I'm a simple man. If you put Nicolas Cage in a headband, give him a big sword, and have him wax with intense commitment and joy about a portal that's gonna open to our world and spit out killer aliens that we have to fight with martial arts, I'm going to watch the movie that contains it. This particular movie is called Jiu Jitsu, and while the first trailer anchors itself to Cage's wonders in this performance (for the betterment of society), the film offers many more bonkers genre pleasures beyond him.
Jiu Jitsu looks to blend the different tones and modes of science fiction, martial arts, cyberpunk, and even fantasy action into one kickass protein-infused smoothie, under the directorial eye of Dimitri Logothetis, with action vets like Tony Jaa, Frank Grillo, Alain Moussi, and Juju Chan co-starring. Logothetis directed Kickboxer: Retaliation, also starring Moussi, which popped through the DTV action movie scene with gusto and gritty craftsmanship. He's good hands to put your desire for a gonzo tone-blending flick into, and here's what he said about it:
After we successfully reintroduced the Kickboxer franchise to a new generation of martial arts fans with the sixth and seventh entries in the series, we set out to up the ante with a Sci Fi Martial Arts franchise that could bring the same kind of intensity and longevity to a new arena. Jiu Jitsu is guaranteed to satisfy the millions of martial arts and science fiction lovers across the globe with world class martial artists, stunt men go-to expert Alain Moussi joining superstar Nicolas Cage for some formidable, no holds barred fight sequences set in exotic Burma.
Just... um... just watch the trailer already. I promise you will not be disappointed.
Jiu Jitsu opens a portal into our world and spin-kicks you in the face November 20, in theaters and on digital. Check out the official trailer and synopsis below. For more on Mr. Cage, here's our initial ranking of his most Cagiest performances, of which the writer screamed at us, "GUESS I GOTTA UPDATE THE RANKINGS" when he watched this new trailer.
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 (Alain 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 (Nicolas 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.