If someone were to ask me to name off my favorite video game franchises in the Fighting genre, I’d have several answers: Tekken, any of the Capcom crossover games, Mortal Kombat, Super Smash Bros. and of course, Street Fighter.
DISCLAIMER:
I am not much of Mortal Kombat fan as I used to be, but I still like the franchise just the same.
Anyway, there’s just something about Street Fighter that I can’t but admire, I’m not sure what exactly, but I digress. And it can’t be denied, as a franchise, as gamers (and pop culture lovers), we owe Street Fighter a debt that can never be requited, except for perhaps enjoying the games as fans.
Whether it’s memorable characters, catchy music, awesome special moves, or even introducing the combo system in Fighting games Street Fighter had started it all. And if I were asked to name my favorite characters in the franchise, male wise, I’d say either Ryu or Ken. Female wise, I’d say either Chun-Li or Cammy. And final boss wise, I’d say either Sagat or M. Bison.
So you can imagine how happy I was when I learned there was a Street Fighter movie.
What I actually meant was…
Get that sorry excuse of a movie off my screen now! 😦
THIS is the one I meant…
Wait, what are you doing with those weapons?
Now don’t get me wrong, at the end of the day, I am 100% completely aware of how bad the movie is, but all things considered, much like Space Jam (and many other movies and other pieces of pop culture), I’d like to think that this movie is a huge guilty pleasure of mine and deserves a little more love. Plus, I like this movie better than *SHUDDER* The Legend of Chun-Li. I will also NOT disagree at the end of the day, that Jean-Claude Van Damme IS easily by far THE worst casting in the entire movie. So that said, let’s get down to business and answer the question as to why I love this movie.
As our movie opens, we come to the country of Shadaloo where we learn our main antagonist General M. Bison (played brilliantly by the late and fabulous Raúl Juliá) has taken 63 relief workers and is holding them for 20 billion dollars! If the Allied Nations commander and chief Colonel William F. Guile (played by Jean-Claude Van Damme) wishes to see them alive, he and his troops will be given 72 hours/3 days to comply with Bison’s demand, if the former can’t, the hostages will die. Covering this report as it all took place was Chun-Li Zang (played by Ming-Na Wen) who to her credit, is actually good in the part… Then again, so is Lieutenant Cammy White (played Kylie Minogue).
Meanwhile, while all of this is underway, con artists Ryu Hoshi (played by Bryon Mann) and Ken Masters (played by Damian Chapa) meet up with Victor Sagat (played by Wes Studi) to sell several caches of Nerf gun, but Sagat’s not having any of it, so he decides to have them killed by his favorite assassin and everyone’s favorite Spanish ninjutsu warrior, Vega, (played by Jay Tavare, who actually made his film debut in this movie, and to his credit, he too handles the role pretty well) unlike the other 3. But before Vega can lay so much as a single scratch on Ryu and Ken with his trademark claw, Guile arrives arresting them on the spot.
And it’s at this point in the movie, that fans make the odd complaint that there is actually little to no street fighting, and in all fairness, I don’t blame them. But one thing that’s often not complained about is the mix up in rivalries… In the games Ryu is often seen up against Sagat, while its Vega in this movie, and for some reason there of it’s Ken against Sagat in this movie, while normally he is seen up against Vega in the games.
From there, Guile and his troops begin to think of a plan to find Bison’s fortress, meanwhile, Bison sets to work on having Dhalsim (played by Roshan Seth) turn Guile’s best friend Carlos “Charlie” Blanka (played by Robert Mammone) into the likeable green Hulk like monster we all know and love.
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