The Expendables/Tekken

I lost my faith on movie stars like Stallone, Willis, etc, a long time ago. When I heard that a movie like the Expendables will be released this summer, I was like, WTF?! That would have cost a fortune with a stellar cast like this, and these are not just actors, but the type that would kill for them to be seen in every frame.It took me a week before I decided to watch the movie, and a week to make a review out of it. And in this unproductive day that I have, I decided to make it a wee bit productive in making this review so as not to disappoint my fans (if I have any).

Stallone leads the movie, not only as the actor but also as a Scriptwriter, Producer and Director, and what would you expect, he will be in every single frame of it. Along with him are Lundgren (did i spell it right?), Statham, Rourke and Li which should have more scenes than he deserve. They are an elite group designed to kill, for a price. And with every action movie, somebody betrays them. Classic. They were then offered a job to free a country from a dictator and then the rest is up to for you to watch.

The expendables is oozing with testosterone but not the type which the Twilight Series has, but the right kind of testosterone. This is old school action flick and it is a breath of fresh air to see this type of movie shown again. Old school yet with a touch of our generation. The film contains violence but not that extreme since some of them  were cut off from the movie to avoid the R-18 rating. Willis and Arnie are there but they appear only as cameos. Maybe Stallone could not afford their fees.

The summer is usually packed with action flicks and Tekken seemed to be perfect for the season. The game has been around for too long and I am a bit surprised that it was released too soon. I mean, how long has it been since the cinemas were showing the trailer? A month? Few might have known that there would be a movie and most of the people who have known this may actually be surprised or dismiss this movie. I myself have seen it in the comforts of my own bed after I was supplied with a DVD copy, clearer than the ones shown in SM City. (I don't want to say this, but I don't really like the way cinemas in SM looks like or how their sound system sounds like).

We know Jin and the Gang, and Tekken the movie did deliver. The heroes are there except for Panda, Mokujin, etc. The signature moves are well displayed and I bet none of the fans will be disappointed about this. Story-wise, the same recycled Hollywood story. Mother gets killed, son seeks for revenge, enters a tournament, tries to win the tournament, sees a girl, falls in love, kidnapped by the organizer of the fight, and in the championship game, he ends up fighting the organizer and wins. Clap clap.

Watch the movie to see your characters light up the screen with the moves you usually do with a button. Don't get disappointed with the story, the whole production crew is too busy to copy the game that they disregard the story - just as long as they all fight. It is supposed to go that way, right?

GRADE:
THE EXPENDABLES: B
TEKKEN: B-