Every time a movie based on a videogame is made, it's almost guaranteed to fail.
Mortal Kombat,
Double Dragon,
Street Fighter,
Tomb Raider... All of them mediocre at best, although Street Fighter, as bad as it was, has one redeeming quality in the form of Raoul Julia (a pity he's no longer with us), and Tomb Raider scored points with Angelina Jolie.
Well, now we have a new fiasco in the videogame-turned-movie universe:
DOA, or Dead or Alive.
First off, I'm a big fan of the games. Not only because of the graphics, but the style of fighting (no fireballs fired from bare hands, no overly designed weaponry), the 3D decors (you're able to knock someone off of a mountain) and the variety of moves make it entertaining.
I'm even happy it's not that photorealistic compared to Splinter Cell, Gears of War or something like that; it's just a fightergame which defies the laws of physics and thus can't be real, just for those who think reality in games might give people ideas.
Right, where the game is entertaining, the movie is not. It's not even close compared to the character designs of the game (then again, where would you find an actress looking like game-Kasumi with the skills to pull the action), the script is awful and the acting is under par.
That said, there is a positive side to this movie, but only if you go into it expecting a B-type film. The same went for Street Fighter; if you just settle yourself in front of the screen of your choice and just let it come, it's quite enjoyable. Just don't expect anything remotely Shakespearean.
Cheers, K.