JOKER GAME (***)

(2015) Think "indie-budget Japanese Mission: Impossible" - though Joker Game, stylish spy film with its own quirky sense of humor, deserves a better moniker than that.  A young man in the military, barely saved in time from being executed after an incident with his commanding officer, is instead recruited for "D Klan".  Trained as a spy, he proves himself a quick learner and exceptionally skilled, so is given his first mission: retrieve vital information that could put Japan ahead in the weapons game.  Needless to say, nothing goes as planned - unlike the film, which in many ways plays out with the usual tropes of the spy genre to its fiery finish.  That said, the film's fight scenes and moments of suspense are very enjoyable, and Joker Game does benefit from a sense of humor as quirky as the film itself.  Though we've seen this film before, for the most part JG manages to remain engaging, fresh and fun on its own level. (unrated)

JOKER GAME trailer (in Japanese; sorry, could not find subtitled)