Greetings and salutations, and welcome to my review of 1984s Arena.
The Story gets 1.25 out of 2: The writers, Danny Bilson and Paul De Mao provide the audience with a basic boxing/fighting storyline, though they add freshness by enacting it in space; on a Space Station. What would have been nice was if the writers could have added tension and intrigue. Sadly, the writers missed the chances to add atmosphere. The characterisations are okay and enjoyable. However, a few minor characters needed more meat on their bones, especially the nightclub singer - come nymph - come assassin.
The Direction a 0.75 & The Pacing receives a 0.75: Once again, it's a story of missed opportunists. There are plenty of occasions where Peter Manoogian could have made the film more interesting. These are chiefly the fight scenes, but other segments would have benefited from varied camera angles, lighting effects, and tempo fluctuations. For a fight film, Arena lacks tension, and you can't get behind the hero as you should. Arena is not Rocky on Deep Space Nine. That said, it's not too terrible. It is watchable and entertaining, thanks to the story writing and the cast, rather than the direction.
The Acting gets 1.25: Though the performances aren't spectacular, we do have Claudia Christian and everybody's favourite Ferengi, Armin Shimerman, who's hard to define under his alien weasel makeup. Christian's character, Quinn, is neglected, even though she plays a crucial part in our hero's future. Had the writers supported Quinn more and added a few extra scenes, both the film and narrative would be better. Marc Alaimo, who portrays the bad guy, Rogor, also required to be more profound. And I couldn't help but feel he needed to be darker in character too.
And, my Enjoyment level earns a 1.25 out of 2: The steady averageness of this film liberates it from the scrap heap. Even though it's not a fantastic film, there are no cringe-worthy troubling parts either, which means a lot. It's also cheerful and humorous in places, another substantial bonus.
Arena, therefore, receives a total of 5.25 out of 10: Should you experience an urge to watch a sci-fi fight-fest in outer-space, then this film is for you. It's not a movie to rush out and purchase or to hurry and stream, either. No. However, if you've gone through all your Must-Watch's, Arena isn't that a horrible way to waste an hour and a half.
Once you've KO'd that god-damned alien get your butt over to my The Final Frontier list to determine where the Champion Of The Universe ranks in my charts.
Take Care & Stay Well.
The Story gets 1.25 out of 2: The writers, Danny Bilson and Paul De Mao provide the audience with a basic boxing/fighting storyline, though they add freshness by enacting it in space; on a Space Station. What would have been nice was if the writers could have added tension and intrigue. Sadly, the writers missed the chances to add atmosphere. The characterisations are okay and enjoyable. However, a few minor characters needed more meat on their bones, especially the nightclub singer - come nymph - come assassin.
The Direction a 0.75 & The Pacing receives a 0.75: Once again, it's a story of missed opportunists. There are plenty of occasions where Peter Manoogian could have made the film more interesting. These are chiefly the fight scenes, but other segments would have benefited from varied camera angles, lighting effects, and tempo fluctuations. For a fight film, Arena lacks tension, and you can't get behind the hero as you should. Arena is not Rocky on Deep Space Nine. That said, it's not too terrible. It is watchable and entertaining, thanks to the story writing and the cast, rather than the direction.
The Acting gets 1.25: Though the performances aren't spectacular, we do have Claudia Christian and everybody's favourite Ferengi, Armin Shimerman, who's hard to define under his alien weasel makeup. Christian's character, Quinn, is neglected, even though she plays a crucial part in our hero's future. Had the writers supported Quinn more and added a few extra scenes, both the film and narrative would be better. Marc Alaimo, who portrays the bad guy, Rogor, also required to be more profound. And I couldn't help but feel he needed to be darker in character too.
And, my Enjoyment level earns a 1.25 out of 2: The steady averageness of this film liberates it from the scrap heap. Even though it's not a fantastic film, there are no cringe-worthy troubling parts either, which means a lot. It's also cheerful and humorous in places, another substantial bonus.
Arena, therefore, receives a total of 5.25 out of 10: Should you experience an urge to watch a sci-fi fight-fest in outer-space, then this film is for you. It's not a movie to rush out and purchase or to hurry and stream, either. No. However, if you've gone through all your Must-Watch's, Arena isn't that a horrible way to waste an hour and a half.
Once you've KO'd that god-damned alien get your butt over to my The Final Frontier list to determine where the Champion Of The Universe ranks in my charts.
Take Care & Stay Well.