Xaio Xaio No. 3http://games.sohu.com/fightgame/fight3.swf
No, I don't know what the title means. I also don't know if the symbols are Chinese, Japanese, Korean or that weird dialect the homeless guy on the corner always screams at me. Doesn't matter. What does matter is that despite what the URL says, this is not a game; it's more of a movie, and a damn fine one at that. Fluid motion, amazing stunts and no cheesy one liners to screw it up. All in all, it's quite possibly one of the best choreographed fight scenes I have ever seen. The part that really tickles the pickle, however, is that it's all stick figures. Yes, stick figures. Those little easily animated twigs you doodle during meetings and use to make flip-books. Only this time the flip-book moves like a pro. In this time of Crouching Muffins, Hidden Platypus the kung fu film is making a comeback, and this bit of Flash animation feels like the prep stage of a movie showing homage to several different fighting styles. Besides the glaringly obvious Matrix impressions, the chop socky humor of Jackie Chan and timeless Bruce Lee maneuvers are also easily seen. And for when the action moves faster than audiences out of a Tom Arnold movie, simply pause and watch frame by frame to see the subtle nuances of stick figure intimidation. It's like DVD, only completely different. Sure, this site is pure eye candy, and odds are you've already received the link through e-mail, but if you don't go check it out, then the stick figures will come by your house and mess you up good. They can do it. Hmmm … maybe that's what Xaio Xiao means — "Stick Figure Whup Ass." Ya think?
—Patrick J. Graney
This article appears in Jun 21-27, 2001.
