First Thing’s First

Let me start by saying that I’m extremely impressed with the accuracy of the costumes and the fight scenes were really exciting. The fight between Jin and Brian Fury was pretty kick ass and Yoshimitsu’s armour was like something straight out of the games. Only criticism I have regarding those two aspects is that the flame on Jin’s trousers were blue not red (seems picky but it’s his signature freaking costume) and too many weapons were used leaving some scenes  feeling more like Soul Caliber.

Now for the main points of the film: casting, acting and plot. The cast were rather capable of pulling off the roles that were written for them; however, the characters are not at all like their original counterparts. For starters, all the back stories were totally wrong. Eddie and Christie didn’t know each other even though she is his student in the games, Kazuya was made out to be power hungry and more evil than Heihachi and other characters were little more then Cannon Fodder.

Story

For those of you that don’t know, the original plot for the first Tekken game is this:

“A worldwide martial arts tournament is nearing its final, with a large purse of prize money to the fighter who can defeat Heihachi Mishima in the final round of the competition. The contest is sponsored by the giant financial group, the Mishima Zaibatsu. There are eight fighters that remain after winning death matches all over the world. The winner of the tournament will receive The King of the Iron Fist title. Only one will have a chance at defeating Heihachi and taking home the prize money and fame.

Kazuya Mishima is the main character. Heihachi’s biological son, he was thrown into a ravine by his tyrannical father when he was five years old. Heihachi, believing his son was too weak to ever inherit his conglomerate, decided that if he were truly strong enough, he would be able to survive the fall and climb back up. Kazuya barely survived the fall that left him with the scar prominently visible on his chest. Fueled by hatred for his father, he enters the tournament to exact his revenge. “

Now the plot for the movie is this:

“Set in the distant year of 2039, war has ravaged much of the planet. Corporations have moved in where governments once stood. Brutal, physical combat is the primary form of entertainment and source of income for many. For some, though it’s about the glory. It’s about becoming a legend amongst men. For the champions, the grand ball is the Tekken company sponsored Iron Fist Tournament, where the greatest fighters throughout the world come to compete, bringing everything they can muster (skills, magic) (There is no magic lol), weapons, etc.) to become the undisputed champion of the world and a lifetime’s worth of fame and wealth.

The film follows Jin Kazama in his attempts to enter the Iron Fist Tournament in order to avenge the loss of his mother, Jun Kazama, by confronting his father, Kazuya Mishima and his grandfather, Heihachi Mishima, the latter of whom he thought was responsible for her death.”

See the huge difference? Now I understand that it is based on the story of Tekken 3, but it doesn’t even follow the plot for that game either. It’s as though they mixed random parts of the plot for the entire series just in case they don’t make a sequel….which I highly doubt will happen. [Like most movie adaptations,] they screwed the story up but they also had a severe lack of characters that were CONFIRMED to be in the film. My favourite character throughout the series is Hwoarang. His rivalry with Jin is a strong plot point for both characters in the series and could have made for some nice onscreen chemistry. Now as to why Hwoarang was left out of the film but Sergei BLOODY Dragunov is included (and barely used) I will have no idea. Other characters that have played a big part in the games that were left out and would’ve been great onscreen are  Jack (The Tekken security are called Jackhammers but they aren’t giant robots), King, Lei, Lee and Paul Phoenix. No sign of the Devil Gene either,  just a little bit of anger management issues. But I digress. The worst thing is the oversexed nature of the film. A couple of sex scenes and club scenes ruined the feel of the film as Tekken should be a revenge story with a nice touch of comedy with some characters.

Finally

BUT, in terms of being  a watchable film it isn’t too shabby. As I said, the cast are pretty good and the fights keep you entertained. The plot isn’t terrible although the dialogue isn’t great, but it’s a very watchable film and definitely a better live action adaptation of a Beat-em up than the likes of either of the Street Fighter movies, DOA or any of the Mortal Kombats (I only compared it to those as Beat-em ups are harder to adapt than a film like Tomb Raider, because as a writer you have to fill in some elements of plot yourself and come up with interesting pair ups for fights.)

If you’re a fan of the games, it’s worth a watch. But don’t expect a faithful adaptation. If you want that, watch the animated movie which is a spot on Tekken movie. If you don’t know the games but like bloody martial arts movies, then it’s definitely your kind of film.

In short: A watchable, by the numbers, martial arts film that succeeds previous video game adaptations by far.

M-X Rating: I give it a 7 on the Zippy Scale.

This has been an exciting week for Mortal Kombat fans. On Tuesday, a video that seemed to be a trailer for a new MK movie was uploaded to YouTube by a user called MortalKombatRebirth. The almost 8-minute long trailer was like nothing we’ve ever seen in the Mortal Kombat universe before. It was a darker, more realistic with a Saw feel to it. The video starts out with officer Jackson “Jax” Briggs as he begins to interview an inmate named Hanzo Hasashi. He begins to tell him about the backgrounds of known serial killers such as Reptile and Baraka. But these aren’t the same fighters we all grew up with.

Reptile was born with a birth defect that gave him scaled skin and inverted eyes, much resembling that of a reptile. Oh and he’s also a cannibal. Baraka was once a surgeon who accidentally killed a patient which gave him a thirst for murder. He then performed various operations on himself, altering his appearance. Officer Briggs brings up how the police hired the washed-up actor, Johnny Cage to go under cover and dig up all of the info he can on these psychopaths. After a 2-minute fight scene between Baraka and Johnny, Baraka ends up decapitating the action star. Jax continues to mention a mastermind behind these killers, Shang Tsung. He doesn’t say much about him other than he holds an underground tournament where the world’s deadliest killers fight to the death. We aren’t really told if he is an immortal or not.

Jax goes on to make an offer to Hasashi that he can go back out on the streets, but he must find out where this tournament is being held. Officer Briggs continues to tell him to kill all of the others and win the tournament; but the prisoner has no interest. Soon after, Officer Sonya Blade enters the room with files on Sub-Zero. We soon learn that Hanzo Hasashi was once the greatest assassins in the world. Sonya then tells him that he killed Sub-Zero’s brother and the real Sub-Zero is still very much alive. By this point, we start to realize who this Hanzo Hasashi really is. (If you didn’t already know.) This little bit of information get’s Hasashi interested and he gets up in a rage and walks to the door. As Jax calls his name, Hasashi turns around and states that Hanzo Hasashi is dead and demands to be called Scorpion. The trailer ends with the classic Scorpion catch phrase, “Get over here!”

Now I was very excited upon seeing this trailer. Mainly because I thought it was for an actual movie. But according to Jeri Ryan, the actress who played Sonya Blade and from Star Trek: Voyager fame; the trailer was nothing more than an idea from director Kevin Tancharoen. The trailer was made as a pitch to Warner Brothers, but we are not yet sure if they have accepted it or not. As a long time fan of the series, I really hope they do. I’m sure will make quite a few Mortal Kombat fanboys pretty upset, but I think a reboot is just what this once great franchise needs.

Check out the video for yourself!

A New Game

Speaking of Warner Brothers and Mortal Kombat, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has acquired the rights to the franchise and plan to bring it back to it’s former glory. The new game, simply titled Mortal Kombat is scheduled to be released in 2011 and is being developed by series creator Ed Boon with the newly named NetherRealm Studios. The new Mortla Kombat is said to be “the most brutal installment of the landmark fighting game to date for release on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360,” and it will have a Mature rating said to be pushing the boundaries just enough to keep from receiving an Adults Only rating.

The new Mortal Kombat is going back to the series’ 2D fighting roots with a brand new graphics engine. The game is said to have even gorier Fatalities than its predecessors and even Tag Team play as well as other yet-to-be-announced gameplay modes. This new chapter is also said to feature a deeper Story Mode than any other fighting game to date.

Official Quotes About the Upcoming Game

“We are bringing the Mortal Kombat franchise back to gamers with the talented NetherRealm Studios team creating the game fans long to play,” said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “Re-establishing the brand with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Mortal Kombat innovates on past games while staying true to the brand’s legendary characters and fighting style.”

“We can’t wait for players to get their hands on Mortal Kombat,” said Ed Boon, Creative Director, NetherRealm Studios. “This game really is a response to what players have been demanding: mature presentation, reinvented 2D fighting mechanic and the best, most gruesome fatalities ever!”

Confirmed Characters

• Johnny Cage
• Kung Lao
• Mileena
• Nightwolf
• Raiden
• Reptile
• Sektor
• Shao Khan
• Sub-Zero

And I’m sure there’s many more to come.

Announcement Trailer

“Engineer Isaac Clarke returns in Dead Space™ 2 for another blood-curdling adventure in the sequel to the critically acclaimed Dead Space™. After waking from a coma on a massive space city known as “The Sprawl,” the lone survivor of a horrific alien infection finds himself confronting a catastrophic new nightmare. Battling dementia, hunted by the government, and haunted by visions of his dead girlfriend, Isaac will do whatever it takes to save himself and dominate the gruesome onslaught. With an arsenal of tools to dismember Necromorphs and new determination, an engineer will bring the terror to space.” – Xbox.com

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“The critically-acclaimed Street Fighter® IV returns with all-new features including new characters, new ultra combos, new online modes, new stages, the return of bonus stages and re-tuned online and offline gameplay. The 35-character roster of Super Street Fighter® IV includes all new characters such as the deadly Korean female fighter Juri, and Hakan, the slippery Turkish oil wrestler. Classic Street Fighters Cody, Guy, T. Hawk, Dee Jay, Adon, Makoto, Dudley, and Ibuki also join the roster. The game features all-new user-selectable Ultra Combos, refined online play. and online lobbies. Super Street Fighter IV is the ultimate vision of Street Fighter.” – Xbox.com

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“Coming this holiday. Portal 2 is the sequel to 2007’s Game of the Year and draws from the award-winning formula of innovative gameplay, story, and music that earned the original over 70 industry accolades. Features single and multiplayer co-op modes.”

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“You have the RIGHT to remain silent… Dead to Rights: Retribution is a visually stunning third-person action game, rich in story, character and brutal combat. The game follows vice cop Jack Slate and his canine companion Shadow as they fight to expose the shadowy figures of Grant City and bring order back to the crumbling metropolis. Deadly on their own, Jack and Shadow are even more formidable as they team up to defeat the threats they will uncover.

Two playable characters: Play as vice cop Jack Slate and pick off enemies with your side arm or get up close and personal and take them down with your bare hands. Or play as Shadow and sneak up on enemies to kill them silently, or rip into a group and flush them out for Jack to take down!

Satisfyingly brutal disarms/takedowns: In the face of danger, turn your enemies’ weapons against them with aggressive disarms, or execute all-new lethal takedown moves!

Fluid combat system: The system seamlessly blends ranged combat with the most robust brawling system ever seen in a shooter. Pump enemies full of bullets or destroy them up close… the choice is yours.” – from Xbox.com

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“America, 1911. The Wild West is dying.

When federal agents threaten his family, former outlaw John Marston is forced to pick up his guns again and hunt down the gang of criminals he once called friends in Red Dead Redemption™. Experience an epic fight for survival across the sprawling expanses of the American West and Mexico, as John Marston struggles to bury his blood-stained past, one man at a time.

Open world: It’s the biggest and most action-packed world ever made. Experience a treacherous and unpredictable open world spanning miles of rugged terrain: from townships thriving on vice and corruption, ghost towns, gang hideouts, and military outposts to the mountains, deserts, and plains where violent looters, rebels, bandits, and deadly animals prey on the weak in a never-ending battle for survival.” – from Xbox.com

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“Action and adventure fans will have a blast playing in LEGO Universe! Lead the way into new LEGO worlds by battling back the forces of chaos, or go head to head with other players for status and loot in fast-paced competitions of skill!

Every LEGO fan can experience their favorite brand of fun in the game! Pace your journey by choosing from the LEGO Universe activities you love most. Do you enjoy smashing LEGO models? Discovering hidden treasure? Achieving firsts? Competing with friends?

These are just a few of the ways to play in the ever-changing worlds of LEGO Universe!” – from Lego.com

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“Bringing a new style of storytelling to Xbox 360, Alan Wake is a psychological action thriller from Remedy, the renowned original developers of the successful Max Payne series. In this dynamic new title exclusively for Xbox 360, players assume the role of Alan Wake, a best-selling suspense author suffering from writer’s block, who escapes to a small town only to experience the mysterious disappearance of his wife.” – from Xbox.com

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“Story Cocoon—a utopia in the sky. Its inhabitants believed their world a paradise. Under the Sanctum’s rule, Cocoon had long known peace and prosperity. 
 Mankind was blessed by its protectors, the benevolent fal’Cie, and believed that tranquil days would continue forever.

Their tranquility was shattered with the discovery of one hostile fal’Cie.

After thirteen days of fates intertwined, the battle begins in Final Fantasy™ XII.

A gaming experience that sets new standards: The first in the series developed for a simultaneous release on multiple high-definition consoles, Final Fantasy XIII pushes new boundaries in cinematic presentation, sound, and gameplay.” – from Xbox.com

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