MovieChat Forums > Dead or Alive: Final (2002) Discussion > Derivative or Innovative?

Derivative or Innovative?

posted 20 years ago by Mr. Moviegame
5 replies | jump to latest

In the 24th century, people are irrelevant. Why does society need more people when there is overpopulation, a shortage of resources, and above all, machines to do man's work? But humans being the physical creatures they are, desire love, family, and sex. OK, you've seen these themes repeated many times in the movies, e.g., Sleeper, THX-1138, Logan's Run, 1984, even AI. In James Avalon's adult film, Taboo 2001: A Sex Odyssey, you see two of these themes being repeated: repression of sexual drive by pills, and thought control/monitoring. Are we destined to live in a dystopian future? According to the movies, yes.

In spite of all the similarities to pre-existing novels and movies, DOA Final is still fun to watch. It is hard to be original when so many people seem to dream the same dream. A kind of collective consciousness in our species, oui?

Anyway, in this strange noodle soup trilogy of movies there is a common bond. At least one. It is the need to destroy and to build, in not so many words. DOA 1: Yakuza/triad war, good guy cop vs bad guy, order vs. disorder. DOA 2: same guys again but as hitmen, but with a conscience. They donate their fees to third world nations. From destruction (killing) to rebuilding. DOA 3: the consciousness of the two protagonists have been cloned into killing machines (replicants). Then the killing machines get upgraded a generation or two. And damn, the replicants develop a conscience, and do the human rebels a favor.

[–] antiheroripper 19 years ago

sorry, I just skimmed through what you posted, but your pretty right.
What I like about the series is the lack of inconstancy. The first one is about people outlawed for their chinese heritance, the second is about getting in touch with childhood, and the 3rd is a sci-fi parody but also dramatic and at the end it sums them all up. I think part 1 is pretty to the point, but 2 and 3 are up for interperatation. Thats what I like about Miike, because he lets you fill in the blanks.

[–] squelcho 19 years ago

Part 1 is a monster of a movie. Strong script, great characters, and plenty of gratuitous ultraviolence.
Part 2 (Birds) is a top class comedy double act. A deep breath of fresh air and some slapstick regression to lighten the atmosphere.
Final has a lot to live up to, and it would be amazing if it could match two such strong movies, or even go one better. It's hardly surprising that it doesn't.
The budget looks like it was shy a few zeros, and the script seems to have been left in a titty bar during a boozy rehearsal.
At least Riki Takeuchi gets to be the good guy and pop some replicants, which gives it a kitsch novelty value.

I like a spot of cheap trashy exploitation, so I'm not completely down on this movie, but expectations were running way too high after the first two movies.
DOA Final smacks of wasted opportunities, squeezed finances, and rushed production schedules.
It's a shame, because it diminishes the two great movies that precede it.
Any other director and it wouldn't be seen as such an abject waste of talent, but Miike has set himself an impossibly high standard.
Maybe the contract with the distributors was for three movies, but only two good scripts were available?

[–] MakoSucks 18 years ago

I actually hated most of this movie until the ending. I thought it was way too action packed. Like some kind of generic actioner. Than the ending happened.. and man I laughed my ass off and saw how genius this movie was.

*gasp* OH-MY-GOD! *roll credits* GENIUS!

[–] kieranricher 17 years ago

I think the point of the movie was to satirize cyberpunk and action movies, while paying homage to them. Like if Scary Movie took itself very seriously with its satirization of the horror genre. I'd say it's completely derivative in that light.

[–] Kinematico 16 years ago

DOA I was extremely over the top but also quite innovative. At least I haven't seen another finale as absurd, comic, weird and bizarre as the ending in DOA I.

DOA II is fun to watch, more down to earth in all its weirdness. Funnier but also less powerful than the 1st installment. However I really liked it as well.

DOA III has all the defects from the previous installments but few if any of their virtues. I'd dare to say that most the time is boring. Something that I never thought I'd say about any movie directed by Miike.
Takashi Miike's movies can be really cheesy, cheap and plain bad, but they ain't boring, or at least the other 20+ Miike films that I've seen aren't boring. DOA III might be the exception to the rule.