Crows Zero: Fighting, hilarity and chain-smoking abound

Modern martial arts films have never really sat well with me. With the exception of the occasional star (like Ong-Bak or Seven Swords), they seem out of place and outdated. Crows Zero, however, is far from that.

Based on the manga Crows by Hiroshi Takahashi, the film tells the story of student Genji who transfers to the notoriously violent Suzuran High School and fights his way through the school to try and conquer it. The premise of the film is that each student has to fight others to 'recruit' them to their group. But Genji goes about this slightly differently in some cases (for example trying to get Makise laid to get him to follow him)

From the start, the action is beautifully choreographed with just the right level of exaggeration and humour thrown into the mix. The comedy in this film is fantastic. There were several instances I was crying with laughter by the sheer stupidity, especially as Genji and Ken (his drop-out life mentor) try to set Makise up on a date. 

All in all, the film is definitely worth the watch, even if you aren't a usual fan of the martial-arts scene. Final thoughts: Thank god for Japan.