
Wall Street Journal
Nicolas Cage has worn a lot of things on his head over the years, but the Burmese fisherman's bonnet... is something new. It's one of the few things in the movie that is.
Full reviewAcademy Award winner Nicolas Cage uses Jiu Jitsu to fight a space ninja in this action sci-fi co-starring Frank Grillo (The Purge: Anarchy), Tony Jaa (Ong Bak), JuJu Chan (Wu Assassins) and Alain Moussi (Kickboxer: Retaliation).
Every six years, an ancient order of expert Jiu Jitsu fighters faces a vicious race of alien invaders in a battle for Earth. For thousands of years, the fighters that protect Earth have won…until now. When celebrated war hero Jake Barnes (Moussi) is defeated by Brax, the indomitable leader of the invaders, the future of humanity hangs in the balance. Injured and suffering from amnesia, Jake is rescued by Wylie (Cage), Keung and his team of fellow Jiu Jitsu fighters. They must help Jake to regain his strength in order to band together and defeat Brax in an epic battle that will once again determine the fate of mankind.
LessNicolas Cage has worn a lot of things on his head over the years, but the Burmese fisherman's bonnet... is something new. It's one of the few things in the movie that is.
Full reviewCome for the wacky premise, stay for the action, and then leave wondering why there wasn't any jiu-jitsu.
Full reviewNicolas Cage's few minutes of screen time are nowhere close to saving this confused, flimsy martial arts outing.
Full reviewCage's amusing turn as a kooky hermit with an affinity for newspaper hats often feels awkwardly spliced into the film.
Full reviewHas all the barely-motivated action and sci-fi trappings of a middling videogame and, well, at least a little of the dramatic value.
Full reviewFeels like a deeply 2020 movie in that it is a barrage of WTF choices that hit without mercy until you either give in and go with the flow or just go mad.
Full reviewShould have gone full-Sharknado and admitted that they're banking hard on Cage's anything-goes image.
Full reviewCage finally appears about 40 minutes into the film as an eccentric expert swordsman who makes paper hats in his spare time.
Full reviewThe action sequences are weirdly extended and bland, like game-play action from a first-person game.
Full reviewJiu Jitsu is available to stream in New Zealand now on Google Play and Apple TV and Academy On Demand.
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