Versus tells the complicated yet interesting story of one man and his detailed quest in trying to predict the stock market. First the market goes down...er or does it go up? No, no, it definitely goes down...or is it up...but seriously folks, I'm here all week try the veal.

Versus, or as I like to call it "Sure, Why Not?" is a movie that just doesn't give a shit, but in a good way. There are so many sub-genres of horror and action packed into this film it defies all rules of convention. Not content with just the obvious cinematic cliche's (your typical badass character, the nerdy guy, women in peril), the filmmakers decided to steal in style form, from just about every genre director as well. However, when all is said and done this doesn't mean that Versus isn't one hell of a fun and wild ride.

I know there's a story in here somewhere, I just had a hard time locating it. It has something to do with a bunch of people in the woods, some are escaped criminals, some Yakuza and the dead coming back to life...that's pretty much it. Keeping in tradition with its "Sure, Why Not?" mentality, Versus is all over the place. I now present for you a sampling of the sub-genres represented in this fine film; zombie, vampirism, cannibalism, splattter, hopping vampire, ghost, wire-work, kung-fu, samurai, gun-fights, swordplay, futuristic kung-fu/samurai, werewolf (well kinda, one guy was crawling around and acting kinda like a wolf) etc. etc. Film styles represented are among the following; Argento, Romero, Jackson, Raimi, etc. etc. I think you get the drift. There is plenty of red stuff here as body parts get chopped, sliced, broken, blown up, disemboweled or punctured in many creative/inventive ways. Heads get sliced open, unusual body cavities are exposed, limbs fly in every possible direction and it's all done with an unusual comedic slapstick sense not seen since the days of the classic Abbott and Costello gorefests of yesteryear. Just don't expect any logic or rules, as there are none present. Things just happen for no apparent reason, just accept it folks.

Outrageous action and gore is an understatement here, during this film you can't help but be entertained. Versus has been called the goriest film ever made, and although it is gory, I think it still runs a close second to Peter Jackson's Dead Alive (the lawnmower scene at the end of Dead Alive takes the cake, can we ever top that?). One problem with the film Versus is that it runs about 45 minutes too long, as it stands now at about 2 hours (I hear the original cut was 2 1/2 hours?). The film should have been cut down to a cool 75 to 90 minute running time. Despite its long running time, Versus is never boring and the action scenes are fast and furious. Simply put, this film is sure to please.

If you're looking for substance you won't find it here. Versus is mindless splatter from gory start (literally, the opening shot is of a guy being split in half) to a futuristic bloody finish ("Sure, Why Not?"). This film is most certainly not destined to be a classic, but in a theatre full of gore-hounds, Versus can definitely be a blast.

Two blood-spurting thumbs up!