Directed by Gérard Krawczyk (Taxi 2, 3 & 4), and produced by the prolific Luc Besson, Wasabi stars the charismatic Jean Reno as Hubert Fiorentini, a tough Parisian cop who travels to Japan when the only woman he has ever loved dies, naming him in her will.
At the reading of the will, Hubert is told that he has inherited guardianship of Miko's super-cute daughter, Yumi (Ryoko Hirosue), until she reaches the age of 20 (in two days time). It doesn't take a shocked Hubert long to realise that Yumi is also his daughter.
Whilst paying his respects at Miko's funeral, Hubert finds evidence of foul play (cyanide crystals around Miko's nostrils), and later discovers that Yumi's inheritance is a staggering $200,000,000. With help from Momo (Michel Muller), an old friend in the French Intelligence, he uncovers the truth: Miko, a secret agent, went to work undercover in the Yakuza; when her real identity was discovered by the bad-guys, she transferred the Yakuza's money to her daughter's account, but was killed before she could escape.
And now the Yakuza want their cash back...
Wasabi is an enjoyable action/comedy that, with some more action, would've score an 8 out of 10 with me. Reno, Hirosue and Muller are extremely likable in their roles, and Krawczyk does a pretty good job of keeping the fun bubbling along. Only Besson's occasionally sloppy script lets things down in places: a couple of plot lines seemingly go nowhere (Hubert's relationship with Sofia, and something about a book of names and numbers) and despite the promise of some explosive action (we are shown all sorts of amazing firepower), Hubert only ever uses his hand-gun against the baddies. I really wanted to see some of those rocket launchers put to use!
In my experience, Besson movies (whether produced, written or directed) are unpredictable affairs; they range from the great (Leon, The Transporter), to the passably entertaining (Taxi 2), to the pretty mediocre (Kiss of the Dragon, Taxi). Wasabi is nearer the top end of the scale, but with a bit more care and attention, it could have been one of the best.
At the reading of the will, Hubert is told that he has inherited guardianship of Miko's super-cute daughter, Yumi (Ryoko Hirosue), until she reaches the age of 20 (in two days time). It doesn't take a shocked Hubert long to realise that Yumi is also his daughter.
Whilst paying his respects at Miko's funeral, Hubert finds evidence of foul play (cyanide crystals around Miko's nostrils), and later discovers that Yumi's inheritance is a staggering $200,000,000. With help from Momo (Michel Muller), an old friend in the French Intelligence, he uncovers the truth: Miko, a secret agent, went to work undercover in the Yakuza; when her real identity was discovered by the bad-guys, she transferred the Yakuza's money to her daughter's account, but was killed before she could escape.
And now the Yakuza want their cash back...
Wasabi is an enjoyable action/comedy that, with some more action, would've score an 8 out of 10 with me. Reno, Hirosue and Muller are extremely likable in their roles, and Krawczyk does a pretty good job of keeping the fun bubbling along. Only Besson's occasionally sloppy script lets things down in places: a couple of plot lines seemingly go nowhere (Hubert's relationship with Sofia, and something about a book of names and numbers) and despite the promise of some explosive action (we are shown all sorts of amazing firepower), Hubert only ever uses his hand-gun against the baddies. I really wanted to see some of those rocket launchers put to use!
In my experience, Besson movies (whether produced, written or directed) are unpredictable affairs; they range from the great (Leon, The Transporter), to the passably entertaining (Taxi 2), to the pretty mediocre (Kiss of the Dragon, Taxi). Wasabi is nearer the top end of the scale, but with a bit more care and attention, it could have been one of the best.