The line between bad films and guilty pleasures is often a fine one, and DOA: Dead or Alive, the 2006 martial arts action film directed by Cory Yuen, is a prime example. Based on the Dead or Alive series of fighting video games by Japanese studio Tecmo, which have been popular since their launch in 1996, the film takes a group of martial artists to a series of isolated islands for a tournament.
The plot revolves around three main protagonists: Kasumi (played by Devon Aoki), a shinobi ninja princess seeking her missing brother; professional wrestler Tina Armstrong (played by Jaime Pressley); and Christie Allen (played by Holly Valance), a master thief who wants to steal the treasure from the vault on the island. As the tournament progresses, the contestants uncover secrets about the island and its supervisor, Dr. Victor Donovan (played by Eric Roberts), who intends to use a special neural interface to acquire the skills of the contestants.
By the mid-2000s, audiences had learned not to expect much from video game adaptations on the big screen. Even without this experience, lowering one's expectations can help viewers enjoy or, at least, tolerate this film. Those expecting a serious plot, "deep" content, clever dialogue, or impressive acting will be disappointed. However, viewers seeking an hour and a half of mindless, unpretentious fun will find DOA much more to their liking.
Like the original video games, DOA is primarily aimed at an audience of adolescent males, and its main attraction is the attractive young women fighting in skimpy outfits. The film appears to be a fan service, complete with a scene paying homage to the DOA spin-off beach volleyball games.
Despite its exploitative nature and relatively low budget, DOA boasts some respectable names behind it, including producer Paul W.S. Anderson and director Cory Yuen, known for his martial arts choreography in Western productions. In the film, shot mostly in mainland China, Yuen displays good directing, particularly in the fight scenes. However, the CGI and some wirework may leave a more observant audience wanting.
The acting isn't particularly impressive, but the trio of main actresses, in addition to being attractive, demonstrates some martial arts skills. Holly Valance, an Australian model and singer, took on her first starring role in DOA with so much enthusiasm that she insisted on appearing nude in a fight scene. Unfortunately, the studio had to cut and re-shoot the scene to achieve a more family-friendly PG-13 rating from MPAA.
These decisions didn't help the film's cause. Critics, predisposed to dislike martial arts films and video game adaptations, panned DOA, and some questionable decisions by US cinema distributors ensured the film's flop status. Despite this, film’s fate wasn't entirely deserved, and it can still be recommended to an audience with lowered expectations and a mood for films featuring women in bikinis practicing martial arts.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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