Jiu Jitsu (2020), directed by Dimitri Logothetis, is a science‑fiction martial arts fantasy film that combines ancient combat orders, alien invasions, and memory loss, with a cast including Alain Moussi, Nicolas Cage, Tony Jaa, Frank Grillo, JuJu Chan, and others.  The story is adapted from a 2017 comic book by Logothetis and Jim McGrath.

The premise revolves around an ancient order of fighters trained in “Jiu Jitsu,” who every six years must defend Earth from a vicious alien invader. This alien, known as Brax, travels through a portal that appears periodically via a comet. For millennia, humanity has succeeded in repelling him—until this time. The hero, Jake Barnes (Alain Moussi), is a celebrated warrior but suffers severe amnesia when he is found after falling off a cliff in a Burmese (Myanmar) jungle, pursued by Brax’s weapons.

After he is rescued by local fishermen and brought to a military outpost, intelligence officer Myra (Marie Avgeropoulos) and other members of the Jiu Jitsu order try to piece together what he has forgotten. Although Jake’s memory is blocked—even under chemical truth serum—he gradually begins to regain fragments of his past and of his loyalty to the order.  The order also includes several seasoned fighters: Keung (Tony Jaa), Carmen (JuJu Chan), Harrigan (Frank Grillo), Wylie (Nicolas Cage) and others.

Conflict escalates when Brax returns with full force. The stakes are high: if Jake and his allies fail to defeat the alien, Earth could be lost. The narrative moves through a mixture of action/fight scenes, training, some dialogue examining destiny and duty, and a race against time as Jake tries to reclaim his identity and role among the defenders.

Visually and stylistically, the film aims for spectacle—many fight sequences, exotic jungle landscapes, sci‑fi effects, portals, and alien weaponry. But these ambitions are frequently undercut by criticism of weak special effects, shaky camerawork, and inconsistent tone.  Critics point out that despite the many martial artists in the cast, much of what the film labels “Jiu Jitsu” doesn’t reflect traditional or technical forms of the art, and some of the fight choreography and action editing are not very polished.

In conclusion, Jiu Jitsu offers a high‑concept premise: ancient fighters, alien invaders, destiny, memory, and martial arts fused with sci‑fi fantasy. For some viewers, it delivers entertainment in its action beats and odd genre mixture; for others, it falls short in narrative coherence and execution. It ends with the sense of a final battle that decides Earth’s fate, but the journey there is often messy. Whether you enjoy it may depend on how much you can forgive flaws in acting, storytelling, and effects in exchange for spectacle and martial‑arts showdowns.