Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li

--PG-13-- I am torn...I don't know if this movie should be in the popcorn category, or the trash heap. My reasoning is if I throw trash cans up there I will have to admit I am ashamed I saw the movie, but the problem is why should I be ashamed? This is based on a video game franchise that has sold millions of copies for nearly two decades, additionally Jean-Claude Van Damme made an earlier film in this franchise back in the early '90's. So I just can't admit that I should be ashamed I saw this movie.

That just leaves popcorn, my problem here is I don't think it was even a popcorn worthy film. I saw this for another Monday morning early bird special with ten other people. Of those ten, six left during the movie, there was even a moment in which I wanted to leave...okay there were three or four.

Unlike the Van Damme version that was futuristic, cheesy and full of 1 : 1 fighting scenes, this Street Fighter incarnation was filled with story, and voice overs to explain "The Legend of Chun-Li." Which of course is the subtitle to the title Street Fighter. Ugh, the movie was filled with bad acting by Chris Klein (American Pie Trilogy), decent acting by Neil Mcdonough (Band of Brothers) and interspersed with mediocre acting by Michael-Clarke Duncan (Green Mile) and Kristin Kreuk (Smallville).

Oh Kristin! This brings me to perhaps my biggest hang-up...Kristin is not Asian, she isn't even half Asian. Since her character has a caucasian mother this could be explained away if they didn't cast younger versions of her character as Asian girls. Those girls at various stages of development looked absolutely nothing like the adult Chun-Li. Ugh!!! Huge casting mistakes, stupid directing, bad acting and limited action sequences mean I have to throw this movie onto the trash heap.





cah