Director: Gisaburu Sugii
Starring: Kojiro Shimizu, Hank Smith, Kenji Haga, Ted Richards, Miki Fujitani, Mary Briscoe, Masane Tsukayama, Donald Lee, Takeshi Kusaka, Phil Matthews
Running Time: 102 Minutes
Certificate: 15
The STREET FIGHTER franchise has had a rough time as far as live-action films are concerned. If the campy Jean Claude Van Damme star vehicle of 1994 wasn’t enough, in 2010 Hollywood tried for a gritty and grounded reboot. It was a horrific pile of nothing, to put it nicely. However, before JCVD and Kylie Minogue tried their hand at computer game adaptation, there was a Japanese anime that was in many respects moderately successful.
STREET FIGHTER II THE MOVIE is far from a perfect film, but at least it isn’t embarrassing. The main problem with this, or any fighting film, is that there is only so much you can do with such a limited plot. If you’re going to be sat there watching people fight, then you may as well start up a console and start button mashing. The only way to counteract this inevitable hurdle is to give the audience an emotional connection so that the fights resonate. Although the script tries to include some essential character development for the protagonists, the fights are still concerned with the punches thrown rather than the basis for the battle itself.
The plot is simple, M. Bison (or Vega in the Japanese version) is brainwashing some of the world’s best fighters to fulfil his evil deeds. But when Bison goes after the world’s most powerful fighter Ryu, he bites off more than he can chew. With Interpol agent, Chun Li also on his tale, it seems as though Bison’s days are numbered. The plot unfolds as daftly as it sounds, but since this is an anime it manages to get away with a lot more. The animation allows for some exceptionally impressive action sequences, and fights that don’t seem so ridiculous in the context of a cartoon. It just doesn’t look as cheesy when an animated character does a Spinning Bird Kick or a Sonic Boom. Despite the loyal character design and furious action, the animation also looks dated which makes certain elements hard to digest. The sheer size of the characters, including their muscular builds, makes some of their movements lack fluidity.
One of the major sins this film commits is actually one that is present in the live-action films, in that it tries to add far too many characters for its own good. Whereas some characters are delicately placed into the plot, the majority are just fan service techniques which not only don’t add to the film, but detract from it. No doubt fans would have complained at the lack of Blanka and Zangief, but their inclusion results in the film stopping for some unrelated fight sequences.
STREET FIGHTER II THE MOVIE is a part of anime and computer adaptation history. Its handling of violence and some mature themes means it will be the perfect film for older computer game fans. This does a grand job with the material its derived from and even though it often sacrifices logic and sense, it does so in the name of entertainment and action.
STREET FIGHTER THE MOVIE II is released 13th May via Manga Entertainment.
