Entertainment
The First Live-Action Video Game Movie Was Actually Awesome, See For Yourself
By April Ryder
| Published

If you love live-action video game adaptations, then you have to take the time to check out the very first one. Released at the Tokyo International Fantastic Film Festival in 1988, Mirai Ninja or Cyber Ninja (in the United States) opened the door for progression in a realm that has become a popular interest for many moviegoers today.

The world may never have had the live-action Super Mario Bros. movie of the ’90s, the Mortal Kombat movies, or the Resident Evil flicks if Mirai Ninja had never hit the screen. Of course, it was a direct-to-video release, so there was no theater time for this Namco-backed B-movie.
Directed by renowned visual artist Keita Amemiya, Mirai Ninja is a low-budget, wacky action flick about a future time where war is being waged between humans and cyborgs. An elite enemy cyber ninja who wishes to take back his humanity defects and sets out to help the royal family save their princess from becoming a cyborg sacrifice.

The human resistance army sends in a small band of soldiers to assist, and one of them is a young soldier with a mission to avenge his brother’s death at the hands of the robots. After many battles and losses in the fight to reach the enemy castle, the movie reveals that the defective cyber ninja is the remnants of the young soldier’s dead brother.
The main mission now is to get to the castle and rescue the princess before the resistance army takes matters into their own hands, firing a super cannon at the target. Blowing the place up is the only way to ensure the cyborgs can’t move forward with their evil plans.

The low budget of Mirai Ninja didn’t dissuade Keita Amemiya from injecting his own flavor into the movie’s final mix. The film is silly with the nostalgic DIY quality of movies like Evil Dead and El Mariachi. Nevertheless, Amemiya was committed to telling the story and making it fun to watch.
The acting performances may be a bit on the absurd side, but they were genuine. The sword-fighting in Mirai Ninja was much better than one might expect and well-choreographed. You also get quality laser light shows and explosions added to the mix during a fight to boost the excitement.

Mirai Ninja has a pinch of Full Metal Alchemist, mixed with the Power Rangers (live-action flick of the ‘90s) and Star Wars. If you want nostalgia and pure, unadulterated childhood delight, this movie will not let you down.
However, it won no awards for technical quality or dramatic impact. One critic openly wrote that Mirai Ninja “does not reach the level of Star Wars as promised by promotional materials,” but does ANY movie really reach the level of Star Wars? That’s a high bar to set for the very first live-action game adaptation.

One fan spoke of Mirai Ninja, saying that the movie “has a story, it tells it in 75 minutes, there’s violence, and robots, and demons, and then it ends.”
Entertainment
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Entertainment
Farscape Breakout Stars Showed Off Their Hidden Talents On Screen
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published

By the time most actors show up on screen they have already spent a lifetime working in entertainment. There are levels talent and creativity on any set that the audience never gets to see. Musical theater, gymnastics, dancing, martial arts, the list goes on and on, which is why it’s always cool when they get to show off with the cameras rolling. Farscape found time for its cast to work in their real-life talents into their characters giving us great moments on-screen, and a celebration of the raw talent on display behind the scenes.
Chiana’s Fire Dance

Gigi Edgley played Chiana in what was supposed to be a one-off appearance in Season 1. She did such a great job as the cat-like alien that the writers changed their plans and she became a part of the main cast, and eventually, the face of the series. Chiana showed off a lot of hidden talents over the course of her time on the Moya, but one came directly from Gigi’s performance background. Season 3, Episode 13, “Stratch’n’Sniff,” during their time on a pleasure planet Chiana and Jool have a bet about who can entertain a crowd the best. Jool does a flip, Chiana dances with firesticks.
The moment was written in after Gigi was spotted twirling fire off set. Turns out, she’s a talented flow artist, having picked up the skill from the circus. Her family has been in the circus business since the 1930s and the Edgley’s are credited for bringing the Moscow State Circus to Australia. It wasn’t only Chiana who constantly surprised the crew of the Moya with her talents, it was Gigi Edgley surprising the cast and crew of Farscape with hers.
Scorpius Rocks Out

Scorpius is one of the greatest villains in sci-fi history. His distinctive black leather outfit and haunting, whispered threats made him an immediate hit from the first moment he appeared in the hidden Peacekeeper base. Wayne Pygram, like Gigi Edgley, was never intended to be part of Farscape’s main cast. Fortunately, he was the perfect man for the role and turned Scorpius into the recurring archenemy of John Crichton. He did so good, that the producers decided they needed a way to keep Scorpius as a threat without watering him down.
That led to the creation of Harvey, a part of Scorpius inside Crichton’s head. Harvey appeared wearing a Hawaiian shirt and was again, an immediate hit. Season 2’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” features multiple Harvey/Scorpius avatars, including one playing the drums. Wayne Pygram didn’t need a stunt double for that as he’s an accomplished drummer in real life. He taught percussion to students at high schools in Australia, and alongside his Farscape co-star Anthony Simcoe (Ka D’argo), played in the band Signal Room.
Farscape is filled with talented performers, including the puppeteers who brought Pilot and Rygel to life in every episode Virginia Hey didn’t only play Zhaan as a spiritual guide, she’s one in real life, and has spent decades leading spiritual wellness retreats and seminars. The success of the small Australian sci-fi series makes sense once you see the incredible talent responsible for giving us one of the greatest sci-fi shows of all time.
Farscape is currently streaming for free on Pluto, Tubi, The CW, Sling TV, and The Roku Channel.
Entertainment
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