Wasabi

Jean Reno's world-weary, old school gravitas is ill-served in this unpleasant, ultra-violent Euro-trash (further hampered by atrocious English dubbing of the French dialogue on the VHS version) about Hubert, a French cop who is called to Japan for the funeral of his long lost love, where he meets the obnoxious teenaged daughter he never knew he had, and runs afoul of the Yakuza. To while away the time, we suggest an old juvenile college game: every time someone says the name "Hubert," take a drink. You will be comatose within 10 minutes, which is preferable to watching this instantly disposable and brutally unfunny thriller written by Luc Besson (a world away from his La Femme Nikita and The Professional). Not recommended. (K. Lee Benson)