Movie Review: Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li - Starring Kristin Kreuk & Neal McDonough
Movie: Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (PG-13)
Released: February 27th, 2009
Runtime: 1 hr. 36 min.
Ticket Price: $5.00 Early Matinee
Refreshments: Peanut M&M’s
Starring: Kristin Kreuk, Chris Klein, Moon Bloodgood & Neal McDonough
Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Rating: Check it Out When it Hits the Likes of HBO or Showtime
Synopsis: A crime boss is ruthlessly grabbing power and land in the slum districts of Bangkok. A young woman trains to put a stop to him. Based on the video game.
Review: Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li is not a good movie. It has some pretty cool fight sequences, but they are not enough to save it from its many bad points.
First, Chris Klein (American Pie) is absolutely terrible as an Interpol agent that has been tracking the shadowy Shadaloo crime syndicate for years. You never buy him for a second in this role. It is partly bad scripting, but mostly bad acting that causes this.
Second, Moon Bloodgood (TV’s Journeyman) isn’t bad, but how she is used is. She is basically just extra eye-candy, no substance. This is too bad, cause she is more than just a pretty face.
Third, the script was just plain bad and I’m not just talking about the dialogue, which was almost laughably bad at times. There were too many places where a character discovered some information that they had no reason to know how to find. You can’t go from knowing nothing to looking at a picture on the computer of the person you’re looking for. You had to have some information to be able to connect the dots and arrive there.
I know it’s a movie based on a video game, but that doesn’t mean it has to suck. I wasn’t expecting much going in either, but was still disappointed. Well, that’s enough with the negatives, even though there were plenty more.
On the positive side of things, they did take the time to introduce the major storyline and Kristin Kreuk’s (TV’s Smallville) Chun-Li. She was actually pretty good, although had to deal with delivering some bad lines like everyone else. She was, however, able to pull off the fight scenes, the one decent part of this movie.
Unfortunately, those fight scenes are not nearly enough to make this worth seeing at a theater. You’d be better off waiting until it hits the likes of HBO or Showtime.
I’m interested in hearing your thoughts on Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. Did you like the fight scenes?
What New Movies Start Friday, February 27th, 2009?
Was a bit under the weather last weekend and didn’t get to my Fired Up review, especially since I had a private screening of the movie. Well, it was only private because I was the only one that bought a ticket to the first showing of the day at my local theater.
There are six movies opening this week, two everywhere and four others are in limited release.
Opening Nationwide on Friday, February 27th:
Movie: Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience (G)
Starring: Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas & Nick Jonas
Genre: Concert
Synopsis: A mesh of documentary and video from their “Burning Up” concert tour.
First Thoughts: Is 1-D a piece enough for these three? Also, it’s available in IMAX.
Movie: Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (PG-13) (Read Review)
Starring: Kristin Kreuk, Chris Klein & Neal McDonough
Genre: Action
Synopsis: A crime boss is ruthlessly grabbing power and land in the slum districts of Bangkok. A group of heroes tries to fight him off and help the less privileged. Based on the video game.
First Thoughts: It’s action oriented, it’s got people flying through the air kicking ass and Kristin Kreuk (TV’s Smallville). What’s not to like? Probably a lot, but I’m not letting that stop me.
Movies in Limited Release:
- An American Affair - Period drama starring Gretchen Mol and Noah Wyle about the relationship between a young teen boy and a world weary woman with a hidden past at the time leading up to the assassination of JFK.
- Crossing Over - Drama starring an ensemble cast that includes Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd and Ray Liotta. Revolves around illegal immigration with a story told in a similar fashion to Crash.
- Echelon Conspiracy - Action thriller with Shane West, Edward Burns and Ving Rhames about a young engineer being targeted by mysterious phone messages. A chase movie like Eagle Eye.
- The Trouble With Romance - An ensemble romantic comedy that tries to explore why people seek romance and the difficulties that can arise.
For New Movie Friday there are three new movies to choose from this week. They are Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience, Echelon Conspiracy and Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. What new movie looks good to you this week?
What New Movies Start Friday, February 20th, 2009?
There are four movies opening this week, two everywhere and two others are in limited release. Also, look for the AMC Best Picture Showcase at some AMC theaters, as they will be playing all five best picture nominees in one day.
Opening Nationwide on Friday, February 20th:
Movie: Fired Up (PG-13)
Starring: Nicholas D’Agosto, Eric Christian Olsen & Sarah Roemer
Genre: Teen Comedy
Synopsis: Two of the best players on the football team decide that they want to go to cheer camp, cause of all the young women they could meet there. In doing so, they actually may help the school’s notoriously bad cheer squad.
First Thoughts: This looks terrible, but so does the other new movie option this week, but it looks like I’d rather get fired up than go to jail.
Movie: Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail (PG-13)
Starring: Tyler Perry, Derek Luke & Keshia Knight Pulliam
Genre: Comedy Drama
Synopsis: Madea’s temper gets her in trouble and she ends up in jail. While there she takes a young prostitute and drug addict under her wing.
First Thoughts: This just looks like taking something that may have been funny and going one step too far with it, an unfunny step.
Movies in Limited Release:
- Dehli 6 - Foreign film about a young man that takes his grandmother back to India and while on the trip ends up taking a journey of self discovery.
- Eleven Minutes - Documentary about the winner of the first season of Project Runway and his getting ready to have his first runway show at Fashion Week.
For New Movie Friday there are two new movies to choose from this week. They are Fired Up and Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail. What new movie looks good to you this week?
Movie Review: The International - Starring Clive Owen & Naomi Watts
Movie: The International (R)
Released: February 13th, 2009
Runtime: 1 hr. 58 min.
Ticket Price: $5.00 Early Matinee
Refreshments: Peanut M&M’s and Popcorn
Starring: Clive Owen, Naomi Watts, Armin Mueller-Stahl & Brian F. O’Byrne
Director: Tom Tykwer
Rating: Wait for the Rental, if Not Longer
Synopsis: An Interpol agent has teamed up with a New York prosecutor to try and take down a major international bank that seems to be the hub for handling the money of terrorist groups, crime lords and rogue governments. Anyone that gets close to exposing them ends up dead, along with anyone else that gets in their way.
Review: The International is billed as an action thriller, but unfortunately it lacks a lot of action and is less than thrilling. It truly is one of those movies where all the action is in the trailer.
I went in with medium hopes and still came away disappointed. The cast is very good, the story idea is interesting, but the movie really drags. The movie does build to a crescendo, but by the time it did, I didn’t care anymore. If you’re looking for a way to make two hours feel like three, then you should definitely check this movie out.
There is one really badass, bullets flying everywhere, action sequence that takes place in the Guggenheim museum. But, I have problems when someone is able to shoot like 12 times without needing to reload a revolver. Yet, that one action sequence isn’t enough to recommend you go see this at the theater. You should wait for the rental, if not longer.
There is another sequence at the end of the movie that made the guy behind me breakout laughing, but this isn’t a funny movie. It was something that would just not be able to take place like it does. It is another one of those occurrences that takes you out of the moment.
I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on The International. Did you find it thrilling? Were you able to stay awake?
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