poundpig I went into this film with reservations but as with all films, I wanted to give it a chance. I found it boring at best. The premise of the film sounded ridiculous to me but at the same time, somewhat interesting. It seems that the story was an afterthought and they just wanted to make a movie based around a nude girl, used as a sushi platter.It could barely hold my attention but I suffered through it in the hopes it would get better. It did not. There wasn't much to the story and I was not impressed with the acting. I agree with others; it is very similar to a Quentin Tarantino film. I, however, have a disdain for Tarantino's work so this movie was, unsurprisingly, a disappointment for me.In films like these, the story needs to be very engaging but the story in Sushi Girl lacked steam and left me with an unbearable taste in my mouth.It could have been better but it seemed that the focus was more on shock value than on the story, where it should have been. I really wanted to like it but now I know why it was in the bargain bin.

videorama-759-859391 I hate sushi, but after seeing this, I could almost come to like it. I didn't mind this film. The acting impressed the s..t out of me, especially that of a very plump Mark Hamill, with long stringy hair, a sort of Paul William's lookalike, if not acting him too, a bit. Coming across as a Machete type film, with Tarantino story telling, this was a real let down on the shoot em' up action factor, that disappointed us the way Death Proof did, but when you watch it again you accept it for what it is, as still finding it enjoyable. It's the crazy and interesting characters, that make it so, with some of the most odd casting I've ever seen But the casting is spot on. The formulated story is nothing new at all, our one attraction, the naked sushi girl, who lies her flat supple self down for most of the film, as a bed of food, while our nasty nasties, occasionally eat an array of sushi pieces off of her, the short tempered hot head, Max, who sucks at using chopstix. A group of ex cons, have been summoned to dine at their boss's (Tony Todd) house. Why? Cause the other ex con Fish (Never Ending Story's Noah Hathaway) has just got out, and could know where the missing diamonds are in a bungled robbery. Honorable to his partners he never gave up, where this doesn't mean jack, he's taken hostage and forced to tell him what really happened with those jewels, and I'll tell ya, Hathaway takes one hell of a beating, suffering a couple of different tortures, including taking a real glassing. I also was impressed by wire wearing James Duval, as one of Todd's crew, as the only other things were those Greg Araki movies. I must say Hamill as one of crew, is unbelievable though, and funny, and VERY gay, where at times he so hated and repellent. But remember he's only acting. No performance lacks, and that even goes for the brief performances of Biehn, Fahey and Trejo who house some stolen diamonds, where our nasties snatch them. Somewhere along the way the diamonds go astray, hence the present torture situation. Actually the sushi girl provides the twist, much in the exact same vein to another film I know of, but won't mention. Don't expect this film to happen many surprises, cause it doesn't. I actually liked Hathaway's character, and his performances wasn't bad either. The other characters of this crew I loathed, though James Duval's I didn't mind, where really he was the most singularly impressive. All actors impressed me in this, but you have to watch it for Hamill, and for the sushi girl, too, which will have many eyes, poring over her.

Anssi Vartiainen A lowly criminal crook is released from prison after serving his time with good behaviour. Unfortunately his old gang is waiting for him, having readied a sushi buffet in his honour. The twist? It's served nyotaimori style, on top of a nude female body. And thus the stage is set for one of the most intense dinner conversations you're ever likely to witness.This film has been accused of ripping off Quentin Tarantino's style. And yes, I can see where these accusations come from. The heavily Japanese themes and backgrounds filtered through Western understanding, brutal and hardcore characters, shocking scenes of extreme violence, the larger than life feel of the plot. The only thing missing is a distinctive soundtrack and even that is somewhat present in the most intense situations when the score builds and builds as the characters just keep staring at one another. The thing is, though, I don't see why this is a problem. It's one thing to rip off characters and story ideas. That's plagiarism and really cheap. But style? That's like saying that once Steven Spielberg became known for using heavy background lights, no one else could use those ever again. So, if there's exists a director like this one, who can do what Tarantino does with this amount of professionalism, then more power to him, I say.Aside from that "criticism" the film is more than fine. The story isn't overly complicated and you can see final scene coming from miles away, given the film's subject matter, but this is one of those films where the experience and the journey are more important than the end result. It's about the dialogue and the characters more than it's about the story. And both of those are really good. I especially enjoyed Tony Todd's Duke, who tried to act like a big, collected yakuza boss, but all of his cocky American underlings kept interrupting his moments and monologues. I get your blight, Duke. Mark Hamill also really shines in the role of Crow, a maddened torture expert. He and Max (Andy Mackenzie) make for a great pair of mad dogs.The production values are also high enough to convince, the torture scenes are suitably brutal to please their target audience and as a whole it's a very solid package. The story could have used one twist or surprise more for me to remember this film years later, but as it is, it's more than enough for me to recommend it to all fans of grindhouse genre.

Bene Cumb A thriller does not have to consist of constant shootings and chases (often unreal or beautified); it is good to remember from time to time that crime and treason are unpleasant phenomena. Thus, Sushi Girl gives a realistic and intense succession of events related to partners in crime whose heist went wrong and their booty got lost. Whose fault was this, who could have the diamonds? - Those questions were asked in an odd atmosphere in the presence of a live sushi table and angry criminals, using different kinds of "persuasion". Here, the most interesting characters are Crow and Duke (played by Mark Hamill and Tony Todd, respectively). Frequent flashbacks help to create the progression of the failed heist 6 years before, but all this does not become annoying, leading to a sophisticated ending. Of course, there are several references and links to Tarantino, Rodriguez and like (particularly Reservoir Dogs), but the movie is still made with style and logical plot. Torment scenes are pretty much naturalistic, but - as stated before - crime is no game, no fun, despite there are dozens of movies trying to give such an impression.