Another hot Summer is finally here and which better occasion to review the hottest martial art movie that I know, DOA: Dead or Alive. With a secret martial art tournament, a fistful of badass hot chicks and a tropical island, this movie is really the perfect match for the summer season.
Hot chicks + Martial arts = DOA
DOA: Dead or Alive is the movie adaptation of the homonymous game series. The film realised in 2006 was really not welcomed by the critic, even though it presents a lot of references to the original videogame and famous actresses. In fact, the movie is focusing on Holly Valance, Devon Aoki and Jaime Pressly, who play respectively the characters of: Christie, Kasumi and Tina.
The general plot is pretty similar to the game: a group of skilled fighters are invited to a martial art tournament, in order to win a big amount of money. In reality, every fighter has her/his own reason to participate and win the competition.
Kasumi the shinobi princess
The main protagonist of the series is the princess Kasumi, who takes part in the DOA tournament to seek revenge against Radou, a ninja who crippled her brother Hayate. In the movie, Kasumi is looking for her disappeared brother who was competing at the last DOA. The American actress Devon Aoki plays the fugitive shinobi.
Christie the femme fatale
The character of Christie was introduced only in Dead or Alive 3. In the movie instead, this professional assassin is an expert thief, who is trying to steal the fortune of the tournament stowed away inside an hidden vault. In the role of Christie, the actress and singer Holly Valance.
Tina the pro wrestler
Tina Armstrong is the only child of the famous pro wrestler Bass Armstrong. The young wrestler reached the final match against Kasumi in the first DOA, forfeiting but nonetheless collecting the prize after the female ninja refused it. In the movie, the character is played by Jaime Pressly, and her storyline is focused on her relationship with her father.
Sea or beach
One of the best references of the movie, despite various character cameos, it is the tournament location: a tropical island with modern services and facilities, where the guests can enjoy the summer. This environment is referring to the series spin-offs Dead or Alive Extreme, where the female characters of the game are playing beach volley and other summer sports, allowing the players to freely initiate various activities with the girls, even dating… Here the tribute:
Despite many character origin changes and the poor plot adaptation of the game, DOA: Dead or Alive is a movie that really brings the characters of the popular fighting game to life. The mix of martial arts with beautiful girls was the key of the success behind Dead or Alive games, and the movie adaptation was simply trying to replicate the formula. Hope you can enjoy it over the holidays! I wish you a good summer!