The King of Iron Fist Tournament is home to some of the most legendary battles in Tekken history. But this time is different. With the recent release of Bandai Namco’s movie of the infamous fighting game series, “Tekken Blood Vengeance,†fans of the series can watch, rather than button-mash their way through the story, with graphics that will make them feel as if they are playing, instead of watching.
By the time the last combo has been countered, there’s more than enough to be had in this hard-hitting film.
You’ll be awed by the crystal clear usage of CGI in the movie. In the first scene, a motorcycle races across a hectic and crowded highway, which soon leads to an exploding eighteen-wheeler and an all out brawl with Nina and her sister Anna. This battle uses the best POV angles; the viewer can see every detail of what is going on between the feuding sisters; you can expect much more of the same from a movie that’s action packed and isn’t afraid to show what makes it so unique.
In a race for a special gene called the “M Cell,†the two notorious corporations that are usually responsible for the chaos that ensues in the series, G Corporation and the Mishima Zaibatsu, both race with military advances to track it down and gain ultimate power. With that, of course, both Jin and Kazuya will make dramatic appearances.
Fan favorites such as the Chinese martial artist, Ling Xiaoyu and the shy and naïve android, Alisa Bosconovitch both take leading roles this time around as they try to unravel the secrets that smuggle and hide the origins of the M Cell as well as their purpose in the current conflict. With visuals that can almost compare to reality itself with the use of modern day CGI and the fluid movements of the many characters in the movie, “Tekken Blood Vengeance “ can be enjoyed even more on an HD TV.
Despite the near flawless visuals, because of such crystal clear details there is also a lot of room for errors as well. The movements of the characters mouths can often times stick out like a sore thumb. It’s clear that Blood Vengeance was created for the Japanese language, as the characters’ mouths move in sync with every word uttered. However, for fans of the English dub, despite the voice acting suiting most characters, their rate of speech seems to move faster than the characters themselves can comprehend, which can be a bit of a distraction especially when the story begins to grow a tad complicated.
Taking on a different route from the King of Iron Fist Tournament, as Jin, Kazuya, Xiaoyu and friends struggle to discover and end the conflict that surrounds the infamous M Cell, leading to the arrival of a new character named Shin, Blood Vengeance is a refreshing non-canon movie in the series. The story itself is pretty weak with clichés abound and a predictable ending.
From Xiaoyu’s undeniable love interest in Jin to the typical klutzy and not-too-smart personality that has been set upon Alisa, Tekken, in a word, can be described as what it is; an anime. One of the only few elements that set the movie apart from other anime is the noticeable CGI treatment it has received as well as its real life take on a series that uses mythical creatures to keep the series fresh and unique.
Tekken Blood Vengeance, a movie that more or less continues to show the fueled hatred and rivalry of the Mishima family, including Jin who, while not taking the Mishima name, is connected by the Devil Gene instilled within him by his father. Characters such as Nina, Alisa, Xiaoyu and even Panda are skillfully set in the story and avoid the role of fillers as they each play an integral part in the movie.
It’s clear that Blood Vengeance was created to appease to fans of the Tekken series.
However, those who are new to the series, while it would be in their best interest to delve into the roots of the series’ very beginnings, they can also enjoy this action-filled movie with little to no confusion as many things are explained throughout. Fans of anime, Japanese culture and adrenaline-racing battles can expect all this and more in Bandai Namco’s latest release of the popular fighting game series.
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