One of my favorite subgenres in the action genre is the "attractive woman kicks butt". I have always thought Kristen
Kruek was cute since I first saw her in the first epsiode of SMALLVILLE. She does get points for being STREET FIGHTER:
THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI. She is in some great martial arts sequences. The movie won't win any awards.
However, this film is a major improvement over the STREET FIGHTER turd that starred Jean-Claude Van Damme and Raul Julia (I
don't know what they were thinking when they decided to do that one). However, I'm not here to talk aqbout how much
a turd that other movie was. I did enjoy this STREET FIGHTER film and I would love to see Kristen Kruek do more action
films. Does this film have some type of story mixed in with the action? Yes. It has a better plot
than any Tony Jaa film (which are only good for the great action sequences anyway).
Kristen plays Chun-Li, a girl who loses her father after he is kidnapped years ago by the evil businessman Bison (Neal
McDonough). She grows up to be a great concert pianist only to go on a quest to rediscover herself after her mom dies.
It takes her to Bangkok where she strips away her old self and learns from her new mentor Gen (Robin Shou of MORTAL KOMBAT).
She is out to take Bison down and protect the innocents of Bangkok who are at the mercy of the Shadaloo organization.
This film lives and dies on the action, actors, and locations. I have never played the video games.
I liked the backstory, but I love the action much more. Chris Klein is good as Interpol agent Nash brought in to take
down Bison and Shadaloo. He teams up with sexy Bangkok detective Maya Sunee (Moon Bloodgood). Nash and Maya seem
to be from a different movie that makes me think these two characters would have been better served in being in a movie without
the Street Fighter characters. It's like Chun-Li's quest and the investigation of Nash and Maya seem to be two
movies meshed into one.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Both the theatrical and unrated versions of the film are included on the disc. the unrated cut has an audio commentary
by Producers Patrick Aiello and Ashok Amritraj, and Actors Neal McDonoughand Chris Klein. The deleted scenes mostly
include stuff cut for pacing that includes a depper backstory for Nash (and more interaction between him and Chun Li) and
a different ending for the White Rose (that smells of the Exorcist meets The Omen).
BECOMING A STREET FIGHTER is a making of featurette that features interviews with cast and crew mixed with behind-the-scenes
footage and film clips as the people involved tell how it came together and the story of the movie being made in Bangkok.
CHUN-LI: BRINGING THE LEGEND TO LIFE focuses on Kristin Kruek and how the charcter was brought to life in addition to
showing clips of the training the actors wnet through to do the martial arts in teh film.
FOX MOVIE CHANNEL PRESENTS MAKING A SCENE is a featurette that shows the filming of an alley fight scene in addition
to more training footage of Kristin Kruek not in the other featurette.
Several still galleries (Game-To-Film Comparisons, Storybaords, Production Stills), a preview of the Marvel Vs. Capcom
2 video game, and trailers for other films (three in the special features including POSSESSION and THE MARINE 2 in addition
to trailers before the menu like X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE). The movie's theatrical trailer isn't included.
FINAL ANALYSIS: STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN LI is another fun addition to the attractive women kicking
butt genre. The extras are decent on the disc. Seeing Kristin Kruek kicking butt is worth a rental at least.
this DVD review is (c)7-1-2009 David blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. send all comments to
lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com
