Plot: What’s it about?
Chun-Li (Kristin Kreuk) has lived a life of privilege, thanks to her father’s presence as a well connected, well funded man of the business world. She was schooled in numerous arts, but her father made sure to be her personal martial arts instructor, since he is a master himself. When he takes his family to Hong Kong, Chun-Li’s father is kidnapped by M. Bison (Neal McDonough), who plans to use him to further his own financial goals. Years later, Chun-Li has grown up and become a martial arts master herself, who heads to Bangkok after a mysterious scroll arrives. Once there, she meets another martial arts guru named Gen, who trains her even more and joins her in a quest for vengeance against Bison. But can a single woman, even one as skilled as Chun-Li take down someone as powerful as Bison?
The trend of video game movies hasn’t been a kind one, as most have been quite abysmal. Would Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li be an exception? Not even close. The Chun-Li character was a good choice for such a pursuit, but sadly, the potential is wasted in this effort. I have to admit, the sheer hotness of Kristin Kreuk is almost enough to make this tolerable, as she is beyond smokin’ hot. But her incredible visual appeal can only do so much, as the rest of The Legend of Chun-Li manages to sink like a stone to the bottom. The presence of Chris Klein and Michael Clarke-Duncan is inexplicable, neither adds an iota to the film and more capable performers could have done so much more. The action scenes are fun, but there’s simply not enough here to overcome the negatives. If you’re a fan of hotties however, Kristin Kreuk is blazin’, but otherwise, there’s nothing worth a look in The Legend of Chun-Li.
Video: How does it look?
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. This looks great, a clean and very crisp image that has no serious issues. The visuals have good spark, as far as DVD goes, with good detail and depth. No doubt this pales when stacked against the Blu-ray version, but this still looks damn good for a DVD. The colors shine and look rich, contrast is dead on, and no errors pop up. A dynamic, impressive visual effort.
Audio: How does it sound?
This Dolby Digital 5.1 option is good, but not quite remarkable. The audio tends to tail off when the action subsides, so those scenes have a flat presence. But the track delivers whenever the action has heated up, so the surrounds have plenty to do whenever that happens. That happens often of course, but the non action scenes could have used a boost of some kind. No dialogue concerns, while the music sounds good. This release also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
An extended version is included, so you have the option to watch it or the original theatrical release. Audio comments from producers and a couple stars isn’t worth the time, as no one is honest about the final product. A host of shallow featurettes are also on deck, along with some deleted scenes, character comparisons, and storyboards. The best part of this release is the bonus second disc, which houses Street Fighter anime title Round One: Fight. This is a fun piece that adds some much needed value to an otherwise coaster worthy release.
