DOA: Dead or Alive

This was better than I expected, though I think it properly needs to be placed on a scale of other fighting video game movies. So it is better than Street Fighter, not as good as Mortal Kombat I, but better than MKII. Though I haven't seen any of those recently so repeat viewings might be necessary to set the scale.

I was suspicious whenever an apparently creative fighting moment occurs- was it stolen or reused from a superior martial arts movie? No matter, even good martial arts movies recycle a lot.

The fighting is very good, the best scene is probably the rain fight. There's a few good comedic moments during and inbetween. I didn't care for Holly Valance, and it's strange why the computer nerd character wasn't a better actor- it's not like they chose him for his looks or martial arts skills. I would have taken more liberties with the characters hair and costumes, made them a little more ordinary and less colorful (or coordinate their colors with the scenery more). The fights could have been a lot more dirty and gritty, as it is there is not the tiniest drop of blood in the movie.

Natasse Malthe was probably the most attractive of them all (despite the wig looking purple hair), but gets the least screen time. Most of the time the characters skin is color regraded with the equivalent effect of Maxim style over-airbrushing: all natural skin tone is lost and the result is completely off-putting and not really attractive.

The really obvious CG shots are distracting, especially the shuriken invites being both unrealistic and stupid looking.

Why not throw in some gunfighting for variety, maybe near the end?

I haven't played any of the video games, the only benefit it may have would be to recognize some of the fighters who get 2 seconds of screen time when eliminated from the competition in the first round.