STREETFIGHTER: The Legend Of Chun Li, 2009
Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Writer: Justin Marks
Genre: Action/Adventure
Running Time: 96 min.
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Cast: Kristin Kreuk, Moon Bloodgood, Michael Clarke Duncan, Chris Klein, Neal McDonough, Robin Shou, Taboo, Josie Ho, Pei-pei Cheng, Edmund Chen
Timed to coincide with the release of Street Fighter IV to a console near you, The Legend Of Chun-Li not only continues the long tradition of failed video games to movies, it has a pedigree. The first Street Fighter movie was a legendary 1994 bomb for Jean-Claude Van Damme, while this one comes to us from director Andrzej Bartkowiak, who just a few years back botched Doom.
In this case, given Street Fighter's template of non-stop butt-kicking, Bartkowiak apparently decided what the movie needs at the expense of action is lots of story and extraneous characters for movie value.
As a child, Chun-Li Kristin Kreuk saw her businessman father Edmund Chen snatched away during the night, never to be seen again. Long presumed dead, she moves on and carries out her dream of becoming a concert pianist. Shortly before her mom Emilze Kiryukhina passes away from cancer, Chun-Li receives a mysterious scroll. With no one holding her back, she sheds herself of the privileged life she's led and journeys to Bangkok, living on the streets as she searches for Gen Robin Shou, the leader of the Order of the Web. Once found, the two of them join forces to rescue Chun-Li's father, who is still alive, and put a stop to megalomaniac Bison Neal McDonough, the head of powerful crime organization Shadaloo. Also entering the equation, though one isn't quite sure how, are Interpol agent Charlie Nash Chris Klein and gangland homicide detective Maya Sunee Moon Bloodgood.
Kristin Kreuk TV's "Smallville" and 2004's Eurotrip stumbles in her voice-overs, but otherwise gives the best performance in the film. As Chun-Li, she is likable, she is really cute, has a gorgeous smile, and actually looks convincing when her pent up rage is released. Kreuk is also believable in carrying out the physical demands of her role as Chun Li. The rest of the actors appear to have no faith in the film and tend to walk thru their scenes. Chris Klein 2006's American Dreamz, so charismatic in the past, is painful in his smarmy reading of Nash, acting like an antagonist even though he is one of the heroes. As archvillain Bison, Neal McDonough 2008's Traitor is undeniably the bad guy in the way that he slathers caviar on a cracker and sips his wine while his business partners are being audibly assassinated outside. As for muscled henchman Balrog, Michael Clarke Duncan 2008's Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins acts like such a prankster that he seems to think he's in a slapstick comedy. Words cannot quite describe how bad he is in this role, so let's just say its a (JOKE).
Anyone who actually bothers to buy a ticket to Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li will no doubt do so with reasonably low expectations. You can oly ask so much from this kind of movie and all it really needs to do in order to be successful is outlined in the title. It needs lots of realistic hardcore fighting. In the streets. Do that and you may get terrible reviews but atlest you made a film that ....well in short KICKED SOME ASS. Chun Li is so utterly inept, it’s incapable of even that. It’s a meandering, confused, and worst of all boring crime syndicate accounting which takes forever to unfold and does everything it can to avoid actual fighting.
When fighting can no longer be avoided, Chun Li cuts its big battles short. A fight scene between Chun Li and Vega for instance, is built up, and then over in thirty seconds. The boxer Balrog faces off against Gen… and is defeated in under a minute by a faulty steam pipe. It’s not going to surprise anyone to know that Street Fighter is no Academy Award winner, but for its budget I just expected a well rounded well acted, serious kick-butt in your face no holds barred action film .........and didnt get it!
3/10 Stars
