Dragon Dynasty’s Ultimate 4 Pack DVD Vol 1: Five Shaolin Masters, Executioner from Shaolin, Jet Li: Martial Arts of Shaolin and Mad Monday Kung Fu (Dragon Dynasty)

Posted on August 6, 2011 by JJ Bona
Dragon Dynasty's Ultimate 4 Pack DVD Vol 1: Five Shaolin Masters, Executioner from Shaolin, Jet Li: Martial Arts of Shaolin and Mad Monday Kung Fu (Dragon Dynasty)

Dragon Dynasty's Ultimate 4 Pack DVD Vol 1: Five Shaolin Masters, Executioner from Shaolin, Jet Li: Martial Arts of Shaolin and Mad Monday Kung Fu (Dragon Dynasty)

RELEASE DATE: October 4, 2011

Official product description: Dragon Dynasty, the world’s greatest collection of martial arts and Asian action films, brings to you an ALL NEW collectible box set! Titles included: Five Shaolin Masters, Executioner from Shaolin, Jet Li: Martial Arts of Shaolin and Mad Monday Kung Fu. The box set is presented in a beautifully designed slip sleeve.

These titles are also available individually: Five Shaolin Masters | Executioner from Shaolin | Martial Arts of Shaolin | Mad Monday Kung Fu

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles |

The Warring States aka Jin Gok DVD (New Video Group)

Posted on August 4, 2011 by JJ Bona
The Warring States aka Jin Gok DVD (New Video)

The Warring States aka Jin Gok DVD (New Video)

RELEASE DATE: November 15, 2011

The Warring States is a 2011 Chinese film directed by Chen Jin. The story takes place during the Warring States Period, but is only very loosely based on the actual history. The plot focuses on the rivalry between military generals Pang Juan and Sun Bin, both disciples of Guiguzi. Starring Sun Honglei, Jing Tian, Francis Ng, Kim Hee-sun, Kiichi Nakai and Jiang Wu. Check out the trailer here.

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles |

What Women Want DVD (New Video Group)

Posted on August 4, 2011 by JJ Bona
What Women Want DVD (New Video)

What Women Want DVD (New Video)

RELEASE DATE: November 15, 2011

Hollywood isn’t the only place out of original ideas. Based on the American version (2000 release) with Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt comes a Chinese remake starring Andy Lau and Gong Li. Check out the trailer here.

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases |

Dream Home DVD (MPI)

Posted on August 4, 2011 by JJ Bona
Dream Home DVD (MPI)

Dream Home DVD (MPI)

RELEASE DATE: August 9, 2011

One of the most extreme films ever produced in Hong Kong, Dream Home is anchored by a startling, bold performance from Josie Ho as Li-sheung and assured direction from acclaimed filmmaker Pang Ho-Cheung (“Men Suddenly In Black”). A blood-drenched thrill ride from start to finish, Dream Home is one savage and satirical slasher you won’t want to miss. Check out the trailer here.

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases |

Trail of the Panda aka Touch of the Panda DVD (Disney)

Posted on August 4, 2011 by JJ Bona
Trail of the Panda aka Touch of the Panda DVD (Disney)

Trail of the Panda aka Touch of the Panda DVD (Disney)

RELEASE DATE: September 6, 2011

An orphan named Lu finds a lost panda cub, Pang Pang. Lu carries the panda on his back and embarks on an adventure to return the cub to its mother. Directed by Zhong Yu and starring Li Feng, Daichi Harashima and Qi Zhang. Check out the trailer here.

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases |

The Harimaya Bridge Blu-ray/DVD (Funimation)

Posted on August 4, 2011 by JJ Bona
The Harimaya Bridge Blu-ray/DVD (Funimation)

The Harimaya Bridge Blu-ray/DVD (Funimation)

RELEASE DATE: October 18, 2011

The story concerns an American man who must travel to rural Japan after his estranged son dies there in a traffic accident. While there, he discovers some secrets his son left behind. The film stars Ben Guillory, Saki Takaoka, Misa Shimizu, and Danny Glover. The film is a Japanese/U.S. production. Check out the trailer here.

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases |

3 Musketeers Blu-ray/DVD (Asylum)

Posted on August 4, 2011 by JJ Bona
3 Musketeers Blu-ray/DVD (Asylum)

3 Musketeers Blu-ray/DVD (Asylum)

RELEASE DATE: Oct 25, 2011

Not to be confused with the candy bar (or the 2011 Paul W.S. Anderson flick)… Alexandra D’Artagnan, junior NSA officer, uncovers a plot to assasinate the President of the United States and enlists the help of three infamous international spies to stop the threat. Directed by Cole McKay (Special Ops: Delta Force) and starring Heather Hemmens, XIN (Xin Sarith Wuku), Alan Rachins, Keith Allan, Michelle Boyd, and David Chokachi.

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles |

Cold Fish DVD (Salient)

Posted on August 4, 2011 by JJ Bona
Cold Fish DVD (Salient)

Cold Fish DVD (Salient)

RELEASE DATE: August 23, 2011

Cold Fish (read our review) is a true crime portrait of a Japanese tropical fish dealer responsible for over forty murders. Directed by Shion Sono (Suicide Club), Cold Fish is one of the most talked about movies in film festivals around the world. Check out the trailer here. Be sure and check out an interview with the film’s director, Shion Sono.

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases |

Assassination Games | aka Weapon (2011) Review

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Z Ravas
"Assassination Games" American Theatrical Poster

“Assassination Games” American Theatrical Poster

Director: Ernie Barbarash
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Scott Adkins, Kevin Chapman, Ivan Kaye, Valentin Teodosiu, Alin Panc, Serban Celea, Michael Higgs, Kristopher Van Varenberg, Marija Karan, Bianca Van Varenberg, Andrew French, Marioara Sterian
Running Time: 95 min.

By HKFanatic

For many Jean Claude Van Damme fans in the United States, the limited release of “Assassination Games” this summer means the first chance to see their hero on the big screen in over a decade. Pairing the Muscles From Brussels with rising star Scott Adkins (“Undisputed III: Redemption”) seemed like a no-brainer recipe for success. All these two guys had to do was bring the action and fans would go home happy. Unfortunately, “Assassination Games” fails to meet even those modest expectations.

Although Van Damme and Adkins’ previous collaboration, 2008’s “The Shepherd,” didn’t exactly set the world on fire, at least it had some decent fight scenes. It’s now clear that the quality of that film was due to director Isaac Florentine, an “auteur” of direct-to-DVD action with movies like the “Undisputed” sequels and “U.S. Seals 2” under his belt. Without his deft touch, the Van Damme/Adkins reunion of “Assassination Games” flounders. Instead we’re in the hands of Ernie Barbarash, director of “Cube Zero.” For some reason he shot the film in a sepia tone – or, more likely, had the film color-coded this way via computer in post-production – that makes it look like you’re viewing the entire movie through a waterfall of urine. This is how we have to see Van Damme return to the big screen?

Granted, no one would care how this movie looked if it at least showed Van Damme kicking ass. Alas, “Assassination Games” is more a low-budget European thriller than it is an action movie. The set-up is firmly simple: Van Damme plays one of the best assassins in the business while Adkins is a retired hitman hiding out with some money stolen from corrupt Interpol agents who want him dead. When they’re both given the same contract – Adkins is after the guy because he put his wife in a coma – the two killers butt heads and ultimately realize they’re better off teaming up. While this premise had the potential to deliver plenty of action and thrills, there’s barely any action to be had in “Assassination Games.”

Perhaps the feeling of disappointment here comes from the fact that we’re witnessing a “pretty good” direct-to-video movie on the big screen; one’s expectations are a bit higher when you add a premium ticket price. You have to wonder just how this movie secured a theatrical release, as limited as it may be, since it’s purely a cloak-and-dagger movie and not the kind of martial arts spectacular that Van Damme made his bread ‘n butter in the 90’s (whoever thought we’d be nostalgic for “Time Cop”?). Director Ernie Barbarash keeps the focus on backroom dealings and double-crosses rather than any fisticuffs. Van Damme doesn’t even crack a smile, let alone throw a kick.

Sure, we’re used to Van Damme playing more downtrodden, melancholy souls ever since “Maximum Risk” but this is a movie in search of a pulse. Scott Adkins does his best – he’s got a handsome face and killer moves so there’s no reason he shouldn’t be a big star – but his characters’ rage is almost completely internalized. “Assassination Games” desperately needed its characters’ inner conflict to boil over and actually affect what was happening onscreen. Instead, this movie sulks through the shadows to an ultimately limp conclusion.

That’s the big problem with “Assassination Games.” Every time the plot seems to tease at escalating the conflict, it just plods along to the next scene and maintains the status quo. The bad guys are constantly talking about calling in reinforcements or putting the hurt on Vam Damme and Adkins, and yet it never manifests. When Van Damme and Adkins sneak up to the house with all the bad guys inside, one of them makes a comment like “There’s at least two guards out front. We’ll have to draw them out.” Excuse me? TWO guards?! Hell no – I’ve seen Chow Yun Fat and Andy Lau creep up on a villain’s mansion and blow it to hell with rocket launchers and grenades in 1987’s “Tragic Hero.” I’ve seen the first two “A Better Tomorrow” movies. You need to do a lot more to impress me with the finale of your film, especially when Van Damme and Scott Adkins are two of the toughest guys in show business. Scott Adkins could take out two guards in his friggin’ sleep.

Look, I know it’s hard to make a good movie. These days most of our 80’s action heroes are forced to shoot their flicks on a low-budget in economically challenged Eastern European countries. The sepia tone is most likely an attempt to try and make “Assassination Games” look visually interesting despite a lack of funds. I’ve read Donnie Yen say that you can give him all the money in the world and if he doesn’t have enough time, he’s not going to be able to deliver a good fight scene. I’m sure the filmmakers on “Assassination Games” were pressed for both time and money. It’s just the reality. But I’m looking in the credits and I see Van Damme has a stylist, a hair dresser, a costume dresser…I mean, shit, guys. I paid good money for a ticket – could you at least deliver one knock-out, drag-out fight scene that makes my jaw hit the floor? Could you at least try? Please?

Scott Adkins is a beast. We’ve seen this guy deliver kicks that would send my out-of-shape ass to the moon in movies like “Undisputed II” & “III.” The fight scene between him and Vladik Jacukevicius in “Special Forces” is one of the top ten best fight scenes since the heyday of Hong Kong cinema. And yet there’s not one moment in “Assassination Games” that comes close to unleashing Adkins’ true potential. The fact that he’s even in this movie and so under-utilized is like buying a submachine gun to shoot empty bottles in your backyard – a waste of pure firepower.

I’m no hater. I love Van Damme. Hell, he blew me away in “Universal Soldier: Regeneration” and that was just two years ago. That movie had so much action and bloodshed, I needed a cold shower afterwards. The thing is, movies like “Regeneration” and even Van Damme’s “Wake of Death” in 2004 have steadily raised the bar for low-budget action movies. They prove you can have great fight scenes with more fluid camera work and editing than most Hollywood flicks. “Assassination Games” takes too many steps back, back to the days when Steven Seagal was pumping out direct-to-video flicks where he mumbled his way through Prague in the name of political intrigue. Considering that Scott Adkins has probably done 200 push-ups by the time Seagal has had his first Snickers bar of the day, that is just a shame.

Van Damme, we love you – but the fans deserve more.

HKFanatic’s Rating: 5.5/10

Posted in Asian Related, Reviews | Tagged , , , , |

Media Blasters captures two classic Godzilla epics

Posted on August 3, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Destroy All Monsters" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Destroy All Monsters" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Amid a flurry of escalating internet rumors, Media Blasters Inc. and their Tokyo Shock label are proud to announce and confirm the acquisition of two vintage Toho produced Godzilla classics – DESTROY ALL MONSTERS and GODZILLA VS. MEGALON! For the first time, both films will be re-mastered in high definition and released on DVD and Blu-ray! DESTROY ALL MONSTERS will receive a worthy deluxe treatment to provide fans with a noticeable upgrade from its previous DVD incarnation. GODZILLA VS. MEGALON marks the first time that this long sought after title will be officially released uncut and widescreen on DVD and Blu-ray. Both films will feature exciting extras!

DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (1968) is universally considered a strong fan favorite of the entire Godzilla series! It’s an all-star monster rally of epic proportions featuring Toho’s greatest and wildest mammoth monsters in the ultimate, all-out rubber suit rumble! See Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah, Anguirus, Minya, Spiega, Baragon, Gorosaurus, Manda and Varan in all their titanic glory! The film was directed by the famed Ishiro Honda, director of the original 1954 film and the last entry to feature the dream team of special effects supervisor Eiji Tsuburaya, music composer Akira Ifukube and producer Tomoyuki Tanaka.

“Destroy All Monsters represents a high water mark in the Godzilla series for its sheer spectacle… It’s Godzilla movie heaven.” – stomptokyo.com

GODZILLA VS. MEGALON (1973) has been the most elusive Godzilla film in North America. This is the film that most baby-boomers saw in U.S. movie theaters and then had to rely on badly cropped VHS and DVD bootleg copies to enjoy the film thereafter. This entry features Godzilla taking on Megalon and Gigan with the help of the unforgettable growing robot, Jet Jaguar! Reportedly cut to receive a G-rating upon its U.S. release, the film was hosted by John Belushi in a Godzilla suit for its national TV premiere. Tokyo Shock will present the film uncut on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time!

“Godzilla vs. Megalon” completes the canonization of Godzilla, the creature who came from beneath the sea… to destroy Tokyo and has returned in sequels again and again to protect the land he once loathed. It’s been a remarkable transformation of character- the dragon has become St. George.” – Vincent Canby, THE NEW YORK TIMES

Stay tuned for release dates and more details!

Posted in News |

Warrior’s Way, The | aka The Warrior (2010) Review

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Z Ravas
"The Warrior’s Way" Korean Theatrical Poster

“The Warrior’s Way” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Sngmoo Lee
Cast: Jang Dong Gun, Geoffrey Rush, Kate Bosworth, Danny Huston, Tony Cox, Ti Lung
Running Time: 100 min.

By HKFanatic

I’m going to have to be the dissenting opinion here because I didn’t enjoy “The Warrior’s Way” nearly as much as Mighty Peking Man. I thought the film had potential, but overall the sluggish pacing and artificial-looking digital world didn’t do much for me. If you have a strong distaste for Zack Synder’s (“300,” “Watchmen”) style of slow-motion and speed-ramping fight scenes, “The Warrior’s Way” will drive you to hysterics. I don’t think there’s a single moment of action in this movie that is played at natural speed.

The lead actor is Dong-gun Jang who, after starring in two Korean movies you may have heard of called “Friend” and “Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War,” is one of the biggest stars in all of Asia. But I suppose the cliche is that you haven’t “made it” until you’ve been in a major English-language production and one senses that’s the only reason a talented guy like Dong-gun Jung is starring in “The Warrior’s Way.” He speaks English just fine but he’s an actor, not a swordsman or martial artist, so his performance as a master assassin is all style and no substance. His hair seems to do a lot of his acting for him. You have to wonder: could this guy even win a fight if it wasn’t in slow motion?

Elsewhere in the cast we have talented actors like Geoffrey Rush and Danny Huston, who aren’t exactly slumming it but they do make you wonder just what the hell they’re doing in a movie like this. Here we have two guys who should be asking their agents for Oscar-caliber parts and yet they’re starring in a samurai-meets-Western flick with buckets of CG blood. I mean, Danny Huston spends most of the film looking like the son of Leatherface. Kate Bosworth plays the female lead and she gets plenty of screentime for people who like her, but I’ve never found her to be a charismatic actress. I bet the filmmakers could have gotten Malin Akerman for the same price and had twice the hotness factor, but that’s just me.

I liked the movie’s premise – Eastern assassin hides out in a dilapidated town in the Old West while his clan hunts him down – but it was undone by poor pacing. After the briefest teaser of action, “The Warrior’s Way” spends at least an hour with Dong-gun Jang getting to know everybody in the town, planting flowers, and starting up a laundry business. Couldn’t we have had a little bit of action to tie us over during this long stretch of plot development? The ending finally brings the bloodshed but of course it’s slow mo’d and digitally enhanced to hell and back. The fact that the skyline looked so fake it could have been made of cotton candy didn’t help immerse me in the film either. I wouldn’t be surprised if “Greenscreen: The Movie” was a working title for this flick.

It’s difficult to imagine just who “The Warrior’s Way” will appeal to. Dong-gun Jang has a surface-level role with little dialogue so I don’t really know if his fans will go home happy; maybe if they just want to see him look bad-ass with cool hair for 100 minutes. For the rest of us, we can get better graphics and actually be in the control of the action on our Playstation 3’s. “The Warrior’s Way” is an interesting experiment in combining Eastern and Western filmmaking talent, but unless a truly great script comes along I think Dong-gun Jang is better served by making films in his native language. Perhaps he should be content with being one of the biggest stars on the Asian continent – that can’t be such a bad life, can it?

HKFanatic’s Rating: 5.5/10

By Mighty Peking Man

Yang (Jang Dong-gun), a swordsman from the Saddest Flute gang, is at the tail-end of his mission to kill every last member of a rival clan. Just as he’s about to complete his duties, he has a sudden change of heart when he learns the last standing member is a helpless baby.

Yang decides to let the baby live and take it under his protection. Knowing the rest of the Saddest Flute gang will be looking for him and the baby, Yang leaves Asia and retreats to a neglected Western town in America. During his stay, he befriends the town’s people (Kate Bosworth, Tony Cox, Geoffrey Rush), who happen to have dreadful problems of their own.

Meanwhile, the Saddest Flute gang (headed by Ti Lung) is hot on Yang’s trail; upon locating him, they plan to not only assassinate him for his incompetence to fulfill an important mission, but also to kill the baby to end their enemy’s existence forever.

I usually try and stay away from movies loaded with cgi, green-screen, digitized blood and other special effects (I know I could have just said cgi effects, but I want to make sure I get my point across). There are a few exceptions, but at the moment, I can’t even think of one, other than the title I’m writing about right now.

“The Warrior’s Way” is 30% special effects and 70% live action, but somehow, the filmmakers managed to make me happy.

The action scenes – which consist mostly of swordplay and gunfights – are visually astonishing. Some of it is extremely quick and furious, some of it is stylish slow motion; but either way, they’re done with total creativity. What’s even more awesome is the violence isn’t sugar-coated, it’s brutal and bloody (we’re talking flying heads and limbs, etc.) and an absolute riot to watch.

A lot of gritty detail was put into the costumes, art direction and settings. At times, it’s hard to tell what’s an actual set and what’s computer generated; overall, it’s a nice line between digital effects and dusty props.

As much as I enjoyed “The Warrior’s Way,” there’s something missing from it that I can’t put my finger on. I’m usually not surprised when a good movie like this fails financially or critically, but even as a film buff with decency and taste, I can see why it was practically ignored upon its release. So what’s missing? I don’t know. Let’s just say that it’s different (probably purposely and rightfully so).

The biggest misconception about “The Warrior’s Way” is that it’s a Hollywood film. It’s actually a New Zealand production directed by South Korean filmmaker Sngmoo Lee. What makes it more impressive is “The Warrior’s Way” is his first feature, both as a director and a writer. I don’t know who the hell this guy is or where they found him, but somebody give him more movies to make.

“The Warrior’s Way” features a great line-up of international talent: Jang Dong-gun (“Friend”), Kate Bosworth (“Superman Returns”), Ti Lung (“A Better Tomorrow”), Danny Huston (“Edge of Darkness”), Geoffrey Rush (“Shine”) and Tony Cox (“Bad Santa”). As a fan of global cinema, you can’t get much better than this.

To simply put it: “The Warrior’s Way” is a fun-filled, hard-hitting fantasy/action/swordplay/western with a simple, linear plot. No bullshit surprises, no twists or turns. It truly entertained the hell out of me from start to finish and that’s what a good movie is all about.

Mighty Peking Man’s Rating: 8/10

Posted in Asian Related, Korean, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , |

Assassins’ Code aka Serpent Rising DVD (Screen Media)

Posted on August 3, 2011 by JJ Bona
Assassins' Code aka Serpent Rising DVD (Screen Media)

Assassins' Code aka Serpent Rising DVD (Screen Media)

RELEASE DATE: October 18, 2011

A corporate assassination forces opportunistic double agents from three nations to fight to retrieve a high-tech computer disk containing schematics for a deadly weapon. Starring Julian Lee (My Samurai), Min-su Choi (Libera me), John Savage (The Deer Hunter), Martin Kove (The Karate Kid), Christopher Atkins (The Blue Lagoon), and Kirk Baltz (Reservoir Dogs). Check out the trailer here.

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles |

Trailer for Van Damme’s Assassination Games (aka Weapon) – theatrical listings near you?

Posted on August 3, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Assassination Games" American Theatrical Poster

"Assassination Games" American Theatrical Poster

The trailer for “Assassination Games” (formerly known as “Weapon) is now up. Directed by Ernie Barbarash (“Cube Zero”) and co-starring Scott Adkins (“Ninja”). Van Damme’s children, Kristopher Van Varenberg and Bianca Van Varenberg, also appear. Ernie Barbarash and Van Damme have recently signed on for another movie titled “Six Bullets“. – Thanks to kingofkungfu2002

Update: “Assassination Games” will have a limited theatrical release starting July 29th. The film’s official site has list of cities that will be playing it. – Thanks to HKFan for the heads up!

Update 2: MTV has posted an exclusive clip. Also, twitchfilm.net posted a recent interview with Van Damme.

Update 3: Review by HKFanatic has just been posted.

Update 4: Watch it now on Amazon Instant Video for $6.99. DVD is also up for pre-order.

Posted in News |

Tekken (2010) Review

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Z Ravas
"Tekken" International DVD Cover

“Tekken” International DVD Cover

Director: Dwight H. Little
Cast: Jon Foo, Kelly Overton, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Ian Anthony Dale, Tamlyn Tomita, Candice Hillebrand, Luke Goss, Gary Daniels, Mircea Monroe, Cung Le, Marian Zapico, Darrin Dewitt Henson
Running Time: 92 min.

By HKFanatic

Video game to movie adaptations have something of a dirty reputation. I mean, I’ve lost count of how many times director Paul W. Anderson has suckered audiences (myself included) into spending money on his tepid “Resident Evil” franchise. The live-action version of “Tekken” doesn’t exactly buck the trend but at least it’s not as offensive as some of the genre’s biggest stinkers – “Double Dragon,” anyone?

“Tekken” should feel familiar to game movie fans since it combines the post-apocalyptic future city setting of the “Super Mario Brothers” movie with the flashy costumes and cheesy hairstyles of the live-action “Street Fighter” flick. It also manages to waste the not inconsiderable talents of of folks like former MMA champion Cung Le (“Bodyguards & Assassins); legendary b-movie actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (“Mortal Kombat”); karate-trained actor Luke Goss (“Blade II,” “Hellboy II”); direct-to-video king Gary Daniels (“The Expendables”); and the bald bad-ass from the “B13” movies, Cyril Raffaelli, who choreographed the fight scenes. If you’re watching “Tekken” to see any of these guys show off their moves or maybe just to witness your favorite game characters in the flesh, this movie delivers just enough for its audience to go home content and nothing more.

In the lead role is Jon Foo, a young actor and martial artist who’s already had the honor of fighting Tony Jaa; he was the sword-wielding Wushu master who attacked Jaa in the burning church scene of “The Protector.” At 5’8″ and baby-faced, John Foo is still a bit too diminutive to come across as “Tekken”‘s Jin Kazama or even as someone who could defeat Gary Daniels. But I’ll give Foo credit as he obviously knows some moves and he’s building an impressive resume which includes the Hong Kong action movie “House of Fury” and a small role in “Universal Soldier: Regeneration.”

Even as a casual fan of the video game, I can tell you that the “Tekken” series has become home to an increasingly complex set of fiction. I mean, they’re on their fifth sequel at this point; and it seems like every game ends with someone being thrown into a volcano only to crawl back out at the start of the next game and announce the Iron Fist tournament is back on. To its credit, the “Tekken” movie seeks to keep things simple: it’s about a dysotopic future where an angry young man with great power must learn the identity of his evil father and crush his tyrannical empire once and for all. Yup, it’s basically “Star Wars” with a fighting tournament.

Though the film is stuffed to its seams with fight scenes and actors who look like they stepped right out of the video game, nearly everything about “Tekken” underwhelms. This is due in large part to a cornball script and shoddy editing. We get plenty of fight scenes and most of our actors clearly know martial arts, but the camera rarely stays still long enough to truly capture the action and the editor is constantly cutting to people who are viewing the fights on television. Do we really need to keep seeing the same chubby bartender, who has one thirty second scene at the beginning of the movie, throughout the entire film? All these fools keep cheering “Jin, Jin, Jin” when all we want is to be able to see the matches going on. As such, it’s nearly impossible for me to comment on Cyril Raffaelli’s fight choreography. The movie doesn’t even showcase it enough to make a judgment call.

This film is also unbelievably sexist, which might have worked if this was “Dead or Alive” but it’s “Tekken.” In the game, the character of Christie Monteiro is a Brazilian woman who practices the Brazilian martial arts Capoeria. In the movie, she’s whitewashed into a Hollywood actress who, uh, kinda knows how to fight (?) but mostly just shows off her asscrack. It seems the men in this movie were cast based on their martial arts ability while the women were cast based on their willingness to wear skimpy outfits. If you’re a fan of Nina Williams (one of “Tekken”‘s most popular characters and someone who had her own spin-off game), prepare to be outraged by this movie.

When it comes to video game movies, fans rarely win. The first “Mortal Kombat” movie remains a solid guilty pleasure while I’d say “Silent Hill” is the closest the genre has to come to creating an honest-to-God decent movie, but even that film faltered faltered after its halfway point. The rest of these video game movies either suck so bad they threaten to bore a hole through your head or they merely suck. “Tekken” falls somewhere in the middle: certainly it’s a cheesecake festival with fight scenes that don’t reach their full potential, but at the same time it’s a fairly faithful visual approximation of the game. If all you want is to see some of your favorite characters come to life – in the right costumes even if they’re not the right ethnicity – without having to put any quarters into an arcade cabinet (unless you’re using Red Box, I guess), then “Tekken” is perhaps worth a rental.

HKFanatic’s Rating: 5.5/10

Posted in Asian Related, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In a Glass Cage aka Tras el cristal Blu-ray (Cult Epics)

Posted on August 3, 2011 by JJ Bona
In a Glass Cage aka Tras el cristal Blu-ray (Cult Epics)

In a Glass Cage aka Tras el cristal Blu-ray (Cult Epics)

RELEASE DATE: October 18, 2011

First time on Blu-ray! Tras el cristal (English: In a Glass Cage) is a 1987 Spanish art house horror film written and directed by Agustí Villaronga and starring Günter Meisner, Marisa Paredes and David Sust. The film was inspired by the history of Gilles de Rais. With its theme mixing Nazism, pedophilia, torture and homosexuality, the film was highly controversial. Check out the trailer here.

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |
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