Plot
The movie adaptation of the best selling video game series Dead or Alive.
Release Year: 2006
Rating: 4.8/10 (22,873 voted)
Critic's Score: 38/100
Director:
Corey Yuen
Stars: Jaime Pressly, Devon Aoki, Sarah Carter
Storyline A number of fighters are invited to DOA, an invitational martial arts contest. They travel to the tournament island by plane, until they have to jump out mid-flight with parachutes, and then have until sundown to reach the main island to be entered into the tournament. Fighters are then pooled against one another in a knock-out style tournament, with the loser of a battle sent home, and the winner progressing to the subsequent round. The plot revolves around four female fighters who begin as rivals, but subsequently find themselves teaming up against another force.
Writers: J.F. Lawton, Adam Gross
Cast: Jaime Pressly
-
Tina Armstrong
Devon Aoki
-
Kasumi
Holly Valance
-
Christie Allen
Sarah Carter
-
Helena Douglas
Natassia Malthe
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Ayane
Kane Kosugi
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Ryu Hayabusa
Matthew Marsden
-
Max
Eric Roberts
-
Donovan
Steve Howey
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Weatherby
Brian White
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Zack
Kevin Nash
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Bass Armstrong
Collin Chou
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Hayate
Derek Boyer
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Bayman
Silvio Simac
-
Leon
Fang Liu
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Gen Fu
Taglines:
Alone they are unbeatable... Together they are invincible
Opening Weekend: AUD 525,096
(Australia)
(10 September 2006)
(139 Screens)
Gross: $480,314
(USA)
(1 July 2007)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia: Milo Ventimiglia was originally supposed to be Weatherby but dropped out because he didn't like the way the character was developed. He appeared in
Stay Alive instead, another video game movie.
Goofs:
Continuity:
When Weatherby is in the lab trying to free the trapped, Donovan is seen running from the Buddha head to the lab on the LCD screen. A few scenes later when he is encountering Helena, he is seen running from the Buddha head again.
Quotes:
[first lines]
Ryu Hayabusa:
Princess Kasumi, your brother is dead. Your destiny is to lead your people. Kasumi:
I will not believe he is dead, until I see his body. Ryu Hayabusa:
There is no body. Kasumi:
Then he is not dead.
User Review
Good fun if you're in the right mood!
Rating: 7/10
Dead or Alive is a film that is so exploitative and atrociously bad,
that somehow it ended up being a whole lot of fun. However to view this
as a fun film, it must be viewed as intended: With brain switched off,
and ol' Mr McDong taking control of your functions for 80 minutes. Yes,
this may be a film with a predominantly female cast, but ladies need
not turn up to watch this, cause they probably won't enjoy it, unless
their sexual barometer is registering the opposite end from "hetero."
This film is total gratuity in every regard, from the scantily clad,
sexy ladies, to the barrage of testosterone pumping action. This is hot
chicks doing high kicks! So with that, and having this the
pre-conceived idea when I bought my ticket, I knew I'd enjoy it. Hell
the film was marketed right. It's about a video game and has the
subtlety of said game, which is in the button bashing, short attention
span of the games spectrum. It's a simple movie for a simple movie
going experience. IF anyone goes into this film and comes out having
not enjoyed it, then they SHOULD have known better! I think only those
who want to see this kind of film, who are in the mood, will watch, and
they'll get a kick out of it like me. Critics will despise it cause it
represents a film they have to watch, but probably don't want to.
So DOA is essentially a non-interactive video game, an FMV if you will.
It's got an awful script, mediocre acting, and all the efforts of the
filmmakers have gone into perfectly capturing, glistening, bouncing
boobies amongst the martial arts mayhem. The plot essentially is
nothing more than little set-ups to all the fights, taking place at a
secret fighting tournament set up by Eric Roberts, in grade-A scenery
chewing mode. Roberts to me is a tragic waste of talent, who in the
early 80's looked a great prospect and to some, me included, has more
talent than his over-rated sister Julia (who now of course takes all
the plaudits). Roberts is consigned to doing DTV movies now, or TV
movies and on the rare occasion he appears back in the multiplexes,
it's in another B-movie that usually is awful. However at least Eric is
enjoying himself here, relishing his return (somewhat) to the
limelight. or to put it another way, to remind people Julia wasn't an
only child! The rest of the main cast, who register any interest, are
the hot ladies. There's the rather bizarre, yet strikingly attractive
looking Devon Aoki and then there's also Holly Valance, Sarah Carter
and Natassia Malthe too. However it's Jaime Pressley who steals the
show, not only with her performance, that delivers the most laughs
(intentional ones that is), but also she has a bod to die for and
considering some stiff competition from Valances sculpted physique in
particular, that's no mean feat.
Overall though this film will go down as a classic bad movie. The
filmmakers never intended making anything beyond what they deliver.
This is bad, it's cheesy and it's forgettable. But it's outrageously
fun while it lasts and it most certainly requires the wearing of loose
fitting underwear to allow for Sgt Schlong to stand to attention every
now and again. I feel guilty having enjoyed it, but I had a good idea
of the film that would be delivered and it was delivered as I imagined.
***
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