The female BATTLE ROYALE in this low budget slice and dice action film. Young Asami fights the treacherous Junko , a former member of her all girl gang of arse kicking fighters  and she is left fighting for her life. Returning to town after several years Asami finds that Junko now works for the Yakuza and her home town is a den of drugs and prostitution.
Together with four other gun toting females Asami gears up as Yakuza Hunters to take on the gangsters in the ultimate fight  to the death!

Ah welcome to more bizarre corner of the Japanese cinema world. YUKUZA HUNTERS has that Grindhouse style look (and music) about it and lets be fair here in the first few minutes of the film we see a naked woman beating someone to death in a sad display of fake blood which would make MEGA SHARK look like the new jaws, so we are not expecting KILL BILL.  We have some okay fight sequences in the film but the 70’s Grindhouse look it actually looks better than it actually is. The acting was stale at times but you wouldn’t really expect anything different from this kind of film.

Boobs, blood and violence are on the cards here and, even though i wasn’t impressed with the film, there will be people out there that this film will represent more.  To me it was like watching two teams of hookers fighting it out which doesn't impress me much.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is back in yet another family film, but this time it’s actually GOOD! It has been a big year for Dwayne Johnson with his big match up at WrestleMania 28, FAST FIVE, and his role in the upcoming GI JOE sequel and with JOURNEY 2 hit the shops this May could this be the big rise up again for the former WWE champ?

JOURNEY 2:  THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (The follow up to the 2008 film JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH) is the story of Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson – DETENTION, THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT) who, after receiving a coded distress signal thought to be from his grandfather Alexander (Michael Caine – BATMAN BEGINS, HARRY BROWN) discovers the map to the mysterious island, an island described in the books of Jules Verne and three other authors of the same period. Unable to stop young Sean from going his step-father Hank (Dwayne Johnson – THE SCORPION KING, FAST FIVE) decides to tag along in the hope that the boy is playing make believe. Hiring helicopter pilot Gabato (Luis Guzman – BOOGIE NIGHTS, THE CALLER) and his head strong daughter Kaliani (Vanessa Hudgens – SUCKER PUNCH, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL) they follow the map into a raging storm and to the Island.

I do enjoy a good adventure fantasy film and JOURNEY 2 ticks all the boxes. The film takes you on a journey into classic literature as well as giving you giant lizards and tiny elephants. You are thrown more or less into the thick of the action once the film is on the island but I have to admit if you really want the full advantage of some of the scenes in this film you will have to watch it in 3D as some of the effects look a little ropey with out it.

Acting wise this is the first time I have seen Vanessa Hudgens act, as I refuse to watch those evil HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL films, and I got to say she is a damn good young actress and it looks like she is taking a different route in her career in the same way Zack Effron has with THE LUCKY ONES. Dwayne Johnson is full of charisma in this as well however he does see a little forced in some of the scenes.

JOURNEY 2 is a perfect example of a family film, full of all the excitement and thrills of the first film along with some great acting from its cast. Defiantly worth a watch.

Release date:  28th May 2012
Format:  DVD, Blu- Ray & Blu-Ray 3D
Certificate: PG
Running Time: 95 mins
R.R.P:  (Blu-ray 3D) £29.99, (Blu-ray Triple Play) £24.99 (DVD) £19.99