Are These Martial Arts Video Game Movies Worth Revisiting?

Are These Martial Arts Video Game Movies Worth Revisiting?

As a die-hard Tekken fan with a soft spot for cheesy action movies, I’ve gotta admit that watching these films was like taking a trip down memory lane… or more accurately, a rollercoaster ride filled with unexpected drops and awkward twists.


The Tekken video game series is renowned and recognized in the gaming world, once dominating every arcade across the globe. Now, it shines brightly on numerous international tournament stages. Fighting game enthusiasts hold the story of the Mishima Zaibatsu and the struggle for the Devil Gene in high esteem. However, the franchise’s history beyond its primary platform has sparked some controversy. For instance, the Tekken movies have not quite captured the intensity of a family feud as the games do.

Movie adaptations of video games have been improving significantly since their initial stages, although the notion of a “video game movie curse” was often exaggerated. There were many quality animated productions in this genre. However, live-action video game movies have generally underperformed. As for fighting games, they’ve had a diverse history. For instance, the ’90s films like “Street Fighter” and “Mortal Kombat” are now cherished as entertaining examples of excessive camp. Later installments in both series tend to veer closer towards disaster rather than maintaining the charm of their predecessors. The “Tekken” movies don’t quite reach the same heights as those classics.

What is Tekken about?

DirectorDwight Little
WriterAlan B. McElroy
StarsJohn Foo, Kelly Overton, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Ian Anthony Dale, and Cung Le
Runtime87 Minutes
Release DateNovember 5, 2009

Tekken, the movie, is a relatively free interpretation of the storyline from Tekken 3, which remains a notable installment in the series after 27 years. Director Dwight Little drew influence from sports films and dystopian sci-fi to give the narrative a more relatable touch. The world depicted in Little’s Tekken is governed by a few powerful corporations, with the Tekken Corporation being the most dominant. This same corporation runs the King of Iron Fist Tournament, where fighters sponsored by the corporations engage in individual combats, vying for a better life. The film focuses on Jin Kazama, a teen from the slums who assists his caring mother financially by smuggling contraband for local resistance groups. Jin was trained in a unique martial art form by his mom, Jun, which made him an exceptional fighter. Unfortunately, Tekken’s armed enforcers kill Jun while pursuing Jin, prompting Jin to embark on a quest for vengeance.

The movie version of Tekken primarily revolves around the Iron Fist Tournament, a format frequently seen in martial arts films, which might explain its popularity within the fighting game genre. However, when it comes to character development, it’s quite minimal. Jin progresses by battling various video game characters, although their appearances and roles often change significantly from their original sources. The movie discards all supernatural aspects, thus eliminating the final boss of the third game and Jin’s late-game revelations, a decision that seems odd and diminishes the story’s charm. Despite this, the film maintains a dark and gloomy tone, focusing more on the depressing aspects of its universe rather than the humor present in the source material. Overall, it’s not particularly engaging, but the fight scenes are decent. While it received a 0% positive score on Rotten Tomatoes, it might not be deserving of such a low rating, but it’s still not very impressive.

What is Tekken: Kazuya’s Revenge about?

Are These Martial Arts Video Game Movies Worth Revisiting?
DirectorWych Kaos
WritersNicole Jones and Steven Paul
StarsKane Kosugi, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Rade Šerbedžija, and Gary Daniels
Runtime89 Minutes
Release DateAugust 12, 2024

Following the disappointing performance of the initial Tekken movie, the franchise’s producers decided to approach a director who had previously made a film universally panned – Wych Kaos, famed for directing Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, a project that also earned a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Interestingly, Ballistic stands out among other 0% films due to the large number of official reviews it received, giving it an advantage over other complete flops. Tekken: Kazuya’s Revenge doesn’t share this advantage because it only has three critical reviews on the site and was released directly to DVD. The story revolves around a character suffering from amnesia who goes by the codename K, despite the title of the film revealing his true identity. This character performs missions against his father, Heihachi, resulting in a series of fight scenes that lack conviction within an incoherent plot. Unfortunately, this sequel falls significantly short of the original, leaving little room for improvement.

Where can you stream the Tekken movies?

Are These Martial Arts Video Game Movies Worth Revisiting?

As a gaming enthusiast, I’m excited to share that you can stream the classic fighter game Tekken for free across various platforms like Tubi, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, and Plex. For those who prefer to own it, you can rent or buy it from Amazon Prime Video or Google Play. Similarly, another popular title, Tekken: Kazuya’s Revenge, is also available for free streaming on Tubi, Pluto TV, and Plex. Enjoy the action!

The Tekken movies generally aren’t great, and they sometimes offer a unique kind of low-quality entertainment. The initial film has decent fight scenes and amusing costumes that make it somewhat watchable, but don’t anticipate narrative depth comparable to Tekken 8’s storyline. Interestingly, the King of Iron Fist Tournament is more intriguing for the participants than for viewers, particularly without the inclusion of all those devil powers.

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2024-11-26 03:05