Synopsis

Based on the hit fighting game of the same name, the anime covers the story of Eiji's quest to find his brother Sho, who has been captured and brainwashed by the "Organization". At the same time, a mysterious and deadly warrior is hunting down all the previous Toshin champions and using their moves to become the ultimate fighter.

Review

As you might expect of a movie based on a video game, Toshinden's storyline is predictably weak and yet still manages to confuse the viewer.
The story predominantly features Eiji, who is searching for his brother, but many other fighters are also shown, albeit briefly. Fanboys will enjoy seeing their favorite characters in action, but many don't really get an adequate showcase for their abilities.

Their is some decent action to be seen at least, with some good old-fashioned anime flair. Powerful attacks that send shockwaves and debris hurtling through the air are par for the course, and there are some nicely choreographed smaller-scale fights as well. There are even some examples of the signature Toshinden high-jumps on display.

Unfortunately, the animation is uneven and doesn't do justice to the characters or the combat, although it is pretty good in spots. The quality of the animation would be acceptable for a series, but it falls short of the standard for a feature film, especially one so short.

The voice acting is amateurish as well, with over-wrought vocal performances that would be embarassing even in a video game.

The most disappointing aspect of the movie is that there is no attempt to develop the characters at all, leaving the viewer mostly disinterested about the fate of those involved.

The entire plot is presented in a manner that assumes the viewer has some background knowledge of all that has transpired, therefore no further exposition is needed. Unfortunately, this is not the case for most of us, and instead the movie feels like the middle episode of a long-running series.

Conclusion

Despite all its flaws, Battle Arena Toshinden is an adequate action fest for fans of the game, or those with short attention spans and an affinity for bright colors and explosions. Anyone seeking more substantial viewing should look elsewhere.

-Review by Reptile (28 May, 2007)

Audio:	Mediocre soundtrack and bad voice work
Video:	Below average animation for a movie
Plot:	Paper thin plot that needs more explanation
Style:	Semi-stylish characters with a few decent fights
Characters:	Unexplored characters with no personality
Violence:	Moderate
Language:	Mild
Nudity:	Some versions contain brief shower scene
Genre:	Action
Episodes:	1
Rating:	2.5 of 5
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