Video games have been one of many recent muses of producers. What better way to fill seats than to give them to blind fanboys? This kind of thinking has often left the brain out of the equation, making game based films mediocre when at their best. Can this “reboot” of the Street Fighter franchise change this?
Starting off on a better foot than the original effort, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li picks one character and follows her closely. Chun-Li (Kristin Kreuk) isn’t really the hero of the game franchise, but she’s seen as an early and influential female gaming icon. Other characters from the games are sprinkled in, each unique and easy to recognize. Some help Chun-Li on her quest for meaning, something akin to Batman Begins. Robin Shou, the star of the Mortal Kombat films of the mid ‘90s, has crossed over to the rival chain with his role as Gen a mysterious Obi Wan who instructs Chun-Li once she has reached the proper age.
Working against the heroine are Bison (Neal McDonough), Balrog (Michael Clarke Duncan), and Vega (Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas). These are “boss” character in the games, with Bison being the leader. In some regard, they stuck to the persona of these guys and fans should enjoy that. Casting wise, there isn’t anything to get up in arms about, though the crazy dancing guy from the Black Eyed Peas looks out of place. More troublesome is the criminal activity taking place. I’m not talking about a level of violence, but the acting of Chris Klein. He’d been gone from wide releases for some time, and it’s easy to see why. As Charlie Nash, he chews through scenery. His scenes are composed almost entirely of exchanges with Moon Bloodgood, who plays the role of Maya, a cop of some sorts who feels the need to dress like a hooker full-time. These are painful detractors who contribute not one bit to the film. Mr. Klein should thank the stars that he isn’t famous enough to be in the Razzie hunt next awards season.
With half the cast quite wooden, it also hurts that the story truly makes zero sense. Here you have a powerful crime boss who wants to tear down a slum to build prime condos, but he has also engaged in some ritual to better his conscience. That ritual is laughable, and I challenge anyone to explain it as well tell me why his “White Rose” was on that boat in the first place.
There is plenty wrong with the movie, and it’s saving grace is that it is better than the first effort at making a film franchise from this gaming series. Nothing is better than it has any right to be, but lessons learned from previous forays carried over. The character are quick to understand, though one-dimensional. The suspension of disbelief isn’t asking too much considering the rapid nature that people emit fire in the games. Kristin doesn’t look much like Chun-Li, but she tries to take the role seriously. The days of ugly unpolished films are fading too, and The Legend of Chun-Li has a look very similar to the Marvel Comics brand of movies. It borrows concepts and scenes from Batman Begins, Star Wars, and even Basic Instinct. With few original elements and many bad choices, there wasn’t much chance given to it. **
Loading ...
Recent Comments