Street Fighter - La leggenda

So this movie has been on my radar for quite a while. I was smooth talked by Justin Mark's assurance that his treatment of the movie was respectful and to be prepared for a new era of gaming films. I was pumped and on board, and then... I saw the film. THE GOD-AWFUL The script from this movie was a joke. When Bison utters something about milk and expiry dates, I laughed. It was a nervous laugh, but it was laughter. This movie makes no sense to me at all. The pitch was it was a Chun Li story about looking beyond revenge. In the end, she gets her revenge and the moral is? Revenge is the answer. THE BAD The costumes in this movie can also suck it. I felt terrible for Kristin in the night club scene, wearing a ridiculous dress and using her feminine wiles ( primo top dollar dancing to the unaware) to lure Cantana, a lesbian associate of Bison, into a bathroom. The pacing of this movie was dreadful, and we are hand-held for every scene, if Chun Li is walking on the screen she will undoubtedly inform us "I was walking.." ... REALLY? Really. THE UGLY The truth is this movie insults movie goers, gamers, and people, in general. Am I supposed to feel for Chun Li, even though she had a privileged life, and a loving mother? How is she a victim of circumstance? Am I supposed to feel Vega's threatening persona through five minutes of him getting the crap kicked out of him? Am I supposed to believe Bison is all evil when he continues to nurture his daughter? I think this movie was seriously edited so terribly, whatever good there was to salvage was lost on the cutting room floor. Whoever edited this needs to be bird kicked in the throat. It just makes no sense to me how the editor could do his job, watch the movie and allow this to enter the theaters. The best parts of the movie involved subtitles, and a sunset. That is it. So there you go, street fighter 2? Most assuredly, not.

This movie was bellow par. Horrible graphics and bad dialog. I would rather have payed to watch the original movie with Jean Claude. If they make another one they really need to step it up and use the original back ground stories on characters. Chun-Li's dad was a lead detective in China not a business man! Hopefully Capcom will actually screen the next movie and not let it suck so bad. All in all just a bad bad movie that didn't stick with the video game/ cartoon background info on these characters. But play Street Fighter 4 the game is awesome. All the great old characters and handful of good new ones. Make the next on better please!!!!

"Street Fighter The Legend of Chun Li" is about how Chun Li became the person and the fighter she is.

"Street Fighter The Legend of Chun Li" is just an excuse to have lots of fights. The plot is disjointed and senseless, either it is heavily cut or very poorly written. One minute she is trying to escape from bad guys, the next shot shows her in a different place miraculously talking to her aides. Things are so poorly explained that the degree of disjointness can rival "The Avengers" starring Uma Thurman. I also cannot get past the fact that much of the story happens in Thailand, when Chun Li is actually Chinese. Can't they set the story in China? The only redeeming feature is the cool Kung Fu moves and the well choreographed fights. Other than that, "Street Fighter The Legend of Chun Li" is a very forgettable film.

If you think my heading is cheesy and stupid you're absolutely right and I heartily agree...unfortunately that vary statement is the crux of the latest Street Fighter attempt's plot.

Ignoring the 1994 Van Damme version of the franchise this film starts anew, focusing on the character of Chun Li, a young Asian woman highly skilled in both piano and martial arts. Her dad gets taken away from her at a young age by M. Bison who uses him in his criminal plot to overthrow Bangkok. Unfortunately for Bison Chun Li grows up, meets a mystic who teaches her some freaky stuff and sets out to kick his ass. While the Van Damme version was far from spectacular it had a sense of humor about itself and wasn't afraid to have fun with the material, which was at the very least entertaining for a lazy hour and a half. The Legend of Chun Li tries to be a dark brooding action thriller with something like Batman Begins as its model...but the material just doesn't support it. The plot goes back and forth between clichés and just plan dumb hokey sci-fi stuff. Yes, being "rid of your goodness" is actually a plot point.

The script is loaded with cheesy dialog and flat characters which doesn't make the actors' jobs any easier and they really don't live up to the challenge. Chris Klein is particularly bad in his attempt to be the bad ass.

You would think the action would at least make it worth the time but even that is nothing to brag about. The fights are far too staged and obviously fake. They throw in some signature moves from the video games that are beyond reality. If they'd been shot differently they would've been cool, but here they just look ridiculous. These are things that would fit at home in a more cartoony film like its predecessor...but sorry, no go.

Having enjoyed the game as I a kid, I was excited to see Chun Li in a new feature adaptation. The cast showed signs of "mixing it up," with its choices and I was willing for the ride.

While the overall origin story is strong (the piano playing a very nice touch for depth) unfortunately many scenes come off as campy. On a scale, the strongest scenes are easily those between Kristin Kreuk and Robin Shou as Chun Li and Gen, and sadly the weakest being Michael Clark Duncan and Chris Klein's characters of Balrog and Nash.

That was the central problem for me here, there is an exciting action piece at work but is jumbled with various other plot lines and set pieces that really feel out of place. The feeling of the film comes off as uneven as was also the case with Director Andrzej Bartkowiak's previous works in CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE and DOOM. This film unfortunately continues Bartkowiak's pattern.

Nevertheless, Chun Li was carried well by Ms. Kreuk and the effort was well mounted.

RT.