The Karate Kid (2010)

Overall verdict: 9/10

The Good: endearing protagonist, story is easy to relate to, natural cast chemistry, amazing stunts, near perfect acting, more insightful than it seems

The Bad: stunts are "unbelievably" good, title discrepancy(he learns kung fu, not Karate), less true to the original.

Current Availability Status: in cinemas

******************************Review********************
One might get the wrong impression when a film’s title has nothing to do with its subject matter. The film in question is called “The Karate Kid”, presumably a remake of the 1984 coming of age classic starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita which has absolutely NOTHING to do with karate. The martial art featured in the film is Chinese kung fu and barring a few similarities in the broad story strokes, 2010’s “The Karate Kid” bears little resemblance to its source material. So instead of “Karate” we have Kung Fu. Instead of a high school senior love triangle with teenager testosterone rivalry, we have pre-pubescent puppy dog crushes, playground bullies and the very familiar “new kid in a strange new land” story combined with a garden variety underdog tale of a bullied protagonist who gets back on his feet and perseveres against all odds to come out on top. Now the underdog tale is nothing new, all that is different is the “sport” that serves as the story backdrop; Rocky had boxing, Fast And Furious Tokyo Drift had drift racing.

In “The Karate Kid”, A heartwarming opening montage introduces us to Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) who is made to move from Detroit to Beijing when his widowed mother gets a job transfer. Back home, he was well loved by his friends and neighbours, but now in China, Dre is a true “fish out of water”, unable to speak the most basic of Chinese or even get the building’s maintenance man, Mr Han (Jackie Chan) to fix his new home’s broken water heater. Before his first day at school, Dre develops a cute crush on a demure Chinese girl called Mei Ying and manages to incur the wrath of the school bully, Cheng, who so happens to be a top kung fu student. Dre learns that last fact the hard way by getting beaten up, bullied and humiliated every day. Determined not to back down, Dre decides to stand up to his adversaries. But that only results in a near lynching until he is saved by Mr Han who reveals himself as an ex-kung fu master. After easing Dre’s injuries, Mr Han takes the boy to go and make peace with Cheng’s Master, Li. However, the cruel Master Li, who teaches his students an exceedingly brutal form of kung fu, threatens Han and forces Dre to competing in a Martial Arts tournament. With no other choice left, Mr Han begins to teach the boy "real kung fu", which is far from being just a means of fighting.

"Karate Kid" is a rare type of film that plays very close to the heart without giving the impression of forced melodrama. Anyone who has ever been through childhood would probably be able to relate to the trials young Dre goes through; from wanting to step away from his parent's overprotective shadow to learning to assert his own individuality. It is a painful but valuable lesson in growing up that Dre goes through and his turmoil is effectively conveyed thanks to the superb acting by young Jaden Smith.

The twelve year old son of veteran actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith shows off his wide acting talent in his first lead role. He brings a natural sense of earnestness with just the right mixture of attitude to his role. As a result, Dre comes across as very easy to relate to and a likable protagonist whom the audience might gladly cheer on. All the other child actors are impeccable in their roles tothe point where it is easy to forget that they are acting and get totally absorbed into the story and its characters. Special mention goes to Jackie Chan in his role of Mr Han. A departure from his usual comedic roles, Mr Han is played as a stern middle aged man whose quirky ways and wise traditional kung fu teachings masks a tragic secret. Easily the most interesting and well developed character, maybe even more so than the protagonist, and a solid effort by Chan.

Hidden beneath "Karate kid's" layered narrative is a smart jibe at China's modernisation and increasingly competitive education system. The contrast between Mr Han's traditional ideals of Kung Fu as a skill that leads to self mastery and Master Li's dogma of kung fu as a merciless means to dominate one's opponent highlights the very real system where everyone would do anything, even playing it dirty, to get to the top; where tradition is regarded more as a hindrance, where parents expect nothing but the best from their children and where second place means utter disgrace.

As realistic as the story and characters are, some suspension of disbelief is required when it comes to the actual kung fu fighting. Seeing young boys, years away from breaking their voice, throw flying flip kicks with a level of professional expertise beyond any world class Olympics champ, puts a great strain on anyone trying to take the film seriously. The stunts are perfect, the fights are beautifully choreographed, but perhaps it was too good a job that resulted in a lessening of the realism factor.

Complemented by a roaring soundtrack by James Horner, "The Karate Kid" has all the makings of a timeless classic just like the original film it is based on. It is fun, smart and touches on themes that anyone who has ever had a childhood might be able to easily relate to. All one has to do is put aside the discrepancy between the title and the featured martial art in order to fully enjoy this gem of a movie.
*****************************Review End******************

Go For it: if you are a fan of feel-good "underdog" triumph stories, if you had a childhood or if you want to see the breakout role of a bright young star in he making.
Avoid it: if you expect a faithful recretion of the old Karate Kid film or if you cannot look past the errornous title.

Entertainment: A
Story: B+
Acting: A
Characters: A
Music: A-
Replay value: A-
"Brains": B+

The A-Team (2010)

Overall verdict: 7.5/10

The Good: Never-before-seen action sequences that defy expectations, commendable casting, witty humor, incredible character chemistry, extremely true to the original, well developed themes of trust and camaraderie.

The Bad: choppy camerawork, overly complex conspiracy plot, retains the flaws of the original show (convenient plot twists, "A-team firing", formulaic story), poor use of CGI.

******************************Review********************

Remakes are big business in Hollywood these days. Disregarding horror movies, classic TV series have had their fair share of remakes ranging from great to terrible. Mission impossible, S.W.A.T, Starsky and Hutch, Miami Vice, the list goes on. "The A-Team" is based on a popular 1980s TV series famous for its over-the-top cartoon-like violence, formulaic episodes, memorable characters and "Mister T". Barring the mandatory re-setting of the film in present day instead of the 80s, the creative team manages to craft a remake that remains extremely true to its roots. Instead of following the trend and going for a more realistic, gritty feel with a darker storyline, A-Team shamelessly embraces the over-the-top nature of its source material, cheesy flaws and all.

Eight years after a fateful (and explosive) mission in Mexico united four unlikely Army Rangers,

the "crack commando unit" led by Colonel Hannibal Smith(Liam Nesson) and stationed in Iraq are sent on one final mission by CIA agent "Lynch"(Patrick Wilson) into the heart of Baghdad to retrieve a set of stolen money printing plates that are a threat to national security. Hannibal and his team, comprising of suave con-man "Faceman" Peck, burly B. A Baracus and comically insane "Howling Mad" Murdock, succeed in their mission. However, upon returning to base, their superior officer General Morrison is seemingly killed in an explosion, along with all evidence of the team's mission. The team, in the wrong place at the wrong time, are charged with "a crime they did not commit", dishonorably discharged and sent to separate prisons. Six months later, agent "Lynch" meets with Hannibal Smith and offers him a chance to escape, break his teammates out of their respective holding facilities, and attempt to clear their name by tracking down a mercenary named "Pike"(Brian Bloom) whom Hannibal had a bitter history with.

What follows is one of the most spectacular jail breaks in the history of modern cinema culminating with our heroes in a free falling tank taking on two sub-sonic combat UAVs in mid air. Now, still wanted by the government, and pursued by Faceman's former flame, Captain Charisa Sousa (Jessica Biel)this team of four must uncover a secret conspiracy involving the printing plates. A conspiracy that originates from within the CIA itself.

Though slightly convoluted, "The A-Team" highlights every single aspect that made the original TV series such fun to watch. For starters, the characters are marked by very distinct personalities complete with their own individual quirks such as Baracus's intense fear of flying. The A-team members themselves are an extremely likable bunch, with impeccable chemistry. Their witty banter, peppered with familiar one liners, is the highlight here particularly Sharlto Copley stealing the show as the loony Murdock. Helped along by spot on performances from a perfectly cast set of actors, the movie totally sells its theme of trust and camaraderie among the most unlikely of allies. Another improvement over the original series is that the main characters are given more depth, such as Baracus's crisis of conscience and Hannibal's disillusion at being betrayed by a country he fought so hard to protect.

But just before the film gets bogged down by drama, another spectacular action sequence is throw in, and followed by another, never allowing the adrenaline pumping pace to let up. The near unintentionally funny, but thoroughly epic opening sequence in Mexico sets the tone for the entire movie that follows; ridiculous, over the top and absolutely awesome. Audiences would thrill to see how each member of the team brings their unique set of skills to a mission in order to make a plan "come together".

The one thing A-Team suffers from is its camerawork, Extreme close-up shots are used once too often during frantic combat scenes making the action a little difficult to follow. Also, A number of the bigger set pieces were rendered in CGI that seem to clash with the scenes of real practical special effects.

But that being said, "The A-Team" might be one of the most entertaining summer blockbusters to come by; lots of action with a sharp sense of humor, just like the original show. It captures the sense of fun and enjoyment that seemed to have been all but forgotten amidst the many recent movies going for the "darker and edgier" feel. Those expecting a realistic rendition of the campy 80s TV series would be sorely disappointed as 2010's "The A-Team" manages to take every single element of the original and ups the ante on them. For a film that banks solely on its action, characters and comedy, it succeeds at every turn.

***********Review End*********

Go For it: if you loved the original TV series and or would like an entertaining high octane action flick with a sense of humor.

Avoid it: if you never did like the original TV series or if you prefer more serious action movies.

Entertainment: A

Story: B-

Acting: A

Characters: A

Music: B

Replay value: A-

"Brains": C-

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (2010)

Overall verdict: 7.5/10

The Good: stays true to the spirit of the original games, action packed, fast paced, exceptional production design, likable characters, interesting deeper themes.

The Bad: no lull in the action for dramatic development, derivative characters, erratic camerawork, simple characterisations.

Current Availability Status: IN CINEMAS NOW

******************************Review********************
Video game adaptation movies never had a good track record, especially so following 2009's critically panned financial faliure "Street Fighter: Legend of Chun Li". But Prince of Persia: Sands of Time looks set to break that trend, boasting a blockbuster level budget and a screenplay by the original creator of the video games himself, Jordan Mechner. Mr Mechner had stated that he did not wish to do an exact translation of the "Sands of Time" game onto the big screen, but instead "taking some cool elements from the game and using them to craft a new story". The result is a fun summer blockbuster romp that is remarkably true to the spirit, look and feel of the video game franchise.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time takes place in a fantasy world based loosely upon the 6th century Persian Empire. After witnessing the courageous act of a young street orphan named Dastan, the King of Persia adopts him. Fifteen years later, Dastan (played by a buffed up Jake Gyllenhaal) has grown into a skilled warrior and, along side his royal blooded foster brothers Prince Tus and Garsiv, prepare to lead the Persian army to invade the city of Alamut. Spies working for Nizam, the persian king's brother and court adviser, have uncovered proof that Alamut was selling weapons to the enemies of Persia. The ensuing battle is swift and decisive, largely thanks to Dastans unorthodox methods and his street honed agility. During the seige, Dastan kills a royal guard and comes into possession of an ornately designed dagger formerly belonging to the princess of Alamut, Tamina. All is going well for the three brothers with Tus having decided to marry princess Tamina against their father's wishes. However the Persian King is mysteriously murdered and the blame falls on Dastan. Now on the run and with princess Tamina in tow, Dastan alone thinks he knows the truth; that the king's death was orchestrated by Tus, his natural successor. With his loyalty to his brothers shaken, the plot thickens as Dastan discovers the secret power of the dagger he procured and the magical "sands of time" which gives the user the ability to rewind time itself and change past actions thus changing the future. Secrets are unveiled, hidden agendas brought to light and what is might not be what it seems as Dastan travels across the vast empire in search of a way to clear his name, return the sacred dagger to a hidden temple and stop an evil scheme involving the sands of time that might alter the fate of the world forever.

Progressing at a breakneck pace, the plot may seem convoluted but is actually no more confusing than a classic adventure story straight out of the forgotten "Arabian nights" genre of films. Similarly, the story plays on the audience's expectations of predictability and then shatters it; just as one expects that Dastan is about to clear his name, a new unexpected revelation is thrown the audience's way. Smarter than your average blockbuster, Prince of Persia does a respectable job of fleshing out its theme of brotherhood. That trust between the three royal brothers is put to the test as each suspects the other of treachery. This plays on the viewer's expectations of the typical "Jealous other sibling who wants the throne for himself" type of story but manages to believably turn it on its head with some well placed twists. Some viewers might find themselves overwhelmed by the heavy story alone.

Apparently, Prince of Persia's lighter elements seem to come from its characters, both in skin tone and in dramatic development. True to its Arabian adventure roots, each character is simplistically depicted; the hero is a handsome hunk, the feisty damsel is exotically beautiful, the villains look genuinely sinister and so on. The impeccable cast does a wondrous job in "becoming" their roles and delivering one solid performance after another. A point of constant critisism of this movie was the lack of actual middle eastern actors as opposed to the mostly british cast selected for this movie. What some might forget was that Charlston Heston was not Israeli when he starred in "Ben Hur", nor was Yul Brynne an Egyptian when he played the role of a Pharaoh. It can be argued that Jack Gyllenhaal is as "Persian" as the American actors who played Sinbad or as Tom Cruise was German in the film "Valkyrie". Looking past the apparent racial dissonance of the cast, one could come to appreciate their earnest performances. Of particular note is the amazing chemistry between Dastan and Princess Tamina which may call to mind the "wise cracking scoundrel/haughty royal woman" relationship between Han Solo and Princess Leia from "Star Wars".

Like any good summer blockbuster, Prince of Persia is delivers a hearty mix of action and humor. Unfortunately, director Mike Newell seems to favor "jerky cam" shots as a way to make his action scenes feel more frantic. This seems to work for some scenes, such as Dastan's incredibly choreographed rooftop "Parkour" sequences but renders other scenes, like the sword fights, rather difficult to follow. There are also points in the movie where our heroes traverse the great middle eastern deserts within moments and hop from city to city as if Persia itself were no bigger than Singapore.

Nitpicks, simplistic characterisations and its seemingly rushed nature aside, Prince of Persia is a worthy addition to that near extinct hollywood-made Middle East fantasy genre. Its rich narrative is peppered with wit and the familiar charm of old period pieces while themes of trust and destiny are woven into an apparently familiar plot that is really as unpredictable as Dastan's own fighting style. Fans of the video game may thrill at seeing key scenes and signature combat moves faithfully recreated in live action on the big screen while casual viewers can enjoy a fun, refreshing and energetic adventure movie that might soon become regarded as the best video game adaptation to date.
*****************************Review End******************

Go For it: if you were a fan of "Prince of Persia" video game series or would like a witty, refreshing tribute to a fading film genre.
Avoid it: if big fantasy themed summer blockbusters were never your thing to begin with.

Entertainment: A
Story: C
Acting: A-
Characters: B
Replay value: A-
"Brains": C+

Alien Vs Predator (2004) extended edition review

Overall verdict: 4.5/10

The Good: fun fight sequences, a few shout-outs to previous alien and predator films, slick production design

The Bad: bland characters, thin plot, one sided fights, hand to hand combat looks artificially sped up.

Current Availability Status: on discount priced DVD in any major DVD store in singapore

DVD features:

Disc 1

- Both the theatrical AND Extended director's cut of the movie

- Commentary by director

- Commentary by cast and crew

- Trailers

Disc 2

- Extensive pre-production, production and post production "making of" featurette

- alien vs predator comic book and toy history

- deleted scenes

DVD value for money Grade: A-

******************************Review********************

It was only a matter of time after that Alien skull cameo in Predator 2 that someone made a movie pitting the ferocious Alien xenomorphs against the vicious Predators. Already that one scene spawned a number of video games, novels and a slew of comics, some good some terrible. On its own, Paul WS Anderson's "Alien Vs Predator" is a fun, mildly entertaining big budget B movie. However, it fails to live up to the reputation and standards set by its predecessors.

Alien Vs Predator starts off with the discovery of a pyramid deep under the antarctic ice. A team of explorers is sent in to investigate. Lo and Behold, they discover that the pyramid belongs to a space-faring species of hunters (the Predators) who use it to breed another type of Alien (the Aliens) as opponents/prey for their own coming-of-age hunting rituals. The humans stumbled across some "ancient artifacts", actually plasma weaopns to be used by the Predators. They unknowingly screw up what was to be a standard hunting trial for three young Predators by taking their plasma weapons and unwittingly setting the Aliens free ahead of schedule. What follows is a frantic free for all as Humans, Aliens and Predators duke it out in one surprisingly bloodless fight after another.

Now of course coming to a movie with "versus" in the title would imply lots of fighting. Instead Alien Vs Predator plods along for the first 45 minutes or so as we are introduced to one bland B movie stock character after another. Lots of talking, which perhaps the writers intended for "character development" sake, but nothing else substantial happens aside from a little nod to Aliens fans in the form of Lance Henriksen playing the role of a character named "Bishop" again.

When the action finally does come, it is seems like more bark than bite and ultimately not worth the 45 minute wait. There was only ONE actual bona-fide "Alien vs Predator" fight which is dressed to impress. An epic crescendo in the otherwise mediocre movie background music accompanies the very first big-screen face to face meeting of the two movie monsters. Fantastic fight choreography coupled with some clever use of slow motion makes that one fight very satisfying to watch and it is actually quite a nail-biter as you would never know who would turn out the victor until too late. However, most of the subsequent action sequences seem lack that level of intensity and actually seem a little "cartoon-y"; Some scenes involving the Aliens look to have been "sped up" in post production, possibly to make their movements seem faster and more inhuman.

One good fight just does not make up for the other disappointing ones. In fact, the creative team tended to be more partial toward the Aliens. The Predators are a far cry from the unstoppable killers in the previous movies. Here they are presented as big bulky bullies who pick on helpless humans with ease but are constantly being overpowered by their half-sized Alien opponents. It has been confirmed in behind-the-scenes interviews that director Paul WS Anderson is a bigger Alien fan than Predator fan, basically making the entire movie like a "fixed" fighting match with a biased referee.

Lots of action might be entertaining, but action was not the only thing that made the Aliens and Predator movies the classics they are. Ridley Scott's "Alien" film managed to keep up its eerie atmosphere and genuinely scary feel while giving viewers some well written character drama, James Cameron's Aliens upped the ante on action and threw in some very heartwarming character arcs with an impressive production design. Even Predator delivered unforgettable characters and intense bloodshed. Alien Vs Predator had none of these. It was not scary, the characters were under-developed, the pacing was erratic and even the violence was toned down despite the extended edition DVD featuring more blood letting.

Failing to live up to the hype, Alien vs Predator was seen big let-down for fans of the franchise. No doubt the set designs for the underground pyramid interior and the snowy antarctic scenes look awesome but that is where the praise usually ends. This movie lacks the smart gritty narrative themes of the comics and the all out bloody violence of the video games. The fact that the versus match was fixed from the start might not help matters.

AVP is essentially a whole lot of "style" trying to mask its lack of substance.

For the review of the sequel "Aliens Vs Predator: Requiem" see here

***********Review End***********

Go For it: if you really are that desperate to see two sci/fi horror icons duke it out in a mindless series of scuffles.

Avoid it: if you are going to miss the high level of action, drama and narrative standards set by this film's predecessors.

Entertainment: B-

Story: C- 

Acting: C+

Characters: C-

Replay value: B+

"Brains": D-

Blood The Last Vampire (2009) review

Overall verdict: 5.5/10

The Good: Very Faithful to the source material, intriguing sub-plots, well developed main character, strong first act.

The Bad: very low budget look, erratic fight choreography, truncated second act, bland side characters, weak dialogue

Current Availability Status: On DVD in any DVD store in Singapore

DVD features:

- behind the scenes "making of" featurette

- stunt coordination and combat training highlight reel.

DVD value for money grade: C

******************************Review********************

Considering the state of live action movies based on anime, be it from Hollywood or otherwise, Blood: the Last Vampire might arguably be one of the better ones along side Speed Racer and DeathNote. It manages to stay true to the original source material in terms of characters, setting and tone but the overall experience is marred by seemingly low production values and lackluster execution.

This live action movie based on the 2000 anime movie of the same name by Production I.G opens with a creepy narrative about am ancient war with demons and a heroic demon hunter who lost his life in the process. Cut to an eerie Tokyo subway in 1970s japan where a tension fueled chase and bloody sword fight on a moving train introduces the main character of Saya. Through dialog and some flashbacks interspersed throughout the film, the viewer discovers that Saya is a four hundred year old vampire/human hybrid who hunts demons for a secretive organization known as "The Council". Her latest assignment is to infiltrate a school on the Yokota Airbase to seek out clues to the whereabouts of "Onigen", a powerful demon who murdered Saya's father, the legendary demon hunter.

The first act of the movie is essentially a retelling of the original complete with full recreations of key scenes, filmed faithfully shot for shot. Story wise, it is a step up from the bland forty minute anime movie that this film is based on. Unlike the original anime where the events on the airbase was "just another day on the job", Saya in this live action movie is given a more convincing motive for vengeance that drives her actions. A little subplot that deals with a schism within the ranks of "The Council" is very compelling, ultimately adding some much needed meat to the otherwise paper-thin plot from the original anime. Not all of the added elements might have worked as well as one would have hoped. The character of Alice is one such element. Perhaps the producers meant for her to be a sort of human emotional anchor to Saya's inhuman personality as a way to "soften the savage beast". It would have worked for Saya's character development but ended up feeling a bit redundant thanks to either Allison Miller's bland acting or a half baked script.

Halfway through the movie, and after an intense action sequence that is a very faithful recreation of the original anime's climatic conclusion, the movie veers off into its own territory. Once free from its anime roots, the story somewhat sinks and is unable to keep up the narrative level of the previous act. After the Council subplot is resolved, the entire movie becomes a series of convenient plot twists and action sequences that get Saya and Alice from the air-force base to a remote abandoned village and ultimately to Saya's final showdown with Onigen. One gets the impression that the second half of the movie was written solely to pad the time in-between the material from the anime and a rather cartoony final battle.

No doubt the main let-down of this movie is its "look". Where the original anime fell short in its story and characters, it featured some of the most beautiful animation and stylish action sequences of its time. This film attempts to recreate that anime style surrealism by using a sickly yellowish, almost sepia toned, lighting to accentuate the "1970s" setting of the story and relying a lot on CGI. The way the action scenes are shot might remind some of Zack Snyder's "300", complete with slow motion bloodletting and whiplash cuts in the fight scenes. But instead of enhancing the movie, the CGI and fight choreography is its stumbling block. Blood spurts are nothing more than badly rendered globules of blackish red and demons look no better than old "stop motion" puppets. Even their movements were as stiff as those puppets. The only arguably thrilling fight scene was not even involving Saya or against demons, but was a flashback of Saya's old master, Kato, taking on a ninja army in a forest. Thanks to the erratic camera-work coupled with an overuse of speeding up and slowing down the footage in post-production, the action might not be as enjoyable as it could have.

Though Blood the Last Vampire 2009 is a far cry from the astounding visuals of its 2000 original source material, it still manages to present a good enough story while remaining true to the tone and characters of the original. A bigger, Hollywood level budget and script writing along with a longer running time for more plot development would have solved many of the film's flaws. Its faithfulness to the original may satisfy the long time fans, but to the casual movie goer the low budget look and feel might be too off-putting.

*****************************Review End******************

Go For it: if you want to see a adaptation movie from a japanese anime that is extremely faithful to the source while adding intriguing layers to the narrative, or if you just like the pretty star of the show.

Avoid it: if how a film looks is very important to your enjoyment or if you are a fan of traditional vampire action movies.

Entertainment: B-

Story: B+

Acting: C+

Characters: B

Music: B-

Replay value: B-

"Brains": C

Witchblade (2006) 24 episodes

Overall verdict: 5.5/10

The Good: emotionally engaging characters, heartwarming family themes, top notch voice acting

The Bad: inconsistent animation and artwork, over-sexualised portrayals of female characters, bland cliche filled story, lack of adherence to source material, seemingly padded story

Current Availability Status: Not available in singapore. Code 1 DVD and blu ray available for order


******************************Review********************

A co-production between American comic book company "Top Cow" and anime company Gonzo, Witchblade is loosely based on the famous supernatural genre comic series of the same name. In retrospect, "loosely" might be giving this series more credit that it is due . Other than featuring a hand-worn object(an ancient gauntlet in the comics, but a bracelet in the anime) that "binds" to a woman thus granting her supernatural powers while replacing her clothes with an overly skimpy combat outfit, it seems to have little else in common with the comic book it is based on.

Where the comic series featured intriguing supernatural detective stories and down-to-earth characters in a more or less contemporary setting, the anime adaptation replaces magic with machinery as the dark occult themes are ousted in favor of more familiar futuristic elements that are a staple to many science fiction Japanese anime.

The story is set in future Japan. A couple of years ago, a giant disaster ravaged Tokyo leaving one Masane Amaha and a little girl the only survivors at ground zero. Now Masane and the little girl Rihoko, whom she adopted as her daughter, have returned to Tokyo and get involved in A string of strange events that culminates in an encounter with a murderous biomechanical creature. Masane to discover that the little jewel on her wrist is actually "the witchblade", a legendary artifact that somehow became attached to her during the mysterious disaster. Upon activation, the Witchblade encases Masane's body in a skimpy armor while granting her superhuman abilities and a insatiable, almost erotic desire for bloodshed.(fan rant: this last bit was never in the original comic. Oh Japan....) Now Masane has become caught in the middle of a power war between the NSWF organization and the "Douji" group, each with their own bio-engineered super soldiers and each desiring to possess the Witchblade as a weapon for their own ends.

Though the characters are tried and tested stereotypical anime characters, their interactions come across as very genuine. Masane and Rihoko especially play out their mother/daughter roles rather realistically, thanks to an excellent voice cast both in the original Japanese and the English dub tracks. This would make it rather easy for the audience to establish an emotional connection to their plight. The theme of family and the difficulties facing a single mother are touched upon now and then but never seem to take center stage as the show's driving force. The first few episodes are promising in that they showcase the extent that Masane is willing to go through to get her daughter back from a corrupt child services agency, even making a deal with the leader of the Douji group to kill off their competitors. Mother and Daughter's loyalty and love for one another are truly put to the test by the events surrounding them, especially because Masane can never reveal to her Rihoko the immoral things she did and the people she killed while possessed by the Witchblade.

However, the series starts to falter following the first story arc. The subsequent characters introduced to the story tend to be rather one dimensional and set firmly in stereotypical roles of "the tough guy protagonist", "sadistic female assassin", "comedy relief gang" etc. The story and pacing also appears to take a dive as the "family" element is further downplayed in favor of more comedy, melodrama and action. Some might get the impression of an awkward production that changed its focus midway through just to appeal to a wider demographic.

Awkwardness also looks to have been carried over to the animation and art style. Fan-service is at an all time high with scenes of scantly clad blood-lusting females duking it out with blades slicing away at each other in skimpy outfits. Even the "blood lust" is quite literally a sexual lust.

Characters are drawn off-model sometimes with Masane's body proportions seemingly changing size in-between scenes. The animation itself also suffers from the typical money saving short cuts; Still shots and close-ups are rendered in a higher level of detail but may come across as stiff while action shots and many scenes involving movement cause the level of art detail to drop quite a bit.

For all the advertising Funimation and Top Cow did on the Witchblade anime, this series might come across as mildly disappointing. Instead of building on the more original mother/daughter dynamics and character drama, the series decides to play the "sex sells" card and deliver one fan-service laden combat sequence after another, complete with jokes about the main character's over-sized breasts. The series falls back on overused science fiction anime staples; it jumps headlong into "ecchi" territory while lacking the coherence and deeper themes of better anime or the novelty of the original comic books. One target audience that the Witchblade anime may satisfy are those hot blooded young male viewers who love to be teased by anime females in states of semi-nudity. Other than that, it is at least a mediocre anime production that seems to receive a lot more fanfare than it might deserve.

*****************************Review End******************

Go For it: if you like you're anime women hot, like your violence titillating and like a story with a nice family theme to it
Avoid it: if MILFs aint your thing, if you liked the original comic book or if you generally prefer less sexualised forms of entertainment.


Entertainment: B-
Story: C-
Characters: A
Animation: C
Art: B-
Voice work( japanese): A-
Voice work (english): A-
Replay Value: C
Brains: C-


Japanese producer: "How else does a parasitic armor bind to a young lady?"
You KNOW this is made in japan when you have one of these scenes.


Japanese producer: "How else can a horny robot attack a scantily clad hottie?"
Its white, its sticky, its being shot at a woman, ITS SUPERGLUE RIGHT?


Japanese producer: "how else do ladies subdue each other?"
Someone stop these dirty minded japanese people...

Japanese producer: "how else is she suppose to react when getting r....."
Someone please STOP THEM!


Big butts, cannot lie.
the animators were meticulous enough to provide full motion animated butts and boobs of all young adult female characters when they were running, jumping or fighting.


They're floating away.
Hilarious result of over emphasis on cleavage movement.

Samurai Champloo (2004) 26 episodes

Overall verdict: 9/10

The Good: action packed, delivers a wide array of genre without being jarring, professionally natural acting, endearing characters, top quality animation, interesting blending of different narrative and art styles.

The Bad: art issues in a couple of action heavy scenes, the intentional mixing of familiar genres might not appeal to those seeking entirely novel ideas

Current Availability Status: On code 1 DVD boxset and blu-ray but not available in singapore

Extras include:
- director and staff interviews and write ups.
- art gallery
- trailers
- clean opening and ending videos.

DVD Value for money Grade: B+
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Six years after his western styled science fiction anime series "Cowboy bebop" became an international hit, Director Shinichiro Watanabe returns to his Japanese roots, employing his trademark style to 2004's Samurai Champloo. The entire structure of Samurai Champloo's setting, characters and story seems to mirror that of the Okinawan stir fry dish the show is named after; the word "champloo" in the title itself means "to mix" and mixing is what Director Watanabe apparently does best. Somehow, he manages to blend real historical events of ancient Japan with modern contemporary western elements like "hip hop" culture and gang land graffiti in a near perfect mix. Ordinarily, the different elements might clash with one another but under a director familiar with his own style, the amalgamation of all these different elements, and even different narrative styles, intermingle nicely, giving form to a brave new anime world.

Watanabe's recipe for success is simple: Take a rude crude breakdance-fighting dude with a bad attitude, a stoic "by-the-book" ronin and a spunky young waitress who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Throw them together into the sizzling wok of a world where ancient meets modern and stir in a wide array of other interesting characters. Mugen (the breakdance-fighting dude) and Jin (the ronin) are "recruited" by Fuu(the waitress), after she saves them from execution. Together they must journey through this intriguing new world of a stylized Edo Period on a quest to seek out a mysterious samurai who smells of sunflowers. The narrative follows more along the style of American TV series; episodes are largely stand-alone but with an overarching storyline to tie one episode to the next while preserving the distinct Japanese flavor. Every episode is not only able to develop the story of the three characters but also flesh out this unique world as envisioned by the director.

On their own, each" ingredient" tastes great; each character has their own unique charm and distinct personality which might just end up growing on you within the first episode alone. But it is their interactions with each other and the different situations they are thrown into that this "dish" is really about. The script weaves the three different personalities together in and out from one misadventure to the next, covering a complete spectrum of genre from the funny and lighthearted moments to darker and even sad ones. Our heroes go from competing in a rice eating contest and beating down gangsters to getting swept up in a plot to overthrow the government and settling an old vendetta. Their wildly different personalities make for some timely comic relief especially the ongoing bickering between the serious Jin and the brash Mugen. The voice actors were able to bring such chemistry to the the characters as their dialogue flows very naturally, almost like real life. Performances are equally strong both on the Japanese audio track and the USA English audio track, and seeing how the show is a mix of both western and eastern styles, it makes it all the more difficult to recommend one over the other.

To complete the dish, Samurai Champloo is garnished with some of the most awesome animation, stunning action sequences and artwork seen in a 2004 anime series. Though not up to the standards of a animated movie, Samurai Champloo's animation is along the lines of a high budgeted OVA; fluid, smooth and with almost no reliance on the usual animation "short-cuts". A stunning achievement for the comparatively "young" anime studio "Manglobe". The artwork combines modern anime aesthetics with a style similar to the traditional Japanese paintings. A few action scenes look a little "flat" thanks to the stylized minimalist color shadings, but they do not detract from the overall enjoyment of the show.

So once again, master "chef" Shinichiro Watanabe managed to produce one delectable delicacy of an anime series. In interviews, he made clear his intent on taking familiar ingredients and giving a novel twist through blending. Evidently he seems to have succeeded and produced a lip smacking blend of old and new, funny and serious; there should be more than enough style and substance to satisfy almost everyone in this series. Arguable a true spiritual successor to his 90s hit "Cowboy bebop" and perhaps even a time honored classic in the making.

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Go For it: if you like anime series that shatters expectations by bending ideas about pre-set genre and establishes its novelty in its combination
Avoid it: if you are used to anime genre being distinct from one another or prefer to look at the novelty of the components and not in the combination

Entertainment: A
Story: B
Characters: A
Animation: A-
Art: A-
Voice work (Japanese): A
Voice work (English USA): A
Replay Value: A
Brains: B+