Bison also has another enemy in the trio of Chun Li (Ming Na), E. Honda (Peter Navy Tuiasosopo) and Balrog (Grand L. Bush), a news team that has each been impacted by Bison's tyranny and evil in their own lives.
Meanwhile in other Shadaloo news, con artists Ryu (Byron Mann) and Ken (Damian Chapa) attempt to swindle Shadaloo crime lord Victor Sagat (Wes Studi), but are caught. In turn, Ryu is put up against Sagat's right hand man Vega (some dude with a pwitty face). Before the fight can commence, they are captured by the A.N. and stuff goes on that will spoil the film if repeated.
Street Fighter is not a movie a professor at a film school is going to take out and say is a masterpiece. In all truth, it isn't. What it is though, is a cheesy entertaining action film. It feels like a film that would have felt right at home in the 1980's, with its cheesy one-liners and almost ridiculous (okay ALL ridiculous) plot. That's no coincidence: the writer/director, Steven E. de Souza, wrote The Running Man, an Ah-Nuld futuristic action film that will be on this site someday in this very column.
Raul Julia, in his final film role before his untimely death, gives the performance of the film as General M. Bison. He uses enough of his legitimate acting prowess and mixes in the cheese to create a villain that is memorable and should go down as one of the greatest action villains ever. If it had been anyone else, I doubt that the role would have been done nearly as well.
Van Damme is okay, but he's at his usual JCVD-ness, which means he's good with the action, and bad with the dialogue. Plus, he sports a U.S. flag on his shoulder and he very obviously not American whatsoever.
Another thing I dug was its use of SF characters in the film. It seems like everyone is in this (Guile, Chun Li, Blanka, Dhalsim, Ryu, Ken, Sagat, Zangief, etc.), and instead of just having them show for just one scene and disappear (I'm looking at you Mortal Kombat: Annihilation!), they all have roles. Granted, it's far removed from the legitimate SF mythos and they waste some of the characters (Dhalsim especially who is just a nerdy scientist and not at all like the guru in the game), but at least they have them there for a reason. I respect the film for doing that.
I also respect the film for throwing in game references as well, especially in Bison's compound. When he's trying to destroy Guile's ship remotely, the controls he uses are the exact ones from the Street Fighter 2 arcade game. That is just plain awesome, and a cool nod to the hardcore nerds/me.
Street Fighter was maligned in its release and the years after, but some of us have come to respect and like it for how lame it is and cheesy it is. It's a fun movie that doesn't take itself too seriously and while it toys with the "sacred" mythos of the game, it still manages to fit in the game characters in an actual meaningful way. Everyone who hated this movie...you're older now. You're less bitter. Give this one a shot. You'll thank me when you have new material to quote.