Sony's February 2021 Sifu's debut trailer is a montage of choreographed martial arts action, the first half of which appears to be heavily inspired by Korean film Oldboy.
Oldboy, released in 2003, is a must-watch for anyone interested in foreign film. The narrative is compelling and shocking, and the acting is incredible, but the film is most famous for a brutal, one-take fight scene that takes place in a long hallway. The main character, Oh Dae-su, faces off against a large group of men trying to stop him from getting to the elevator at the other end of the hall. A massive and violent brawl begins in a wonderfully choreographed scene, and this is mirrored in the Sifu trailer. Even the walls are painted the same colors.
Hopefully, Sifu turns out to be a better homage than the 2013 American Oldboy, which is one of the worst film remakes of the 2010s. The trailer for PS5's Sifu is short and offers just a glimpse into its gameplay and mysteriously aging protagonist. It looks like Sifu might end up being a sort of cross between classic fighting games and the free-flowing combat popularized by the Batman: Arkham games.
Sifu's Combat May be Taking Decades of Inspiration from Film
Bruce Lee revolutionized martial arts films when he starred in his best fight scene in movie history. Franchises like The Raid and John Wick have practically made the concept into entire films.
The concept is also all too familiar to video games, forming the basis of nearly ever game that involves combat, but Sifu looks like it might be a little different. It's not so impressive, after all, to see a demigod like Kratos killing dozens of enemies in God of War or a superhero like Batman beating up an endless stream of thugs in the Arkham games. PS5's Sifu game seems to be channeling the grounded, visceral experience of Oldboy's halllway fight scene, where the violence is both impressive and frightening.
