One lesson anyone knows by now is to never expect a movie adaptation to have and EXACT copy of the source material; not just for games, but for any other adaptation. Iron Man got his injury in Vietnam, the movie changed it to the middle east, yet not many people complained.
Anyway, without expecting a strict adherence to the Tekken game series, this movie actually manages to be a surprisingly entertaining, albeit a little clichéd, adaptation of NAMCO’s best selling game series. Moving the action into a dark dystopian future controlled by eight mega-corporations, Tekken follows the story of Jin, a strong hot headed street urchin living in the slums outside “Tekken city”, scavenging, stealing and fighting just to get by. This is no big problem for Jin since his mother had trained him from birth to be a gifted fighter. But one night, his mother is killed in a police raid ordered by Kazuya Mishima, the son of Tekken’s head honcho, Heihachi Mishima. Among his dead mother’s belongings, Jin finds a Tekken Fighter I.D, indicating that his mother had at one time participated in the popular fighting tournament “Iron Fist”. Obsessed with revenge Jin joins the “Iron Fist” Tournament in hopes to one day meet Heihachi Mishima in person and exact his vengeance. THe young protagonist soon proves himself a capable combatant under the guidance of one Steve Fox, but unknown to everyone, even Heihachi himself, is a dark secret shared by Jin and Kazuya Mishima.
Tekken fans, let the complaining start NOW. No there is no demon called “Ogre” nor is there any “devil gene”. Characters from different installments square off where in the games they never even met, let along fought each other.
Go on and say it Tekken fans: “Steve Fox does not have short hair!!!”. “Yoshimitsu’s armor looks different!” “Jin’s Hair is spiked in the wrong direction!”
JUST STOP.
This is NOT the game, it is the movie. Hence it does NOT have to follow the game EXACTLY. Think of it like an alternate universe to the game. People love alternate universes; DC and Marvel comics have loads yet no one complains.
In fact, admit it, Tekken has more respect for its source material than previous game adaptations like Legend of Chun Li and all that crud from Uwe Boll (and possibly the upcoming King of Fighters movie). For one thing, most of the actors look like the characters they are playing, right down to the unique outfits. Even their fighting styles are lifted directly from the games. Some of the changes actually work well such as presenting a more sympathetic side to Heihachi Mishima who in the game was a one dimensional villain. While the story diverges from that of the game, it is strong enough to hold its own. Borrowing elements from other dystopian bloodsport movies like DeathRace and The Running Man, it is not the most original of films, but no doubt entertaining. Jin’s journey actually has more in common with Rocky than with Street Fighter. Though Jin fights for vengeance, he represents hope for the people in the slums that even a street rat like him can rise to challenge the powers that be.
The main characters are given very distinct reasons for doing what they do. A clear purpose to drive their actions, be it for glory, money, vengeance, honor or just out of jealousy. Although their relationships and interactions have less-than-expected chemistry, the acting manages to pass muster; a huge surprise considering the lack of recognizable big names in the cast.
Dwight H Little is no big name in showbiz himself, his directing resume being mostly in TV series like Dollhouse and his small list of notable films include much maligned sequels Halloween 4 and Free Willy 2 and Anaconda 2. Yet his directing style is clear and concise, making each showdown a thrill to watch. Fights are choreographed realistically with minimal kung fu wire-work in order to maintain that gritty savage feel.(yes, realistic. That means no flashy lightning or blazing uppercuts. Just good ol fashioned hand to hand combat.) All this is then set to a pulse pounding electronic rock soundtrack reminiscent of Mortal Kombat.
And that is exactly how it feels like; a combination of Mortal Kombat and Rocky by way of Rollerball, Running Man and Blade Runner. After all is said and done, there is little left in the film that would stand out to attract a crowd. Where Prince of Persia at least had an insane budget which was put to good use, Tekken feels like a cheap made-for-TV flick despite claiming to have 35 million in budget. More time could have been spent fleshing out the sad futuristic world of Tekken or the inter-company politics between the megacorps.
Addicts of the game would be disappointed at the changes from the source material, blockbuster addicts would be put off by its cheap feel. At most, fans of brutally choreographed fighting films and dystopian future movies might be satisfied to a certain extent. Though not a true winner or “the people’s choice”, at least Tekken put up a good fight by having some of the most brutal bouts fighting game movies.
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