Martial Arts Illustrated – January 2018



_PDUWLDODUWVLOOXVWUDWHG

FIGHTING FILMS

+DOR

7KH&RPSOHWH9LGHR&ROOHFWLRQ

7

KLVYLGHRFROOFHWLRQFHOHEUDWHVDOO

IRXUPRYLHUHOHDVHVIURPWKHJOREDOO\

UHQRZQHGHalo‹IUDQFKLVHZLWKKRXUV

RIH[FOXVLYHERQXVFRQWHQWLQFOXGHG

7KHFROOHFWLRQLQFOXGHVWKHDQLPDWHG

DQWKRORJ\VHULHVHalo: LegendsWKHOLYHDFWLRQ

ZHEVHULHVForward Unto DawnWKHOLYHDFWLRQ

IHDWXUHHalo: NightfallDQGWKHDQLPDWHGÀOP

DGDSWDWLRQHalo Fall of Reach

+DOR/HJHQGV

7KLVPRYLHIHDWXUHVVHYHQGLරHUHQWVWRULHVVHW

LQWKH+DORXQLYHUVHHDFKPDGHE\DGLරHUHQW

-DSDQHVHVWXGLR7KHHSLVRGHVDUHOrigins Part 1

DQG 2 KLVWRU\RIWKHHaloXQLYHUVHThe DualKRZ

WKH$UELWHUEHFDPHDWLWOHRIVKDPHHomecoming

WKHKRUURURIWKH6SDUWDQ,,SURJUDPOdd One

OutDULGLFXORXVQRQFDQRQHSLVRGHPrototype

WKHÀUVW6SDUWDQDUPRXUThe Babysitter2'67

6SDUWDQULYDOU\DQGWKHPackage0DVWHU&KLHI

DQGFRPSDQ\JRLQWRUHWULHYHDKHDYLO\JXDUGHG

SDFNDJH7KLVÀOPKDVEHDXWLIXODQLPDWLRQ

ZRQGHUIXOPXVLFDZHVRPHDFWLRQVFHQHVDQG

JUHDWVWRULHV7KLVLVDVJRRGDVWKHJDPHV)DQVZLOO

PRVWOLNHO\HQMR\WKLVDQGVRZLOO\RX,QWKHZRUGV

RIWKH0DVWHU&KLHI ́ZH·UHMXVWJHWWLQJVWDUWHGμ

EHFDXVHVRRQHQRXJKWKHOLYHDFWLRQPRYLHZLOO

DUULYH

Halo: Forward Unto Dawn

%DVHGRQWKHJOREDOO\UHQRZQHG+DOR‹IUDQFKLVH

Halo 4: Forward Unto DawnGHOLYHUVDGUDPDWLF

VWRU\RIKHURLVPDQGVDFULÀFH6HWDJDLQVWWKH

EDFNGURSRIWKH8QLWHG1DWLRQV6SDFH&RPPDQG

816&PLOLWDU\DFDGHP\&DGHW7KRPDV/DVN\

VWUXJJOHVZLWKGRXEWVDERXWWKHRQJRLQJZDUZLWK

WKHRXWHUFRORQLDOSODQHWV7KLVÀOPKDV6XSHUE

DFWLQJJRUJHRXVYLVXDOVDEHDXWLIXOVRXQGWUDFN

DQGWKHSURPLVHWRGHOLYHUPRUHDQGPRUHDVWKH

PRYLHSURJUHVVHGJUHDWVWXර

Halo: Nightfall

7KLVÀOPLQWURGXFHVDSLYRWDOQHZFKDUDFWHU

-DPHVRQ/RFNHDOHJHQGDU\PDQKXQWHUDQGDJHQW

ZLWKWKH2඼FHRI1DYDO,QWHOOLJHQFH21,(DUWK

V

PRVWSRZHUIXODQGVHFUHWLYHPLOLWDU\EUDQFK:KHQ

KHDQGKLVWHDPDUHFDXJKWLQDKRUULÀFELRORJLFDO

DWWDFNWKH\XQUDYHODSORWWKDWGUDZVWKHPWRDQ

DQFLHQWKHOOLVKDUWHIDFWZKHUHWKH\ZLOOEHIRUFHG

WRÀJKWIRUWKHLUVXUYLYDOTXHVWLRQHYHU\WKLQJDQG

XOWLPDWHO\FKRRVHEHWZHHQWKHLUOR\DOWLHVDQGWKHLU

OLYHVHalo: NightfallLVDJRRGDQGXQGHUUDWHGVFLÀ

DGYHQWXUH7KLVPRYLHLVKLJKO\HQWHUWDLQLQJ

+DOR)DOORI5HDFK

7KHGUDPDWLFRULJLQVRIWKH0DVWHU&KLHIDQG%OXH

7HDPDUHUHYHDOHGLQWKLVDQLPDWHGDGDSWLRQRI

WKHEHORYHG(ULF1\OXQGQRYHO$QLPDWHGVHULHV

DGDSWHGIURPWKHRULJLQDOERRNHalo: The Fall of

Reach,WLVDQH[SODQDWLRQDQGEDFNVWRU\RIWKH

VKDSLQJDQGFUHDWLRQRI6SDUWDQ7KH0DVWHU

&KLHI7KLVLVDVWUXHWRHaloDVLWJHWVDQGHalo: The

Fall of ReachLVGHÀQLWHO\DQLFHDGGLWLRQWRWKH+DOR

FROOHFWLRQ

Verdict:

All four À lms have À ghting and gunplay and

as a fantasy animation is one fantastic action

package.

+XQWHU·V3UD\HU

7

KLVLVD%ULWLVK$PHULFDQDFWLRQ

WKULOOHUVWDUULQJ6DP:RUWKLQJWRQ

,WLVGLUHFWHGE\-RQDWKDQ

0RVWRZU571Terminator 3

DQGSurrogatesDQGZDVZULWWHQ

E\3DXO/H\GHQDQG2UHQ0RYHUPDQWKH

GXRDOVRFRZURWHSurrogatesTerminator

3 DQGTerminator SalvationDOVRVWDUULQJ

:RUWKLQJWRQ.HYLQ:LJQDOO·VQRYHO

For the DogsLVZKDWWKHÀOPLVEDVHGRQ

DQGLWFRVWDUV2GH\D5XVK$OOHQ/HHFKDQG

$P\/DQGHFNHU

7KHÀOPVWDUWVZLWKWHHQDJHVWXGHQW(OOD

5XVKRXWRQDGDWHLQ6ZLW]HUODQGZKHUH

VKHLVFRQIURQWHGE\DPDQQDPHG/XFDV

:RUWKLQJWRQZKRLVLQIDFWDKLUHGDVVDVVLQ

5DWKHUWKDQWKUHDWHQLQJKHUKRZHYHU/XFDV

SURFHHGVWRFRQYLQFH(OODWKDWKHFDQNHHS

KHUVDIHIURPDQXQVSHFLÀHGWKUHDWLIVKH

ZLOOJRZLWKKLPDQGEHVPXJJOHGLQWR

(QJODQG$GGLFWHGWRGUXJVDQGVHHPLQJO\

DQVZHULQJWRDSRZHUIXOEXVLQHVVSHUVRQ

/XFDVLVQRWWKHLGHDOUHVFXHUEXWPD\EH

WKHRQO\WKLQJNHHSLQJ(OODDOLYH

7KHÀOPLVVHWLQDYDULHW\RIORFDWLRQV

LQFOXGLQJ6FDUVGDOH1<0RQWUHX[

6ZLW]HUODQG&KDXPRQW)UDQFH7KH(QJOLVK

&KDQQHODQG/HHGV<HV/HHGV(QJODQG

0XFKRIWKHÀOPLQJWRRNSODFHLQ+XQJDU\

+RZHYHUWKHUHLVVRPHVWXQQLQJIRRWDJHRI

<RUNVKLUHDWWKHFORVHRIWKHÀOPDVZHOODVD

JUDQGROG(QJOLVKPDQRUKRXVH

7KHÀOPLVDPL[EHWZHHQTa ke nDQG

The Transporter:RUWKLQJWRQPDNHVDQ

DZHVRPHDFWLRQKHURLQDWKULOOLQJVWRU\DQG

PRUHLPSRUWDQWO\DVWRU\WKDWPDNHV\RX

FDUHDERXWZKDWKDSSHQVWRWKHFKDUDFWHUV

DQGDFWLRQVHTXHQFHLQFOXGLQJWKHFDUFKDVH

DQGWKHKDQGWRKDQGFRPEDWWKDWZHUH

DFWXDOO\SUHWW\H[FLWLQJ

Verdict:

If you are a fan of Sam Worthington and

want to see him as a lead character in an

action thriller movie, then this À lm could

make you very happy.

)LUVW.LOO

)

irst KillVWDUV+D\GHQ&KULVWHQVHQ

DQG7\6KHOWRQWKLVLVKLVDFWLQJ

GHEXWZKRUHVSHFWLYHO\SOD\:LOO

DQG'DQQ\+HOPHGE\GLUHFWRU

6WHYHQ&0LOOHUDQGÀOPHGHQWLUHO\

LQWKHWRZQRI*UDQYLOOH2KLRFirst KillKDV

JUHDWDFWLRQVHTXHQFHVNLGQDSVLWXDWLRQV

DQGVHYHUDOOHYHOVRILQWULJXH

7KHÀOPVWDUWVZLWKDIDWKHUDWWHPSWLQJWR

UHFRQQHFWZLWKKLVVRQ'DQQ\6XFFHVVIXO

:DOO6WUHHWEURNHU:LOOWDNHVKLVIDPLO\RQ

DYDFDWLRQWRWKHFDELQZKHUHKHJUHZXS

:KLOH:LOODQG'DQQ\DUHKXQWLQJWKHLUWULS

WDNHVDGHDGO\WXUQZKHQWKH\ZLWQHVVWKH

PXUGHURIDFURRNHGSROLFHR඼FHUDVDEDQN

UREEHU\JRHVDZU\:KHQWKHFULPLQDOVWDNH

'DQQ\KRVWDJH:LOOLVIRUFHGWRKHOSWKHP

HYDGHWKHSROLFHFKLHILQYHVWLJDWLQJWKH

PXUGHUDQGUHFRYHUWKHVWROHQPRQH\LQ

H[FKDQJHIRUKLVVRQ·VOLIH

7KLVPRYLHKDVDFRXSOHRIHQWKUDOOLQJ

RSHQLQJVFHQHVDQG:LOOLVJLYHV\HWDQRWKHU

JRRGSHUIRUPDQFH6WHYHQ&0LOOHULVD

ÀOPPDNHUZKRXVHVKLVORFDWLRQVVSDULQJO\

KHIXUQLVKHVDSORWZKLFKJLYHVWKHPRYLH

DIDVWSDFHZLWKWZLVWVDQGWXUQVWKDWFRPH

TXLFNO\7KHDFWLQJFLQHPDWRJUDSK\DQG

PXVLFDUHDOOJRRGDQGOHQGWKHPVHOYHVWR

VHOOLQJDOORIWKLV

,WLVDQLQWHUHVWLQJWKULOOHUZLWKGLරHUHQW

DQJOHVDQGUHYHODWLRQV7KHIDWKHUVRQ

UHODWLRQVKLSZDVZHOOÁHVKHGRXWDQGHYHQ

WKHEDGSHRSOHDUHQRWVLPSOHFDULFDWXUH

EXWSRUWUD\HGZLWKPRUHGHSWKWKDQ

H[SHFWHG7KHVHWKLQJVJLYHWKHÀOPDOHYHO

RIZDUPWKWKDWWRXFKHVWKHKHDUW

Verdict:

A very entertaining and well-done À lm.

Overall a good taut production and one

of the better movies this year.