Let's face it- Uwe Boll ruined me.
This is because his horrid adaptations of video games to movies have become the stuff of legends. Somewhere, a mother is scolding her child and saying, "If you don't behave, Uwe Boll will make a movie about you." This naturally leads to the child behaving for the rest of his or her natural life, and well it should. The only projects of his which have not lived in infamy have been the ones where the permitting company stood over his shoulder.
I say all of this to make the point that sitting down to watch a couple video game adaptations had me nearly grinding my teeth together. However, it turned out to be an enjoyable, (and dare I say fulfilling?), experience.
Tekken employed every technique not used in such flops as Bloodrayne. This is a good thing, because it means this movie stands high above, not to mention scornfully laughing at the vampire slayer that could not. The cinematography is very good, the audio well mixed, and the special effects do not look as though they were bought at a 7-11 Halloween display. The wardrobe and sets seem over the top, but if you are familiar with the video game, you know it fits right in.
The one thing that may have purists up in arms is the departure from literal Tekken lore. This turns out to be a providential thing, however, as it allows the film a life of its own, becoming a virtual epic. Oh, yes- There is definite room for a sequel.
Now to summarize it for you.
Tekken follows the young man Jin (Jon Foo) through the streets of Anvil as he goes about his last normal day in the world he knows. When the Jacks come, though, that world is turned upside down. He watches his mother die in a fiery explosion and decides his one and only option is to enter the Iron Fist Tournament in hopes of meeting the man responsible for her death.
After defeating the reigning People's Choice fighter, he is joined by Steve Fox (Luke Goss) who begins to mentor him. Once in the challenge, he meets the beautiful but deadly Williams sisters (Candice Hillebrand and Marian Zapico); the explosive Raven (Darrin Dewitt Henson); the more machine than man Brian Fury (Gary Daniels); and the smoking hot Christie Monteiro (Kelly Overton). However, it is the rise of the heir to the Tekken throne that throws everyone off balance, and changes the game for Jin in ways he would have never expected.
Tekken also stars Ian Anthony Dale, Lateef Crowder and the amazing Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Heihachi Mishima. It is rated R for violence, sexuality and language.
As far as the rating goes, I believe it may be misleading for some, so let me go into a little detail on this. There are two swears in the movie, and they would both be a variant of the word "crap." There is one implied three way, yet nothing is ever shown. There are scenes of kissing and hormones gone berserk, but again, no nudity. There are some revealing outfits, though nothing beyond what is shown on commercials during prime time television.
I believe the majority of this rating lies with the violence, and let's be honest: That's the reason we're watching the movie to begin with.
There you have it, folks. Tekken is a great flick, and one of two which have gone far in restoring my faith in the video game movie genre.
