Finishing the Game, a comedy directed by Justin Lin and written by Justin Lin and Josh Diamond. Starring McCaleb Burnett, Monique Curnen, Roger Fan, Sung Kang, Mousa Kraish, Meredith Scott Lynn, and Dustin Nguyen.

Predictability could be the biggest pitfall of the comedy genre. Finishing the Game wins by keeping you guessing. A slew of colorful characters spar at each other and mug for the camera in documentary style.

The Film
What does a Sundance kid do after making it to the “majors”? Go back to the indies, and make his movie, his way. Justin Lin, famous for funding the critically-acclaimed Better Luck Tomorrow with his credit cards, went on to direct Annapolis and Tokyo Drift. But Finishing the Game is a passion project, shot on a shoestring budget and inspired by an Asian-American hero.

In 1973, martial arts legend Bruce Lee died suddenly at age 32. He left behind 12 minutes of action footage for a film entitled Game of Death. Studio heads rushed to finish the film by finding an imitation Bruce Lee. With writing partner Josh Diamond, Lin crafted a comedic re-imagining of Game of Death ’s casting crunch.

Even today, roles for actors of Asian descent are few and far between. So Finishing the Game’s huge cast is a Who’s Who of Asian-American talent, as potential Bruce Lees duke it out. Breeze Loo (Roger Fan) is a vain peacock, and Cole Kim (Sung Kang) is a naïve Korean kid with a Latina girlfriend/manager (Monique Curnen). Dustin Nguyen (remember 21 Jump Street?) plays Troy Poon, an earnest action-series castoff. Mousa Kraish is Raja, an Indian doctor who’d rather be a ninja, and McCaleb Burnett is Tarrick Tyler, who ardently claims Chinese heritage despite WASP looks. Eloise (Meredith Scott Lynn) is the casting director/ringmaster of the Game of Death circus. Brian Tee and Leonardo Nam enjoy humorous bit turns. MC Hammer and porn veteran Ron Jeremy make cameos.

Asian stereotypes and 70s kitsch fuel the laughs and drive the action. But amid the yucks, Lin makes some excellent points about being Asian in America that still ring true today.

Warning to parents: although the film is not rated, it’s definitely adults-only viewing. One scene takes place on a porn set, and sexual language abounds throughout.

The DVD

Packaging: A metallic-gold sleeve slides over a school-bus-yellow DVD cover. The design is the same on both—Roger Fan in a goofy nunchuck-wielding pose, with other characters below. The design is attractive, but I question why only Fan was prominently featured on the case, since Sung Kang and Dustin Nguyen are equally recognizable.

Video: The film was shot with vintage 70s cameras and film; the nostalgic look lends authenticity.

Sound: Sound quality is good, and intentionally low-tech. Brian Tyler’s original soundtrack cooks.

Extras: Subtitles are offered in English SDH and Spanish. Several times, the subtitle text faltered, appearing smeared. “On-Set Mayhem” is the usual goofy outtakes, with principal actors sharing thoughts on their own characters. Duds and gems comprise the Deleted Scenes. Don’t miss Jason Tobin in the “Mexico” sequence; he’s a fine actor, and it’s a shame his material didn’t make the final cut. The film and deleted scenes have optional commentary with Lin, writer Josh Diamond, and composer Brian Tyler. A video for the original song “Satisfaction” by West Coast hip-hop sensation Far East Movement fits the movie’s disgruntled-actor theme to a T.

In Conclusion: Finishing the Game is a fresh, thigh-slapping comedy, unlike anything you’ve ever seen. This is one Game not to be missed.

• FILM GRADE: A
  
• DISC AND PACKAGING: A
  
• OVERALL GRADE: A
  

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