Hold Up Down (Normal Edition) (Japan Version - English Subtitles) DVD Region 2

Thankfully, not much. Director Sabu's talent makes a meal of what could have been a simple bank-heist-gone-wrong story, and the six members of V6 apply themselves with much energy and verve to characters that don't tax their skills unduly. There are car chases, almost compulsory in a Sabu film. There's a sudden unexpected curve that pops up at the least likely moment. There's comedy in great big gobs, because Sabu is a master of the background in-joke and the foreground visual humor. And there's a massive fight scene in which all 5 standing V6-ers fight each other.

I say all 5 standing V6ers because poor Okada Junichi spends a lot of the film snap-frozen. Not only that, but since he's a homeless, Christ-like hippie, he's frozen in the wide-armed stance of benediction or crucifixion. If you're wondering how many Jesus gags you can possibly get into one film, then look no further. Sabu pays meticulous attention to the finest details of the visual aspects of scenes, which makes them delightfully sharp. You need to stay alert, though, or you'll miss something.

Once again, as with Hard Luck Hero, Sabu pairs the boys off, although this time Okada and Morita Go are semi-solitary (given that they never get to speak to each other, what with Okada's squid-scented freezing and all). And again, he doesn't ask them to do anything that's beyond their range. Morita and Sakamoto demonstrate potential to be pretty good actors given time.

All in all, this is a fast-paced caper that keeps you on the edge of your seat, complete with all the car chases, visual comedy, and deftness of touch that mark Sabu as one of the hottest directors in Japan. And if you like looking at pretty young Japanese men, well, all your prayers will be answered.

Movie grade: 8 inexplicable crates of frozen squid out of 10

by Alison Jobling - heroic-cinema.com