" has now been upgraded to "Ultimate Versus", now on DVD with 15 minutes of additional (and badass) footage, plus 2 extra discs of extras. Know someone who loves action films? Buy this for them. Know someone who digs Asian cinema? Buy this for them. Love action, martial arts, zombies, and gore? Buy it for yourself!!

"Ultimate Versus" ranks in my top 5 action flicks of all time. But it's more than just all out action - it has what every fan of horror loves too. Throw in a dash of comedic dialogue and some funny set pieces and you have a genre-crossing classic.

Oh, and I need to note that, due to the success of "Versus", director Ryuhie Kitamura got the job helming "Godzilla: Final Wars" for Toho and will be making his North American debut with the adaptation of Clive Barker's "Midnight Meat Train". Kitamura has the chops to give the genre we all love a nice roundhouse kick in the ass.