“Jiu Jitsu” (2020) Podcast Movie Review

By Daniel Barnes on September 19, 2023

Dare Daniel: Cage Match – Round 5

Jiu Jitsu (2020; Dir.: Dimitri Legothetis) – Episode 128

“Get off my piano.”

In their final Cage Match review, Nouveau Shamanic acolytes Daniel and Corky grapple with the un-gentle art of Jiu Jitsu. Cage goes Obi-Yawn Kenobi as a neo-hippie martial arts mentor, but cedes the lead to Canadian stuntman, martial artist and charisma black hole Alain Moussi. Jiu Jitsu comes up short on every level, especially the omnipresent fight scenes. Writer-director Legothetis pulls out all the stops, but the film is as empty as the emptiest Hollywood blockbuster, only without the saving grace of production values.

Elsewhere, Daniel and Corky discuss CGI raspberry jam, Sorkin-esque walk-and-stalks and the fine art of newspaper hats.

JIU JITSU (2020) FACTS & FIGURES

U.S. theatrical debut: Nov. 20, 2020

Worldwide box office: ~$100,000 (production budget: $25 million)

Critics scores: 28 on Rotten Tomatoes; 27 on Metacritic

IMDB synopsis: “Every six years, an ancient order of jiu-jitsu fighters joins forces to battle a vicious race of alien invaders. But when a celebrated war hero goes down in defeat, the fate of the planet and mankind hangs in the balance.”

This week’s referenced movies: Cosmic Sin; Sophie’s Choice; Star Wars movies; Predator movies; Stargate; Mortal Kombat movies; Krull; Revolution; John Wick movies; Bourne films; Upgrade; Dancin’: It’s On!; Cool as Ice; Marvel movies; The Expendables movies; Left Behind (2014); Heat (1995); Ultraviolet; Monty Python and the Holy Grail; Chinatown; The Two Jakes; Top Secret!; China Salesman; The Warrior and the Sorceress; Prometheus; Battlefield: Earth; Southern Comfort; 50 First Dates; Spider-Man: Far from Home