Rating: 2.0

I would not recommend this to anyone but die-hard Rothrock fans, and those curious enough to see Kurt McKinney in action after so many years. Otherwise, steer clear.

Even a few moments of magic from Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa and Gary Daniels do little to improve the overall picture, and it has to be said that this is a sorry excuse for a ‘Tekken’ movie.

This sort of sequel/prequel has its moments also but is nowhere near as fun, is often confusing and unfortunately feels like a half arsed attempt to cash in on the first flick.

Even though it does get some of the backstory correct, it just seems far too muddled and mundane to please the game’s fanbase.

Normally the framework of such a film is at least clichéd, but here it is simply bizarre and uninvolving.

A wishy-washy mish-mash of melodrama and action, renowned Hong Kong director Ringo Lam just couldn’t get the tone quite right for his mid-90s opus ‘The Adventurers’.

Somewhere on earth, there might a exist a computer than can decipher the meaning of ‘The Black Panther Warriors’ – but that’s doubtful.

‘The Bodyguard From Beijing’ had the potential to be remembered as a classic action film, but Corey Yuen has failed miserably compared to his other wonderful classics.

‘The Cavalier’ is a below par effort from Joseph Kuo, a director who should know better.

Unfortunately for the prospective viewer, the film never reaches beyond the interest of the synopsis and ends a somewhat dull piece entertainment.

The scenery is pleasant, but if a film review has to consist of that line as a recommendation then the audience should know what to expect.

Borrowing heavily from Nakata’s ‘Dark Water’ and Kubrick’s ‘The Shining’, Laranas’ ‘The Echo’ brings nothing new to the overcrowded Asian horror market.