After sitting through Scream of the Banshee I wasn’t sure if I was up for a second After Dark Original film. Nonetheless I sat down with The Task (a title that is begging for negative headlines) and you know what? It wasn’t remotely as painful to watch as Scream of the Banshee was (but also not quite as entertaining as Banshee’s audio commentary from director Steven C. Miller).

The Task is reality television gone awry (although not in the glorious way that Death Race 2000 is) as six young contestants are locked in an abandoned prison to compete for $20,000. To win the cash prize the contestants need only to complete their assigned tasks, which are based on their greatest fears, and survive until morning. But with the ghost of a ruthless warden wandering the hallways there’s no guarantee that they’ll be alive come first light of dawn.

It’s not hard to see where this is heading but Kenny Yakkel’s (Syfy’s upcoming 51) script at least throws in a couple of twists towards the end to keep the film from being entirely obvious. The characters are a predictable mix of stereotypes but so are the casts of just about any reality television show. The performances are generally good, particularly from the actors playing the contestants. There is a little gore but probably not enough to entice those that simply want to see heads roll. I suspect gorehounds would rather watch a film about the warden’s twisted ways rather than just being teased by his ghost. Overall The Task is light on real scares but heavy on atmosphere and it works just well enough to be entertaining.

The only bonus feature is a brief behind-the-scenes bit with interviews with the British cast (which explains a couple of British phrases coming from the film’s American characters).

Over the past couple years we’ve been treated with a trio of remarkably good and original vampire films. 2008’s Let the Right One In and its American remake, 2010’s Let Me In, were beautiful explorations of what it is to be an outsider. The third film is this year’s Stake Land. Set in a post-apocalyptic America Stake Land tells the story of Martin (Gossip Girl’s Connor Paolo) who, following the murder of his parents, sets out with Mister (Nick Damici), a ruthless vampire hunter, to travel north towards the safety of Canada’s New Eden.

Much like the recent film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Road, Stake Land’s landscape is desolate and dangerous and its themes focus on the human spirit and the need to not only to survive but to also hold on to a greater sense of being. It is a brilliant character drama garnished with violence and fantasy and the best horror themed film of 2011.

Stake Land’s journey from script to screen is as interesting as the movie itself. To celebrate the film’s Blu-ray and DVD release I was given the opportunity to speak with director/co-writer Jim Mickle and co-writer/actor Nick Damici. Together the duo explains the strange journey of how Stake Land came to be.

Following the initial reviews of his debut feature film, the zombie-infection movie Mulberry Street, Mickle says that he “got a taste of what happens when people rally against your movie.” Of course, as most horror fans know all too well, mainstream critics and non-genre fans tend to dismiss films involving monsters purely on principle (unless it came from Universal Studios before 1960 or has Steven Spielberg’s name attached to it). When Mulberry Street, which was part of After Dark Films 8 Films to Die For 2007, made its way to its intended audience the reaction was significantly better.

For his next project Mickle re-teamed with Damici, who had been Mulberry Street’s co-writer and lead actor. Because there was no outside funding the duo decided to create a series of webisodes. Damici was able to hammer out a storyline that was set in the modern world where the government issues contracts to various mercenary types to hunt down the growing vampire population. Damici, a self-professed a fan of vampire fiction, wanted each webisode to feature a different kind of vampires. These types would range from the stereotypical sophisticated vampire to the brain-dead mongrel variety. Damici explains that vampires were a result of a disease or a virus, rather than traditional vampire lore, and that the different types of would be a result of the virus causing different mutations in those that were infected.

An early draft of the script made its way into the hands of actor/writer/producer Larry Fessenden (I Sell the Dead, Bitter Feast) who thought it would make a wonderful film. So Fessenden’s Glass Eye Pix as well as Belladonna Productions (who had produced Mulberry Street) came on board with the funding to produce a feature film.

Together Mickle and Damici sorted through what had been written and looked to make a more cohesive storyline. Both Mickle and Damici insist that the majority of Stake Land’s plot was in the original script. Damici, who does most of the writing, says the John Wayne film The Searchers originally inspired the story and that much of that plot element remained intact. Mickle wanted to keep the episodic element and suggested that the film be broken up into distinct chapters. The chapter concept was subsequently abandoned and the story’s setting was shifted to a post-apocalyptic and the government’s role as a contract agency was dropped entirely.

A test trailer was made using a Red One Camera and the results gave Mickle the confidence that he would be able to make the film he wanted without exceeding their modest budget.

As pre-production moved forward the fine tuning of the script continued. The casting of Danielle Harris as Belle forced Damici to rewrite various aspects of the story. Initially Belle was a “bar broad” romantically connected with Damici’s Mister character, but Harris’ youthful appearance necessitated the change.

Principle photography was shot in two two-week shoots that were separated by a couple months of downtime. During the break between shoots the producers asked that the film’s second half be reworked.

Damici explains that in his first draft the film “moved into Jack London territory.” The vampires and The Brotherhood, a religious group that believes the vampire mutations to be the work of God, dropped out of the storyline almost completely as Mister and Martin pushed towards Canada. There would have been more about the rumors of cannibalism that are mentioned early in the film and that there would have been an island reminiscent of the tribal society in Apocalypse Now.  Damici admits he doesn’t know if the changes made the film better or worse.

Mickle says he could “clearly see both sides” of the argument. He liked Damici’s original ideas but understood why the producers thought it best to keep the vampire element throughout the film. He also suggests that it “leaves stuff out there” should they want to use the ideas later.

Even with the script in place Damici says it was used as a blueprint but there were still changes made throughout the filming process. The fate of Belle was a last minute addition, as was some of Peggy’s (Bonnie Dennison) dialogue at the end of the film. If something didn’t work or felt incomplete he’d simply sit down and write something new.

When asked about a possible sequel Damici says they’ve discussed having the story pick up ten years after the events of Stake Land and that he’s insisting on flying vampires based on the winged monkeys from The Wizard of Oz.

The DVD and Blu-ray release of Stake Land feature the film’s trailer and two extremely informative and entertaining commentaries. One features Mickle with Damici, Connor Paolo, Larry Fessenden and producer Brent Kunkle. The other has Mickle teamed with producers Peter Phok and Adam Folk, cinematographer Ryan Samul, composer Jeff Grace and sound designer Graham Reznick. The second, or crew, commentary is particularly insightful as it shows the amount of trust it takes to make a film, particularly when the budget is tight.

The Blu-ray has numerous exclusive features including video diaries covering pre-production through to post-production (including an excellent look at the film’s judicious use of CGI), a making-of featurette, the Q&A from the Toronto International Film Festival Premiere and seven short film prequels directed by Larry Fessenden, Danielle Harris, Glenn McQuaid, JT Petty and Graham Reznick. Some of the information overlaps with what is said in the commentaries but only the Q&A feels like filler (and that’s mostly due to the audience’s uninspired questions).

If you like intelligent genre films and haven’t seen Stake Land you absolutely owe it to yourself to check it out. I highly recommend the Blu-ray release. It has a strong video and audio presentation and a great selection of bonus features. In comparison the DVD release is a bit underwhelming but that’s to be expected.

A+E have announced plans to release Robotech: The Complete Original Series DVD box set for October 18, 2011. Here’s the press release:

 

THIS OCTOBER, A+E NETWORKS HOME ENTERTAINMENT WILL UNLEASH A LEGENDARY ANIME SERIES – ONE OF THE EARLIEST AND MOST INFLUENTIAL IMPORTS – IN A DELUXE COLLECTOR’S SET FEATURING NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN BONUS MATERIAL

ROBOTECH: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL SERIES

The Limited-Edition 17-Disc Set of the Program Voted as One of IGN.com’s

“Top 50 Sci-Fi Series of All Time” is Priced to Collect at $99.95srp and Features Four Bonus Discs with Two Hours of Brand New Content Including a “Making of Robotech” Documentary, Robotech Music Videos, a Series Overview and Much More!

Also Available Day-and-Date Will Be Three Individual “Generation Wars” Sets: THE FIRST ROBOTECH WARS (THE MACROSS SAGA), THE SECOND ROBOTECH WAR (THE ROBOTECH MASTERS) and THE THIRD ROBOTECH WAR (THE NEW GENERATION)

IN STORES OCTOBER 18

NEW YORK, NY – Long before the current live action Transformers franchise took over the box office and introduced giant alien robots to a new generation, there was a sweeping animated sci-fi epic that delivered “mecha” to the masses: Robotech.  Arriving on U.S. airwaves in the mid-80s via syndication, the legendary space opera – one of the very first anime imports — helped to usher in the multi-billion dollar anime industry and now, through the cult classic curators at A+E Networks Home Entertainment, the influential series will be reborn on DVD.  Working in close conjunction with original Robotech producer Harmony Gold, the franchise will be available in a handsomely-designed collector’s set featuring all 85 re-mastered episodes of the engaging and dramatic anime classic.  Available for $99.95srp, the specially-priced 17-disc set ROBOTECH: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL SERIES will also feature four exclusive bonus discs with more than 10 hours of bonus content – much of which is new to DVD. The deal was brokered by Content Media Corporation, the worldwide distributor of the series.

A sweeping science-fiction anime epic, ROBOTECH was set at the turn of the millennium, when a mysterious spacecraft crash-landed on a South Pacific island.  The secrets of alien knowledge aboard this vessel were unlocked, leading to the development of “Robotechnology” and the creation of a vast arsenal of robotic “mecha” to defend the Earth against the alien threats that would eventually strike, attempting to lay claim to the mysterious power source known as “protoculture.”  Told through the eyes of characters caught in a successive series of three extraterrestrial invasions, the saga was the first anime series that many fans had seen, and is often credited with the explosion of anime fandom that continues to grow in the U.S. today.

The cornerstone of a blockbuster franchise that has spawned dozens of movies, books, toys, video games and comic books, ROBOTECH was originally licensed from Japan’s Tatsunoko Studios, adapted from three different series and re-edited and re-dubbed into English.  Because ROBOTECH hailed from three completely different anime series, Harmony Gold joined them into a cohesive narrative by splitting them into three distinct chapters, each representing a different generation of the saga:  THE MACROSS SAGA (36 episodes), THE ROBOTECH MASTERS (24 episodes) and THE NEW GENERATION (25 episodes).  These are also informally referred to as “The First Robotech War,” “The Second Robotech War” and “The Third Robotech War” respectively.

Aside from featuring all 85 half-hour episodes of the original series (re-mastered from original elements for this release), ROBOTECH: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL SERIES also includes over ten hours of bonus programming:

The Making of Robotech Documentary – NEW to DVD

Robotech Music Videos – NEW to DVD

Robotech Overview – NEW to DVD

Alternate versions of select Robotech episodes – NEW to DVD

Robotech: The Movie supplementals (including several sequences NEW to DVD)

Macross Original Pilot – 70 minute extended version – NEW to DVD

Promotional reel of Robotech Launch in China – NEW to DVD

Over an hour of deleted scenes

Robotech: The Sentinels (with optional audio commentary)

Robotech: The Sentinels promotional video

Macross Original Pilot – Parts 1, 2 and 3

Mospeada Original Pilot – Part 1

Original opening and closing animations

Galaxy of the Stars – Harmony Gold promotional reel

Toy Commercial and Videogame presentation reels

International clips for all three Robotech Wars

A vast stills appendix containing character bios, model sheets, pre-production art, comic book covers, and merchandise galleries

And much, much more!

Voted #34 on the “Top 100 Animated Series of All Time” by IGN.com, ROBOTECH will also be released day-and-date in several additional configurations.  THE FIRST ROBOTECH WAR (THE MACROSS SAGA; 5 discs), THE SECOND ROBOTECH WAR (THE ROBOTECH MASTERS; 4 discs) and THE THIRD ROBOTECH WAR (TRHE NEW GENERATION; 4 discs) will also be available for fans both new and old.

With interest in “mecha” at an all-time high, don’t miss out on this landmark in anime history from the guardians of classic TV DVD at A+E Networks Home Entertainment.

 

Having spent many days of my youth playing with my army of action figures in my mother’s flowerbeds I’ve always liked Robot Chicken’s premise. But, for one reason or another, I had never actually watched any of the series. So going into Robot Chicken: Star Wars- Episode III I had a vague notion of what to expect but nothing could prepare me for 44 minutes of insanity that ensued.

Episode III tells the story of the dark and mysterious Emperor Palpatine. From his earliest exploits (not an environmentalist) to his untimely death at the hands of his (somewhat absentminded) apprentice Lord Vader. The narrative occasionally strays to look in on the life and times of Boba Fett as he tries to cope with the death of his father. It’s a sad, but often hilarious, tale.

You don’t have to watch the various bonus features to know that the crew of Robot Chicken are huge fans of the Star Wars films (but if you do need convincing there are numerous interviews with the crew to back me up). The writing is crisp and while a few jokes fall flat the majority of the material is inspired. Things get a bit juvenile at times but even then, as in the case of Vader’s bathroom stall antics, it isn’t pointless or stupid.

The bonus features included are exhaustive. There are four commentaries. Those looking for comedy will want to listen to the two tracks dedicated to the actors. Those wanting a more technical experience will want to listen to the crew’s commentary. If you want a more balanced commentary the writer’s track mixes humor with behind-the-scenes insights.

There are five brief featurettes that take a look at the various stages of the creation of the show including the writing, voice acting and special effects. These featurettes make up for the fact that the picture-in-picture track, called “Chicken Nuggets,” is absolutely terrible.

The best bonus feature is 25 minutes of deleted scenes. The crew of Robot Chicken use simple animatics to screen test their material and weed out the less funny sketches. It’s very similar to what Pixar has done with their films. The introductions are pretty painful but the scenes themselves are pretty interesting. Its clear why the majority of them were cut but there are a few that are brilliant.

The gag reel, Star Wars Celebration V panel, skate tour footage and Skwalker Ranch premiere are marginally interesting. The boardroom meeting with George Lucas is a bit self-indulgent but it is nice to see that Lucas has a sense of humor and is willing to poke fun at himself.

There are also four trailers, three for the special and one for a video game, that are wildly entertaining.

The Blu-ray also includes a time lapse sequence showing the complicated stop-motion process as well as an animation reference feature that shows Seth Green acting out several of the scenes for the animators. Both are interesting but not essential.

If you love Star Wars and have any sort of sense of humor Robot Chicken: Star Wars – Episode III is a must own.

You should also check out Swank-mo-tron’s interview with Robot Chicken creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich from last December here.

In 1962 J. Lee Thompson (The Guns of Navarone, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes) brought Nikolai Gogol’s Russian masterpiece Taras Bulba to the silver screen with a cast that included Tony Curtis and Yul Brynner. Of course the Hollywood version of Taras Bulba was only loosely based on Gogol’s novel so a few decades later (2009 to be more exact) Ukrainian writer/director Vladimir Bortko decided it was time to give the story back to the Russian people.

Taras Bulba, which was renamed The Conqueror for this release, tells the story of Taras Bulba and his two sons, Andriy and Ostap, join the Cossack uprising and goes to war against Poland. Throw in a subplot where Andriy falls in love with a beautiful and rich Polish woman and must choose between her or his father and his people (which is where comparisons to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet come from). Anyone familiar with history will know that things don’t exactly go very well for the Cossacks.

Bortko’s film upset Ukrainian audiences who saw itas blatant Russian propaganda. The fact that the Russian Ministry of Culture financed the film or that the script was based on the 1942 version of the novel, which was stripped of its pro-Ukrainian themes, should have made that obvious.

Controversies aside, The Conquer (or Taras Bulba if you prefer) does feel like propaganda, but so does Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump or The Patriot. I would have liked to have a better understanding of the time period and the politics involved. This would have helped me better understand what was at stake as well as aided in pointing out when the xenophobia was out of hand. It might have also made the script a little more coherent as it jumps around the narrative timeline. The use of a narrator from time to time suggests that there might have been issues in the editing room that couldn’t be resolved.

Performances are a bit stiff and feel too formal. The cinematography is decent but rarely extraordinary. All in all The Conquer is a mixed bag that might interest history buffs and those interested in the state of contemporary Russian cinema but those looking for a great action epic will surely be disappointed.

You can learn a lot from watching horror films. Not that many of these lessons are practical but should you ever find yourself in a small town mourning the death of your young daughter and catch the locals mutilating bodies during a pagan ritual Wake Wood taught me that relocation might be a wise idea. This might seem like common sense but for Patrick (Game of Thrones’ Aidan Gillen) and Louise (Waking the Dead‘s Eva Birthistle) these sorts of gatherings are more curious than they are reasons to leave the neighborhood. And when the town’s leader, Arthur (Timothy Spall, Harry Potter’s Wormtail), offers to bring their daughter back to life for three days the young couple can’t resist the opportunity. This, of course, is a very bad idea.

Wake Wood was the first film in 30 years to be made by England’s legendary Hammer Films  (Let Me In, a co-production with Overture Films and Relativity Media, would make it to theaters first). Some would suggest that Wake Wood is a return to form for the horror studio but it should be noted that the re-launch of the Hammer brand has seemingly also included a change in philosophy. Hammer Studios were known for their campy sensibilities (which is why, in part, that they fell into hard times in the 1970s when graphic violence became the new horror standard). Hammer’s new films are more realistic and serious in tone. Wake Wood isn’t entirely original as it takes bits and pieces from various folk tales and horror films but it does feature solid performances, an intelligent script with a couple scares, a hefty amount of gore and an ending that feels honest.

Dark Sky Film’s Blu-ray features a decent video presentation and a surprisingly impressive and active audio mix. Unfortunately bonus features are limited to a trailer and a collection of deleted and extended scenes. Nothing too revelatory.

Archeology professor Isla Whelan (Dumb & Dumber’s Lauren Holly) accidentally releases the spirit of an ancient creature with the ability to kill with its scream.

Directed by Steven C. Miller (Automaton Transfusion) from a script by Anthony C. Ferrante (Headless Horseman) Scream of the Banshee is the first of two films co-produced by After Dark Films and Syfy (the other being 51). It’s an odd little film as it tries to creep in a few scares while also playing to the campy sensibilities that Syfy has, for better or worse, made their calling card. The cast, which is as good as could be expected, also includes genre favorite Lance Hendriksen (Alien, Millennium) in a small role and a rare onscreen appearance from voice actor Todd Haberkorn. What does this add up to? A very uneven film that can’t quite decide what it wants to be.

But the real fun of Scream of the Banshee isn’t the film but the audio commentary by Miller and composer Ryan Dodson. Miller makes it quite clear that he didn’t exactly enjoy the experience and while he doesn’t disown the picture he vents a large amount frustration for not having the creative control he would have liked. It’s refreshing and makes for an interesting companion to the audio commentary from B-movie veterans Jim Wynorski and Roger Corman on the recent Blu-ray release of Dinocroc vs. Supergator.

Shout! Factory (the same company behind the M.A.S.K. DVDs) is releasing JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS: THE TRULY OUTRAGEOUS COMPLETE SERIES on DVD on October 11^th.

The 11-DVD boxed set will contain all 65 episodes and all-new special bonus content.  OUTRAGEOUS! (Ok, that will be the last time I say that.  Maybe).

For those not interested in the complete series, a 4-DVD set of just Season One will be available on the same day.

Jem, the pink-haired lead singer of a rock band, was a favorite with little girls who grew up in the 1980’s.  Each episode of the show featured a dramatic conflict with The Misfits (a rival band), the inner turmoils of Jem and her alter ego Jerrica Benton, a tempestuous romance with boyfriend Rio, original songs set against music-video-like montages, and enough wardrobe changes to make Barbie jealous.  The jet-setting group also visited exotic locations like Hawaii, Venice, and Paris.

The press release states:

The series “JEM and The Holograms” ran from 1985-’88 in first-run syndication and still boasts a loyal and vocal fan base. It is frequently credited with influencing fashion in the late 1980s and beyond, and launching the careers of female pop-rock stars and music groups. The series follows Jerrica Benton, whose discovery of Synergy, a powerful computer companion, allows her to transform from co-owner of Starlight Music into rock star Jem. Teaming with her sister and best friends who form The Holograms, Jem sets out to make their musical dreams come true, even as she battles against the ruthless Eric Raymond and his musical protégés.

All that has been stated about the bonus content is that it’s ”archival material rarely seen by fans.”  Interviews with voice actors would be great to see, or perhaps the person/people responsible for designing the wild fashions seen in each episode.  I can surmise that there may be some deleted scenes, but beyond that it’s anyone’s guess.

Whatever the content is, this looks like a great set to purchase if you’re a fan of the series.  Don’t even try to tell me that you didn’t start singing the song as soon as you read the headline to this article.  OUTRAGEOUS!  (Okay, sorry.  Last time I’ll do that).  Or, if you’re new to the series, this will be an easy way to watch them all at your leisure.

Just be prepared for a nostalgic trip to the 80’s and tunes that will stay in your head for days.

Show’s over, Synergy!

Today has been a long one, but I wanted to put down my thoughts about Comic-Con so far and give them to you. If I don’t, I’ll get too far behind and then it’ll be bad for everybody.

First, I want to say that this is the most organized the Con has felt. Press badge pickup was supposed to start at 3, I arrived to get in line to pick up my badge at 2:30 and I was surprised to find that there wasn’t a line because they were actually ready early. This is a first for all of my Comic-Con experience. There were still some issues herding people into Preview Night on time, but that’s probably because this was the craziest Preview Night I’ve ever been to. It was wall-to-wall people and I’m not the only one who commented that this felt more like a Saturday afternoon than a Wednesday night.

I finally made it in and found myself walking by the Marvel booth. It is decked out like a S.H.I.E.L.D. set of some sort with a huge “The Avengers” logo across the top. I’ll have pictures tomorrow. Sadly, even Moses couldn’t part the masses for me to get closer there. I did find myself in the DC Booth though and found myself talking to Judd Winick. He intimated that it was a possibility that we might see Slam Bradley at some point in the relaunch of Catwoman he’s writing. I then ran into Gail Simone. I asked her how much crap she’s gotten about Stephanie Brown and the Batgirl controversey at the convention so far to which she replied, “Well, I just got here, so none yet. Why? Would you like to give me some?”

She’s very funny and great and I hope to be talking to her more in the future about the Batgirl relaunch.

I found myself wandering the halls with Jimmy Martin (from Television’s The Big Movie Mouth-Off) and came across the exhibit for the Star Wars Blu-ray. First, a representative from Lucasfilm let me play with their new app (that we reported on earlier) that gives you a sneak peak to just a taste of special features you’ll be getting on the Blu-ray. For those who haven’t downloaded the app, it gives you a brief behind the scenes look at every film in the Star Wars saga and gives it to you in pretty stunning detail. It has moving menus, video and interview segments, archive photos, and more than I had time to explore in ten minutes.

Then I was ushered into a bunker where a General Doddonna looking fellow was giving a briefing. There was a massive HD monitor set up over the top of a rebel briefing pedestal, much like the one tracking the movements of the Death Star in A New Hope. We were then treated to an abridged presentation of the Battle of Yavin in full 1080 resolution and I have to say it looked absolutely stunning. There were some Special Edition shots included and they seemed to match even more flawlessly than before in high definition. It was really something you just need to see to believe. It’s going to be a stunning looking set. In fact, I was able to handle the box and the concerns over the art, both inside and out, are pretty unfounded. It looks much more well designed and good looking in person than the screen captures could ever lead us to believe.

September can’t get here soon enough.

By that time, Preview Night was over and I was on my way back to my hotel room to crash. But not before filing this report.

Until next time…

Be sure to check out Swank’s books, Lost at the Con and Man Against the Future.

Following the success of 1995’s Mortal Kombat Hollywood has repeatedly attempted to recapture the film’s box office magic by pumping out numerous videogame adaptations (giving Uwe Boll and Paul W.S. Anderson careers in the process). I don’t need to tell you that while some of the films have made money and a select few have been entertaining the predominant characteristic shared by videogame film adaptations is that they are terrible movies. So sitting down with Dwight H. Little’s Tekken was something I had to talk myself into. After all, this is the man that directed Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Free Willy 2 and the ill-fated The Phantom of the Opera starring Robert Englund.

When the arcade game Tekken was released in 1994 it was an instant hit. I remember playing it in a multi-level arcade that was located in Piccadilly Circus. I don’t remember it having much of a plot. Not that you need a plot to make a fighting game, but you should have one if you’re making a movie. The film is set in a dystopian future where governments have been replaced by large corporations. The Tekken Corporation with controls North America. CEO Heihachi Mishima rules from Tekken City where he hosts a fighting tournament that promises its victor wealth and fame (but not ownership of the corporation like in the videohame). Jin Kazama (Jon Foo) lives in the slums outside of Tekken City known as the Anvil. Since a young boy his single mother has trained him to be the ultimate fighter. Following her death at the hands of a Tekken kill squad Jin begins to piece together his mother’s true identity and starts down a path that leads him directly to the Iron Fist Tournament.

It’s not exactly an original storyline but considering the plot only exists to justify the various fight matches it would do if the film’s writers didn’t muck it up by adding a romantic subplot between Jin and fighter Christie Monteiro (Kelly Overton) that never works. Still, and this might say something about the genre, as far as live- action films based on videogames go Tekken is better than I expected. It’s a cut above both Street Fighter films, never feels as inane as anything Uwe Boll has spit out and manages to have a certain artistic flare to it. Factor in that the film reported to have cost somewhere around $35 million to make and the results aren’t nearly as impressive. Nonetheless, if you’re a sucker for this sort of genre fluff and can look past the uneven acting talents of the cast and simply enjoy the over-the-top fighting sequences Tekken is worth a look.

Anchor Bay’s Blu-ray release of the film features an above average audio track and a flawed but generally appealing video transfer. The only real bonus feature is a 50-minute look at the stunts of the film. It’s a little longer than I would have liked but far more comprehensive than I would have imagined. It’s definitely not the five-minute throwaway segment that I was expecting.