Tekken

Okay just finished watching this and wow is it bad. I could sit here and kick the heck out've it for not being faithful to the game, which hooo boy it isn't, but then all I'll get is a bunch of people going "It's Tekken The Movie, NOT Tekken The Game!".

So I'll review it as a simple action movie. The plot was thin, the character motivations were practically nil and the fight scenes were shot with far too many cuts. The acting ranged from over the top to poor.

Interestingly for a movie that did not in any way respect the storyline of the game, it went out of it's way to include homages to it. Hell entire characters were in it for no more than that. Anna Williams didn't have a fight or indeed even a line! She existed for no other reason to name drop and to wander about in her underwear. While we're on the subject of the Williams sister's what the heck is wrong with Nina's face?!? I have no idea if this is true, but it looks like it's been constructed in the operating theatre, apologies if it wasn't, but DAMN.

They also managed to incorrectly spell Cung Le's name in the credits.

Not for Tekken fans as they'll get angry, not for action movie fans as they'll get bored.

He could be the only motif for see the film. not for performance, not for story ( who seems do not exist ) but only for his physical presence. sure, for martial arts fans , "Takken" is a nice film. maybe. for the fans of game - a must see. I have few doubts about it. because it has a story to tell. because the fragments of story are so bizarre and not more than sketches , than all remains at level of confusion. the film does nothing new. or interesting. or predictable. because it is only another action film, with a precise target, who gives few fights, a kind of love story, few crumbs of Star Wars and,, this is all. if you ignore Jon Foo who, maybe, could be the reasonable motif to see the film.

I was expecting something of the level of stupidity like the Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat movies, so I was pleasantly surprised when the movie had a consistent script and some decent action. I was already fantasizing about my IMDb review, saying how I was expecting crap and found a gem.

Of course, that only lasted for the first half of the movie. Afterwards, attempts to make the movie follow a script, budget concerns and other movie politics made it all fall into the gutter of action movies when the cardboard villain must come into focus and be honorably defeated by the hero. I call bullshit. If the movie would have continued in the same style as the first half of the movie, where heroes meet on the battlefield of the arena and wither win or lose, it would have been a decent, even good film. Instead, hair gel and bad villain lines polluted the ending and turned it into another crappy video game movie. Why?!?!?

Summary: Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa should have asked for a fortune in payment for the silly hair style of his character, probably something taken from the video game Tekken, that I have never played. The main character looked like a combination of Jean Claud van Damme and the vampire from Twilight. The hot chick that is the focus of his male desire gives him a kiss after being totally easy, but she denies him any... ahem... action. He returns to his slum where a girlfriend that actually wants and accepts sex awaits him. That part was artfully realistic. Tamlyn Tomita is still hot as hell, even if she keeps playing roles of moms that have to die. Kelly Overton mimics some decent fight moves, even if her only purpose in the movie is to look good.

After thoughts: I wonder what would have happened if the hot girl would have actually had to participate in the tournament and fight Jin, and then the father grandfather angle actually been used in a royal politics manner... a good script maybe? Why did Raven (a black guy with white clothes and white hair?! An albino raven, maybe? What hair gel company sponsor this movie?

Bottom line: watch 45 minutes of the movie. Stop. Fantasize about what cool movie this could have been. That is the only way to enjoy this film.

"If you can still breathe you can still fight, your only defeated when you decide." In the future countries no longer exist. The world is owned by corporations, each of which as a competitor in the "Iron-Fist" fighting tournament. Looking to avenge the death of his mother at the hands of the Tekken group, Jin (Foo) fights his way to the tournament. I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed this movie. Very, very entertaining with very good fighting scenes. It also stayed very close to the video game, complete with the pick-a-fighter sections. The downfall of this movie is the same problem with all video game movies though. When the movie is just the one-on-one fighting sequences like the game has it is very strong and fun to watch. When it tries to add a story aspect and a plot is where it begins to drag. But the filmmakers knew this I think and the movie never strays too far from the tournament aspect for too long. Overall, much better then I expected, and knowing it's a video game you will have certain expectations going in. I give it a B.

Would I watch again? - I actually might.

*Also try - Muay Thai Fighter

After Blood Rayne, Dead or Alive and Doom i gave up hope that the video game to movie adaptation could not be done successfully. In theory this movie should never have been watched by myself however as a long standing fan of NAMCO and the TEKKEN series i hunted high and low to find and see this movie.

(i wrote a longer comment but felt so let down and despondent that i deleted it and concluding with this as my final verdict) ADVENT CHILDREN is the greatest game to movie adaptation, there is no other let us stop wasting money! Production companies should be sued for false advertising and time wasting (1hour and 24mins i will not be getting back this year!)