Introduction, content & scathing critique

Let’s be honest: Why is all the time so much money spent for putting games on the screen? These flicks are majorly annoying me. Mainly because there are always these games which anyway hardly do feature a story. But if there’s any then it’s been told in half an hour. So why not doing a TV series short and simple and reduced to the essential? Ok, STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI wouldn’t even stand the length of one "South Park" episode.

So what’s it about? Bad guy with bad colleagues kidnaps our heroine’s Dad. He is a salesman and his connections are extremely important for the bad guy. So the daughter thinks her Dad is dead and starts a career as pianist. A scroll is approaching and she starts a quest for the origin…damned! I rather stop it now repeating here this as “story” foisted nonsense! Make up your own mind if you’re so curious! *ggg* gobshite characters wherever you look: Kristin Kreuk should better earn her money with "Small Ville" because no one believes her role as the tough fighter. Neither no one believes in Neal McDonough as the immortal super-baddie (who somehow has sent his soul into his unborn daughters body while unintentionally assisted at her birth – why? No idea! Has it helped him in any way? No! What’s it all about? Just ask the writer!). Michael Duncan Clarke as the right hand only snorting flexes his biceps until his CGI death; Robin Shou may talk worldly wisdoms intelligible to nursery school and tossing lightning energy balls through the neighborhood. And as special tidbits Chris Klein as FBI/Interpol/CIA/NASA bod and Moon Bloodgood as Thai Police Officer (sic!) may send their shallow-brained talent into the john. On the director’s chair the native cameraman Andrzej Bartkowiak took a seat, who, after DOOM screwed up the next game blast. Ah, fine this maintains at least a splendid appearance…. For screen writer Justin Marks it was by the way his motion picture debut – and one can’t say he should make an application with it. The fights are short with lots of wire works and even staged with more computer gimmicks, the shootouts like in the yesterday’s western: Shoot, going down like flies and blood! There is little, sometimes (also in the rated PG) but only CGI splatters. No, all in all it is crap which only could be enjoyed by the hardcore fans below the age of 16.

Versions

As recently common there is besides the rated PG also the unrated version released on DVD for the US home market. The good news: This time really only violent scenes have been added but that doesn’t improve the movie. Furthermore both versions are on one DVD so you don’t have to spent more money. Besides the main movie in anamorphic WS 2.35 with a proper 5.1 rumpus sound and some subtitles the extras are quite acceptable whereas especially the anime "Street Fighter Round One: Fight!" is standing out in full length. Apart from that there are an unrated audio comment, deleted scenes and some other features on the DVD. So the specials are much better than the movie itself.

15:58 Min.
Maya and Nash find the cut off heads of the mafia bosses. In the unrated version there is a closer pan shot over the heads whereas the rated PG stays with the cops. There is no running time difference.

Unrated:	PG-13:

50:06 Min.
Directly after the incidence in the disco Bison, Balrog and Cantana are at the workout. Here are different takes in both versions whereas the unrated is the more tougher version. In the unrated version Bison hits
hard more times and blood auirts onto his face. The camaera zooms on Balrog: "That is one though cookie." A knee shot and Cantane blood soaked and hanging on the ceiling appears on the screen. Bison says: "She most certainly was." Then a frontal close-up of her bloody face and Bison hits her hard. From this hit the first single frames are also missing.
Duration about 10 sec.
In the rated PG Bison hits twice less and no blood splattering. Cut onto Balrog: "That Cantana is one tough cookie". Bisons answer is also included however it is, together with the noise of the hit, layed under the longer shown shot of Balrog. With the last single frames of the hit the rated PG restarts.
Duration about 6 sec.
Total difference: ( 4 sec. )

Unrated:	PG-13:

50:20 Min.
Bison: "But she'd said enough. The damage was done". The following dialog is included in both versions but with alternative frame settings. Balrog: "You think wie gotta change the plans?" Bison: "Unfortunately, we do. Get the insurance policy. Call Vega." There is no important running time difference.

Unrated:	PG-13:

50:31 Min.
However the unrated version runs a little longer directly after. Balrog leaves and the noise of the slammed door can be heard in the off. Bison strokes Cantana’s bloody face: "You broke my heart." He then tenderly kisses her and leaves. The camera fades in a close-up onto the bloody face of the presumably dead.
( 20,5 sec. )

54:24 Min.
Review: When the young Bison walks into the cavern together with his pregnant wife both versions end up differently. Started from the close-up of the swollen abdomen. Only in the unrated version blood splatters into the young Bison’s face who offscreen much more rummages around in the abdomen followed by ashot of the cavern wall. Then again Bison appears on the screen with the baby in his arms (the bloody head can be seen). Only in the unrated is face is blood soaked. On the other hand in the rated PG the shot of Bison is very short and bloodless. Then there is a shadow play on the wall of the explantation of the baby. Cut on Bison, at the lower border of the screen the baby’s head shortly appears and Bison’s face is clean.
Unrated = about. 31,5 sec.
PG = about. 17 sec.
Total difference = ( 14,5 sec. )

Unrated:	PG-13:

82:25 Min.
When Nash holds the crook as a shield in front of him and when he then got hit the unrated version is blessed with more CGI-blood.

Unrated:	PG-13:

82:27 Min.
The shot into the head which Nash fires onto the shooter is shortened by some single frames in the rated PG version at the beginning.
( 7 SF )

87:59 Min.
The last take of the dying Bison is as well a little different. The unrated version runs minmal longer besides some blood pours out of his mouth. To compensate the running time difference the following sequence of Chun-Li starts a little earlier.

Unrated:	PG-13: