You don't need to have played the SHENMUE video games to enjoy the storyline in the fan-films by Gang Entertainment.

This is comedy/drama/fantasy/sci-fi/indie/pepsi-ad at its best, all rolled up into three full-length films.

http://www.gangentertainment.org/shenmue.html

http://www.gangentertainment.org/shenmue2.html

http://www.gangentertainment.org/shenmue3.html

Now you have no excuse to not see them. I want everyone who reads this to PROMISE that you will view the web-site, and then download or buy these movies.  Yes, the web-site offers free downloads of the films, AND you can also buy the DVDs.  The DVDs have extras that the downloadable copies don't.  Regardless of which method you use to acquire the films, ACQUIRE THEM, and then watch them, and then review them under this post. I'm interested in you folks's opinions about these fantastic films which happen to be the best independant films ever made in the history of all time.  If you disagree that they are the best independant films ever made in the history of all time, then you did not sit through the entire trilogy.  Anyone who watches the entire trilogy cannot possibly disagree with me about the COMPLETE AWESOMENESS that IS the SHENMUE: TGE trilogy.

I won't give any spoilers. There are other things I must say about these movies ...

If your first impression is "Hey this is low budget. That neighbourhood looks nothing like Japan." If that is your first impression, then you have NO IMAGINATION AT ALL.  Yes, these movies require that you have a bit of an imagination, but that's a DAMN GOOD THING. These movies are more than just a group of friends having fun. These movies are truly special. These movies are made on a shoestring budget, with volunteer actors, and these movies are AMAZING, an HUGE achievement. Even if you've never played the SHENMUE video games, the characters are still introduced adequately, and the story is still logical.  You will find it to be an honor and a privledge to watch almost six hours of film in a marathon to see the entire story.  I know this because I watched it with siblings who haven't played the games, and they found it very funny. I played the games, so I understood a lot more inside jokes; however, it's still very enjoyable to people who haven't played the games. Just watch it!  Watch this trilogy in the same way that you'd watch any other trilogy, and enjoy it as if it is a really long, awesome movie. If you haven't played the games, and you don't know the characters, you'll get introduced adequately.  I can't stress how awesomely adequate everything in these movies be!

The first movie begins with the murder of the father of a Japanese boy who just graduated from high school. The trilogy follows the story of the boy as he tries to find the man responsible for his father's death, and avenge his father's death. That's all you need to know.

I won't ruin the ending, but I'll say that the ending ties everything up perfectly. This is tight storytelling ... a huge achievement for the residents of the neighbourhood where this trilogy was shot. I nearly cried at parts ... not because of sadness ... but because of joy. This is truly the best film trilogy ever made, and the cast/crew/actors/et cetera are GODS AND GODDESSES.

I highly recommend this trilogy of films. And if you don't watch it, you are ignorant ... and perhaps dumb.

999xINFINITY/10

All right, Alan, while the movie review board is ideal for expressing your opinion about films you've seen, there's a difference between a film review and just being overtly rude. This first part...

Quoted from Alan_Holman This is comedy/drama/fantasy/sci-fi/indie/pepsi-ad at its best, all rolled up into three full-length films.

...is an opinion of the film. That's cool. You went on to say why you thought they were good, and you know, no one has any problem with that. These parts...

Quoted from Alan_Holman Now you have no excuse to not see them. I want everyone who reads this to PROMISE that you will view the web-site, and then download or buy these movies.   Anyone who watches the entire trilogy cannot possibly disagree with me about the COMPLETE AWESOMENESS that IS the SHENMUE: TGE trilogy.

...are weird, but still not inexcusable. It reads a bit like spam, but again, I chalk it up to your opinion again, which has always been very forceful and very...well...opinonated. Anyone can possibly disagree, and people always will. Not everything is for everyone, but still, you clearly have a positive opinion about this.

These parts, however...

Quoted from Alan_Holman If that is your first impression, then you have NO IMAGINATION AT ALL.  Yes, these movies require that you have a bit of an imagination, but that's a DAMN GOOD THING. I highly recommend this trilogy of films. And if you don't watch it, you are ignorant ... and perhaps dumb.

...are actually rather insulting to the reader. Recommend them, sure. Ignorant and dumb for not watching them? Seriously. People disagree over Oscar winners and some of the greatest films of all time. I know a guy who studied film seriously, and he doesn't get the hype of the Godfather. He doesn't think it's a great movie. Yet, I continue to respect his opinion. I know another guy who I've written music with who finds the Star Wars films (all of them) to be the most boring schlock ever written. Yet I do not find him to be an idiot or ignorant. There are people who simply cannothandle the sheer length of Lord of the Rings, but we don't fault them either. Films are made for their audiences, and you can't please everyone.

Please, tell everyone what you think of these films. We do want to know. I like to know when something great is out there, especially if I can preview it like this. I want to know your opinion. But I don't want to be insulted for mine.

I have yet to fully enjoy a video game based film, so I fear I may be ignorant and perhaps dumb by the end of this, by your assessment.

Dude, these movies made me feel ten years younger ... even though the story takes place almost twenty years ago ... so I spoke ... err ... typed as I might have ten years ago.  Except I forgot to change my username to what it was ten years ago ...

J.S. LONGSWORD SEZ:  These movies KIKAZZ!  Watch 'em er yer DIM!  YA SUK IF YA DONUT AGREE!

Peace, m'hombre.

But here is my serious review:

SERIOUS REVIEW:

Sega Dreamcast's video game SHENMUE made the Guiness Book of World Records as the most expensive video game production to date.  That's because acclaimed game creator Yu Suzuki's invention called F.R.E.E. (Fully Reactive Eyes Entertainment) cost a lot to do correctly.  F.R.E.E. immerses the player into the world of the game like never before.  The plot follows a set sequence of events, but the finer details of how those events are achieved are unique to each player.  That's because this game literally puts you into Yokosuka Japan in 1987 -- you ARE a character in a deep soap opera about the events surrounding your character's father's murder, and you ARE Ryo Hazuki.  You find your own motivation for solving the mysteries in the game, and you either enjoy your quest or you don't.  This game is EXTREMELY ENJOYABLE to those -- such as me -- who enjoyed it -- and not so enjoyable to people who want total action and adventure all the time.  If you have a keen mind for solving the mysteries -- or if you've played it already so you know where to go -- the action and adventure is frequent.  But the great thing is that several of the hurdles in the quest can be avoided if you do things in different orders, and some hurdles have various solutions; however, if you have patience, you can get to know the tapestry of characters, and really take in a lot of "cultural learnings" about Japan just by taking things slowly and looking at the finer details of the town where the game is set.  The game is an artistic and musical masterpiece ... with some bad acting sometimes.

In 2002, Gang Entertainment spent their summer filming a parody of this masterpiece of gaming.  It's only natural that someone would film a version, because this game is VR without the helmet -- after you've played it, you literally look at your own surroundings differently.  I'm serious.  If you've played SHENMUE, and I mean really played it ... taken time to get to know the residents of Ryo's neighbourhood, and virtually befriend them, and learn portions of thier daily routines ... If you've played Shenmue, and taken liesurely strolls through the town in which the game times place, you begin to look at your own world differently, through better eyes ... calmer ... more patiently ... more focused on detail and nature and simplicity and you even get better in your conversational skills with other people.  I'm serious.  Shenmue can even teach you martial arts if you take time to practice the moves your character learns from scrolls in the game.  

A game that is so immersive, that literally lets you feel your real world with more verisimilitude, can easily inspire great film.  And it has.  The Gang Edition not only tells the story -- in one potential sequence of events taken from the game (many parts skipped) -- but it does so in ways that highlight the magnificence of the story while also finding humor in the various idiosyncrasies of the actual game.  In the movie, Ryo -- played by the brilliant Terry Mulreinin -- moves like the game character, talks like the game character -- and he does these things for humor ... but he also preserves the dramatic integrity of the story by being consistant in his performance.

Eileen Mulreinin, whom I'll bet is Terry's sister, gives a fantastic performance as Shenhua, a girl whose destiny is intertwined with Ryo's in a fantasticly imaginative storyline that you should just watch or play, rather than read about.  

The Gang's Shenmue trilogy is full of heart.  These people OBVIOUSLY love the games, and know what they're doing.  The battle scenes are choreographed very well, with movements that are EXACTLY like those from the game.  The lightsabre duels had be on the edge of my seat.  

The first movie is a masterpiece.

At first, I thought the second movie did almost too much recycling of certain materials; however, after seeing the third movie, I view this as one solid story, and I believe that everything was solid.  Therefore, the second movie is also a masterpiece.

The third movie is the masterpiece of masterpieces, when you consider that the third movie was purely fan-fiction since the third game has not yet been released.  The third movie tied up the story very well ... and I hope that the third game does even better.

999999999999999999999999xINFINITY GOOGLE/-1