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Battle Arena Toshinden
by Dan Borses  
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review ratings information
ratings
Overall: 3.0
This holistically irredeemable story consists of a multitude of characters with hackneyed backgrounds, the germ of a good idea, and the realization of several bad ones. The disparate elements combine to form colorful but unappetizing narrative goo.

Story: 4.0
A fascinating concept exists in Uranus' man-machine project, which by virtue of its name, replaces fighters with machines, but the plot stays tangential to this one redeeming characteristic. There is little else of interest.

Character Development: 1.0
It just didn't happen. When the characters fight, they spout out mindless drivel that in comparison makes Jar Jar Binks look like the love child of wit and profundity.

Art/Animation: 6.0
Despite the attempt to realize the video game on screen, the animation still looks like a video game.

Translation: 3.0
I don't have access to a subtitled version, but the dialogue was atrocious. "Check and checkmate! Do or die!" Need I say more?

Acting: 6.0
While none of the acting is particularly bad, it is not strong enough to cover up the innate cheesiness of the script.

MPAA Equivalent: PG
Some blood and violence; not enough nudity.


X-Factors

What-Move-Did-I-Just-Do Factor: 9.76
Anytime any character does a move, he or she says it aloud. That works in a video game, but it is laughable in an animated film.

The Clown Car Gang's All Here Factor: 8.56
Just when you think the writers couldn't cram in any more characters, more of them ride into the action on motorcycles in the last five minutes just to participate in the climatic battle scene.



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