XX (ekusu kurosu): makyô densetsu

X-CROSS is a weird little Japanese action flick, clearly shot on a low budget. It makes up for the deficiency of the budget by injecting a whole lot of wacky craziness and enthusiasm for the subject matter, in much the same way as a film like VERSUS, although it's a far cry from that sort of material.

The problem with X-CROSS is the story, which feels dragged-out and long-winded. There's not a great deal of plot once the initial premise is out of the way: a couple of girls travel to a remote village to partake in the hot springs there as a means of spiritual refreshment and relaxation. Unfortunately, the village just so happens to be home to a murderous cult. Who can they trust and will they escape?

Basically, this is one long chase movie, shot in the dark and with typical Japanese weirdness. Some of the plot elements are a lot of fun, like the crazy girl with the giant pair of scissors who seems intent on slaughtering our heroines, but other elements, like all of the mobile phone mystery sub-plots, are overdone and drag out a bit. The execution is also only so-so - on the strength of this and BATTLE ROYALE 2, director Kenta Fukasaku is no match for the talents of his superior father.