Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Versus Blu-ray Movie Review

The definition of style over substance.

Reviewed by Dustin Somner January 24, 2011

Often regarded as a cult classic among its avid fanbase, Versus can best be described as an uncut diamond, appearing ugly in so many ways, yet hiding something far more valuable under the surface. If you consider yourself a knowledgeable individual on action cinema originating in Japan, You probably already know a great deal about the film, and have already been exposed to one of the prior DVD releases of the past eight years (R-Rated Edition, Director’s Cut, Special Edition, or Ultimate Edition). If you somehow missed the onslaught of DVD versions, pat yourself on the back and breathe a deep sigh of relief knowing your decision is now simple. Released on Blu-ray with upgraded video and audio, as well as all of the special features compiled on the original Special Edition DVD release (with a couple tossed in from the Ultimate Edition to sweeten the deal), we now have the closest thing to a definitive release, though I suspect the extended cut will emerge at some point on high definition horizon.

As a brief side-note, the version of the film contained on this release is the 119 minute “Director’s Cut”, which runs five minutes longer than the “R-Rated Version”, but clocks in 11 minutes shorter than the Ultimate Edition “Extended Cut”. I’ve personally never witnessed the longer 130 minute cut, so I can’t comment on whether we should be disappointed by the fact that it was passed over on this release, but I remain plenty satisfied by the level of gore and action included on this 119 minute cut.

Never bring a knife to a gun-fight.

Versus operates on the assumption that style over substance is a trump card worth playing on the hearts of viewers. As such, I’ll briefly touch on the filmmaker’s interpretation of the nonsensical storyline, with the caveat that I take zero responsibility for the ensuing confusion I’ve fostered.

Spread across our world are 666 portals that serve as gateways to the “other side”. These portals are invisible to most humans, but discoverable to a certain class of warrior who converge on certain gates at a predetermined time. Our story takes place in Japan, where the 444th portal is located in a mystical place known as the “Forest of Resurrection”. Two prisoners from a nearby penitentiary escape through the forest in order to rendezvous with a gang of hoodlums, who apparently offered one of the escapees’ assistance. After introducing a kidnapped woman to the prisoners, a fight erupts between the psychotic gangsters and the tougher of the two prisoners, leaving both sides in a deadly standoff along the outskirts of the forest. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the age old secret behind this sacred location is the untimely resurrection of dead bodies littered throughout the forest. As more and more zombies rise from the earth, a long-standing battle re-emerges between the forces of good and evil, while the life of an innocent woman becomes the catalyst for the reopening of a gateway to the other side.

In the interest of full disclosure, I probably infused a bit too much logic into that synopsis. In reality, newcomers should expect a mishmash of genre-bending elements that combine equal parts sci-fi, horror, and action cinema. Any stab at a plot quickly takes a welcomed backseat to the ensuing mayhem in the forest, delivering a steady shot of adrenaline that never lets go. Despite the extremely low budget for a film of this sort (reportedly close to $400,000), the filmmakers incorporate plenty of effective camera tricks to ward off the stale tendencies of a 2-hour action bonanza, and at least partially compensate for occasion lulls by infusing as much gore as possible Between spraying decapitations, bodies sliced in half, and the frequent loss of limbs, Versus is a film that knows enough about its core audience to never shy away from depictions that are certain to bother those with an aversion to over-the-top gore.

As much as I’ve enjoyed Versus over the years, there are a few attributes I simply can’t gloss over during the course of a formal review. First, we have the budgetary limitations of the production. I’m quite certain Ryuhei Kitamura and his team could have assembled a polished end product if they’d been working with the budget somewhere in the neighborhood of three million dollars, but as it stands, the $400,000 didn’t go very far. With meager resources at their disposal, the most they could muster is B-grade material, turning what should have been a remarkable experience into something far less memorable (though directors Sam Raimi and John Carpenter would be proud to know there are aspiring Japanese filmmakers with their same propensity for stretching a budget). The second issue I’ve found with the film is the acting on the part of some members in the cast. Most lines are delivered with a tongue-in-cheek flair that doesn’t quite match the somber tone developed early in the film, driving it closer and closer to comedy territory. Those familiar with Japanese cinema will recognize this comedy as a staple in their domestic entertainment, but to those of us accustomed to the serious mood in most Hollywood action cinema, it sometimes drifts too far in the campy direction. Rounding out the nit-picky downsides on the film, we have the issue of length. Based on an interview in the special features section with the film’s post-production editor, we know a ton of footage was shot during the making of the film. Attempts were made to deliver a trimmed cut that still incorporated all of the essentials the filmmakers wanted, but it still feels as if another 20-30 minutes could have been excised from the midsection of the film. In the absence of any real plot, several of the action sequences involving hordes of zombies play little importance aside from the showcase of gore, becoming somewhat tiresome at times. As mentioned earlier in this review, there’s an extended cut of the film that runs 11 minutes longer, but I can’t honestly say I’m excited to watch additional bloating on a film that already comes far too close to overstaying its welcome.

Versus Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 12Mbps), Versus demonstrates a dramatic improvement over the prior standard definition editions, but remains hampered by the drawbacks of less than ideal source material. It's been several years since I was first introduced to the film on DVD, but I recall an overwhelmingly weak presentation full of edge enhancement, artifacts, and lackluster detail. With the transition to Blu-ray, it appears Tokyo Shock went back to the drawing board, delivering a faithful replication of the original elements. Unfortunately, no manner of clean-up, restoration, or tinkering will ever turn this into a visually stunning production, leaving us with a "mixed bag" reaction on high definition. As you can see for yourself from the screenshots, there are segments of the film where color filtering or adjustments were incorporated to impart steely-blue hues or a surreal yellow push, but for the most part the cinematography retains a naturalistic palette full of crimson reds, lush greens, and deep browns. Blacks don't fair quite so well, falling much closer to gray territory and placing subtle limitations on the precision of contrast differentiation. From a detail standpoint, you'll notice substantial improvements in background clarity and surface textures, despite the unfortunate use of soft focus camerawork throughout much of the feature. As a result of certain choices, you'll notice dramatic inconsistency from shot to shot, with certain segments appearing far worse than others. Regarding the presence of transfer-related deficiencies, I didn't detect much in the way of edge enhancement, artifacts, aliasing, or banding, but viewers should brace themselves for a disappointing level of print damage, and a high incidence of heavy film grain.

Versus Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

I was a bit surprised to find three lossless tracks included on a single layer disc, but regardless of the expense that decision may have played in the reserved real estate for the video and supplemental sections of the disc, it's a welcomed upgrade to the prior DVD editions. Beginning with the native Japanese options, we have a lossless 2.0 or 5.1 choice, with the surround track emerging as the obvious favorite. Though far from perfect, the clarity, volume balance and degree of surround separation are all above average. As most of us know by this stage in the evolution of the Blu-ray format, action-oriented films deliver the greatest potential for improvement as a result of lower compression, so it's not terribly surprising to find this theory hold true for Versus. Riddled with hand-to-hand combat, gun-battles, blade fights and outlandish zombie-killing fun, the film rarely passes on an opportunity to spread wild effects across the entire sound stage, filling your theater with all manner of low budget audio design. Switching back and forth between the two Japanese options and the dubbed stereo track, there's really no comparison. Musical numbers on both stereo choices sound tinny next to the sub-infused lows of the 5.1 track, and aside from subtle left to right separation there's not much to get excited about. In the end, there's no reason to move away from the Japanese 5.1 offering, which ranks among the better "b-grade" action experiences currently available on Blu-ray.

Versus Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Evolution of VERSUS (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 8:10 min.): Essentially a video montage set to music from the film, this supplement gives viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the cast and crew on various set locations as they prepare for upcoming scenes.
• Scenes from Cannes (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 8:09 min.): This is another montage of clips from the film that provide viewers with a taste of what they can expect from the full-length feature. It's not interesting if you've already witnessed the film itself, but as a glorified trailer it serves a minor purpose.
• "Beyond VERSUS" Featurette (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 25:31 min.): Unlike most making-of featurettes, this intriguing segment focuses on the fight choreography in the film, the multiple injuries endured by the actors, and the character elements they focused on addressing in the film.
• Interview with the Editor (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 12:37 min.): Keishiro Shin (Producer) takes viewers to JAYFILMco.ltd to meet Shuichi Kakesu (Editor), the man tapped to edit the final cut of Versus. In an interesting move, he was not interested in editing what he believed to be a low budget independent production, but the director and producers eventually showed up on his doorstep and pressed the issue until he gave in. Once on board, Kakesu had the difficult task of assembling thousands of independent angles and shots into a series of fluid fight sequences – primarily using trial and error.
• Making of VERSUS: Documentary (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 24:42 min.): Director Ryuhei Kitamura discusses his fascination with the Hollywood action/horror films of the 1980's, which lend a great deal of inspiration in the design of Versus. From there, he focuses on the themes in the film, and the technical aspects of the set design or cinematography. In between his analysis of the overall production, we get tongue-in-cheek testimonials from the cast and crew, demonstrating the fun-loving attitude fostered throughout the creation of Versus.
• "NERVOUS" Side-Story Mini-Movie (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 6:29 min.): Hardly the side-story it purports to be, this is little more than a goofy scene featuring the two wise-cracking detectives from the film. Your time is better spent elsewhere.
• Theatrical Trailers and Tokyo Shock Previews (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, varioius length):
• Audio Commentary #1: Ryuhei Kitamura & various members from the Japanese cast show up for this Japanese language commentary, accompanied by English subtitles. If you want my recommendation, I'd listen to the second commentary track while viewing the subtitles from the first (provided you've seen the film and don't require the English subtitles for the actual film dialog).
• Audio Commentary #2: Ryuhei Kitamura (Director) & Keishiro Shin (Producer) have a blast discussing the particulars of the production in a comical fashion. Both men do an impressive job pulling off the English dialog throughout the commentary, but you should be prepared for some long stretches of zero analysis.

Versus Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Versus is the type of film you have to watch to formulate an opinion on. I can certainly provide guidance based on my personal reaction, but I reflect one of many viewpoints on what could safely be defined as a polarizing film. If you already happen to be a fan, and are merely wondering whether the upgrade is worthwhile, I'm pleased to report this is likely the best the film will ever look and sound, though such an acknowledgement should not be interpreted as a full-on endorsement. Potential buyers should keep in mind the limitations of the source material, and recognize my technical scores are a more accurate reflection of where the film stands in comparison to the best Blu-ray has to offer.