Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li - Review

This travesty of justice is far, far worse than the original STREET FIGHTER. I have often enjoyed that one despite its many shortcoming and problems with acting, direction, and plot. But this film, STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI, is beyond redemption in the eyes of video game fans and ordinary viewers. It's generic as generic can get and doesn't do anything with the Chun-Li character.

Chun-Li, who is one of the iconic and popular females in video game history, is inhabited by Kristin Kreuk. She doesn't act the part nor is the part, she just exists as a skinny sweaty girl next door girl that is called "Chun-Li" by the other characters. She has basic film female childhood as her father is kidnapped by an antagonist (Neal McDonough). The film tries to constantly bring up her emptiness for her father, but the anti-charisma of Kreuk sucks it away. She goes to Bangkok, looks for a kung-fu master, and you know the drill. While this average Hollywood martial arts storyline goes on, the viewer also is subjugated to a storyline featuring two police agents uncovering McDonough's underground deals. It has no purpose for being in the film; Chun-Li just suddenly appears to converse with one of them as a way to fix this mammoth plot hole.

I could go on and on in multiple paragraphs describing my hatred for this film, so here's some bullet-holes to simplify it:

• I don't know Chinese martial arts, but I don't think headscissors takedowns and hurricanranas are part of them. Also, most of the moves are obviously done with wires.
• McDonough is a great actor but is awful as Bison, the main villain of the Street Fighter franchise. Instead of evil incarnate, he gives him an all-over the place accent and makes him to be a sadistic businessman than a ruthless dictator to be.
• Bison buys up the slums of Bangkok and kicks everyone out of there. In later scenes, the people are back and never explained why.
• The recreation of Chun-Li's Spinning Bird Kick is laughable and not effective. Her kicks go nowhere near her opponents.
• Chun-Li and Gen (Robin Shou) are supposed to be true martial artists, and not use anger as a weapon. After this explanation, both of them kill people in very violent fashion for the sake of vengeance.
• Vega looks terrible and is defeated by Chun-Li in a pure squash match.

The film is one of the worst video game adaptations and one of the worst of this year. Don't see it.

FINAL REVIEW: 1 / 5