Sci-Fighter (2004)

Director:

Art Camacho

Writer:

Thomas Callicoat (screenplay)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

They thought it was just a video game... Now they're fighting for their lives.

Plot:

A well-meaning genius creates a virtual reality game that leaves his grandson trapped within when a virus invades...

Plot Keywords:

Virtual Reality | Fighting | Judo Throw | Roundhouse Kick | Martial Arts Master

Cast

Don 'The Dragon' Wilson	...	Jack Tanaka
Cynthia Rothrock	...	Sally Kirk / The White Dragon
Lorenzo Lamas	...	Andrew Dean
Aki Aleong	...	Dr. James Tanaka
Christine Rodriguez	...	The Virus (as Christine Bannon-Rodriques)
Daneya Mayid	...	Brad Tanaka (as Dan Mayid)
Chris Casamassa	...	The Karate Master
Rebekah Chaney	...	The Scorpion (as Rebecca Chaney)
Gokor Chivichyan	...	The Grappler
Simon Kim	...	Double Threat
James Kim	...	Double Threat
Eric Lee	...	Weapons expert
Michael Matsuda	...	Monkey Man (as Michael Gonzalez-Matsuda)
Maurice Smith	...	The Street Fighter
Brad Verret	...	King of the Cage
Robert Wall	...	Las Vegas announcer (as Bob Wall)
Colleen Shannon	...	Bikini Girl
Judy Lee	...	Veronica
Samantha Lockwood	...	Girlfriend
Mel Arthur	...	Hostage
Valerie Keen	...	Fight Ring Model
Mychele Tickey	...	Fight Ring Model
Jill Fischer	...	Fight Ring Model
Jacov Bresler	...	Knife Handler
Troy Aguayo	...	Giant fighter
Joe Perez	...	Virtual fighter
Dewey 'The Black Cobra' Cooper	...	Himself
Alan Goldberg	...	Referee
Mike Anderson	...	Cooper's Corner Man
Erken Ialgashev	...	Tanaka's Corner Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dwayne Alexandre	...	Meadow Ninja (as Dwayne Alezandre)
Kelly Mulligan	...	Beach Bum
Eric Perrodin	...	Meadow Ninja (as Eric Parrodin)
Ray Wizard	...	Masked fighter

Directed by
Art Camacho

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Thomas Callicoat		screenplay

Produced by
Thomas Callicoat	....	associate producer
Art Camacho	....	co-producer
Johnathon Freeman	....	associate producer
Bill J. Gottlieb	....	executive producer
Bill J. Gottlieb	....	producer
Lidia Jay	....	behind the scenes producer
Kathleen Karridene	....	associate producer
Michael R. Thayer	....	associate producer
Don 'The Dragon' Wilson	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Vince DiCola
Kenny Meriedeth

Cinematography by
Andrea V. Rossotto

Film Editing by
Ted E. Perro

Casting by
Judy Lea

Production Design by
Chris Eguia

Set Decoration by
T.K. Lawlor
Carrie Montez

Costume Design by
Sonia Woodfield

Makeup Department
Kathleen Karridene	....	makeup department head
Alexis Walker	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jacov Bresler	....	first assistant director
Steve Burton	....	second unit director
David Harari	....	second second assistant director
Tiffany Haynes	....	second assistant director
Nicholas Lee	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Mandy Eguia	....	assistant property master
Tony Eguia	....	prop master

Sound Department
Robert D. Berg	....	dialogue editor
Paul Berolzheimer	....	sound re-recording mixer
Andrea Danek	....	sound effects editor
Jim Fitzpatrick	....	sound mixer
Jim Fitzpatrick	....	sound re-recording mixer
D.R. Harrison	....	sound mixer
Dustin Harrison	....	adr recordist
Dustin Harrison	....	computer relay tech
Scott A. Jennings	....	dialogue editor
Scott A. Jennings	....	sound designer
Scott A. Jennings	....	sound re-recording mixer
Justin Kohler	....	dialogue editor
Doug Madick	....	foley artist
Jarmil Maupin	....	lead sound designer
Andy Reeder	....	sound effects editor
Dennis C. Salcedo	....	sound mixer (as Dennis Salcedo)
Donnie Saylor	....	sound effects editor
Gabriel Smith	....	sound effects editor
Adam Stiles	....	foley editor
Frank Zaragoza	....	boom operator

Visual Effects by
Chris Aronoff	....	wire removal
Thomas Callicoat	....	visual effects supervisor
Bill J. Gottlieb	....	post production supervisor
Dustin Harrison	....	visual effects compositor
Nathan Horn	....	visual effects compositor
Zack Montez	....	Maya visual effects animator
Vladimir Parhochuk	....	post production assistant

Stunts
Troy Aguayo	....	fight coordinator
Troy Aguayo	....	stunt fighter
Dwayne Alexandre	....	stunt fighter
Eric Perrodin	....	stunt fighter

Camera and Electrical Department
Pauline Edwards	....	additional second assistant camera
Rainy Rau	....	key second assistant camera
Joseph Torres Jr.	....	first assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kristen Anthony	....	on-set costumer

Editorial Department
Ted E. Perro	....	assistant editor

Transportation Department
Sandra Ninham	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Jerry Airola	....	aerial coordinator/pilot
Diane Collins	....	script supervisor
Shawn Dyrdahl	....	key set production assistant
Lidia Jay	....	adr director
Kenneth Kassel	....	location manager
Eric Lee	....	fight choreographer
Joe Perez	....	fight choreographer
Jeremy Settles	....	assistant crew coordinator

Production Companies

• Gorilla Pictures

Distributors

• Califórnia Home Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Gorilla Pictures (2004) (non-USA) (all media)
• MTI Home Video
• Starmedia Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Got Films  sound provided by (second unit)

Also Known As:

"X-Treme Fighter" - USA (DVD title)
"Dragon Battle: Evolution" - Japan (English title) (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for martial arts violence and brief sensuality

Runtime:

USA:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Japanese Garden, Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant - 6100 Woodley Avenue, Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Gorilla Pictures

Trivia:

A fight between Chris Casamassa and Aki Aleong was planned but never filmed.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dead Run 2 (2008)

Die-Fighers...

Don "The Dragon" Wilson stars as Jack Tanaka a father of a teenager who goes inside a video game to save his son from a virus which controls his mind. Along the way Wilson is helped by fellow fallen action stars Cynthia Rothrock and Lorenzo Lamas. You would think a movie with so many trained martial artists, in a video game plot which would be nothing but wall to wall fights would be at least mildly diverting campy fun, and if made ten years ago you would be right. X-Treme Fighter is the pits. A movie so bad that it makes one pine for the days of Expect No Mercy, Arcade and Virtual Combat. Indeed those three movies I often sited as the worst examples of said genre where "Guy ends up playing video game in real life when game comes alive." but next to the really lame X-Treme Fighter, these come off as the work of Tron or Dreamscape. It's a really awful picture. Starting with the fight sequences, the video game itself has nothing that would indicate that it takes place in a video game world, outside of the phony costumes. The fight sequences are all very badly staged, for a movie featuring so many martial artists, all of them past their expiration date, don't put out any effort to indicate that anyone choreographed these fights without anything but the least amount of effort. The plot element ripped off from hundreds of movies is derivative and ridiculous. However that's not what bothered me. What bothered me was the complete lack of effort in giving us enjoyable villains, a charismatic hero and indeed intense fight sequences. In a film where the fighting is the main point such must be done well. It isn't here. Lorenzo Lamas has hardly any screen time, Cynthia Rothrock doesn't fight and basically this is a replay of Virtual Combat. A replay that is much, much worse.

1/2* Out of 4-(Awful)