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DOA: Dead or Alive

3/10

Stars: Jaime Pressly, Holly Valance, Devon Aoki, Kane Kosugi. Eric Roberts, Matthew Marsden

Director: Corey Yuen

Sixteen fighters from around the world are gathered together on a remote island for an annual contest known as DOA. Naturally, these include three beautiful girls, kickboxer Tina (Pressly, from TV's My Name is Earl), master thief Christy (Valance) and ninja princess Kasumi (Aoki).

Kasumi has a duel purpose in going to the island. She's also searching for her brother, believed killed the previous year in the same tournament, again masterminded by Donovan, who is obviously duplicitous, since he has long hair and is played by Eric Roberts.

Though the girls look the part and have obviously trained hard, this is the most arrant and uninvolving nonsense, all action and no story development apart from the obligatory exploding island at the end.

Despite a mystifying UK 15 certificate, however, the film is perfectly suitable for all youngsters of senior school age.

David Quinlan

USA 2006. UK Distributor: UIP (Universal). Colour.
87 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 1, Violence/Horror 1, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 12 Sep 2006