Street Fighter -- Collector's Edition (1994)

Fighting street so you won't have to!

I used to watch this movie a lot. In 1994, I was thirteen years old. And you know what that means. To paraphrase Christopher Walken, that means I had a fever. And the only prescription... was Street Fighter II (the video game, not the movie; durr). While I was truthfully more in the Mortal Kombat camp, I did love Street Fighter II and played it regularly. I knew all the characters, their background stories, the moves, etc. Then it was announced that a movie would be made. Totally awesome, dude!

"Worker ants scurrying about with their pitiful weapons! Afraid of the purity of un-armed combat!"

I'm pretty sure the only video game based movie made before this was Super Mario Bros. in '93; Double Dragon was released a year later (along with this one). Video game movies weren't off to what the common man would call a great start. But it's Street Fighter, man! It's gonna rule! And I still think the trailer makes it look like a tasty action flick.

So, I went to see it. Came out of the theater and didn't really feel one way or the other about it. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't great. Bad guys were good guys and good guys were bad guys. Bison was a wimp. This guy didn't do this move and that guy didn't do that move. Whatever. Came out on video and I watched it a few times just because it was Street Fighter. It was something for my 13-year-old self to watch. Nothing more, really. I eventually kind of forgot about it and didn't watch it for years (due to what Tibetan monks refer to as "growing up").

Last week, I was feeling nostalgic and ordered it off Amazon for the heck of it. Good price and it's a Collector's Edition. Why not? Watched it earlier and I find myself more critical than I was fourteen years ago. Bad lines. REALLY bad dubbing in spots. Some of the fights are kind of lame. Bison's still a wimp. Overall a fairly amateur movie (though few movies will ever de-throne Mortal Kombat Annihilation for all-time most amateur). But by God, whether intentional or not, this movie is kind of funny! How over the top is Raul Julia here? He's a blast to watch.

"This? This is merely super conductor electromagnetism. Surely you've heard of it. It levitates bullet trains from Tokyo to Osaka. It levitates my desk where I ride the saddle of the world. And it levitates... me. NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!"

Right on, Raul. Despite the critical bashings this movie got, you were the diamond in the rough. RIP, dude.

Van Damme's okay as Guile. "Are you mon enough to faaight vith me?" Yeah, he's American to the core (or should I say Corps?). Guile is the main hero, but Chun Li is my favorite good guy here.

"That's great news, General! Congratulations!"
"On the contrary, I mourn him."
"Okay."

My peers thought this movie was corny in 1994 and they were right. But, if you're in my age bracket and liked Street Fighter, it's worth watching again for the nostalgia factor and Raul Julia.

"General Bison is a bad guy? If you know this, then why do you serve him?"
"Because he payed me a freaking FORTUNE, you moron!"
"... You got... paid?"

Recommended. July 12, 2008

Good Enough

I still think they should have stuck more to the video game. Some of the costumes are off but it was still an Okay flick. Would recommend but only to those that can enjoy the concept of the game. July 10, 2008

Campy live-action cartoon is entertaining but do not take it seriously or overly critical in comparing it to the video game.

This is an entertaining live-action comic book and based on the source material, the cast is borderline good. Raul Julia, Wes Studi and Van Damme were all casted well. It has good sets, exotic locales and comedy. The film is more of an action comedy than anything. May I add that I liked Guile more here than I did in the game. Not quite up to the funny entertainment or quality par of say Live & Let Die or It's a Mad Mad Mad World but it was better then some claimed, and some people just should not watch these types of films. I feel sorry for film based some of these public judgements of the film so i'm adding another star. Its refreshing to see these older types of adventure/comic book serials without the use of dreaded CGI (I'll take Street Fighter over Spiderman any day). Van Damme is the man but not quite on Chuck Norris' caliber in terms of hip factor, skill and gritty manliness. I got to add that I do like this film more than I did when I first saw it as a lad. One of the few movies that seems better now than it did. May 16, 2008

not to well

man i tell you.i see alot of problems in this movie.
i can make a better street figher.thats to whoever produced this movie and directed this movie. February 16, 2008

It's Fun, in a way.

By no means is this a good movie, but for a mindless action flick it is not too bad. There is a bunch of over action and groan outloud lines, but at the end of the movie you don't feel robbed in anyway. There are some really fun moments, on-liners, and some of the fighting is not done that bad.

Sad note this is still a bare-bones DVD, just the movie and nothing else. You wished for maybe getting Van Dam to do some commentary or something by now. February 15, 2008

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