Street Fighter: 10 Things About The Terrible Movie That Are Actually Amazing

Street Fighter – Steven E. de Souza’s 1994 live action adaptation of the best-selling video game franchise of the same name – is an objectively terrible movie. Its plot is nonsensical, its dialogue is atrocious and its connection to the games themselves is superficial at best. So, yeah – it’s a bit of a trainwreck.

And yet…we kinda love it. Indeed, taken on its own terms – as a gleefully unapologetic action romp that borrows heavily from other, decidedly better film series like James Bond – Street Fighter is undeniably entertaining. We don’t mean that in an ironic sense, either (or at least, not entirely). On the contrary, here’s a list of things in Street Fighter that are actually amazing!

10 The OTT Awesomeness Of Raul Julia

There are scenery-chewing performances, and then there’s the late Raul Julia’s turn as Street Fighter baddie General M. Bison. Purists will no doubt cringe at this campy interpretation of the video game franchise’s ruthless arch-villain – which paints the General as something of a buffoon – but there’s no faulting Julia himself.

The respected Puerto Rican character actor delivers Bison’s dubious dialogue with the same skill he brought to Broadway plays, elevating the sub-par script in the process. Sure, Julia lacks the imposing physique Bison is known for – terminally ill during filming, bulking up wasn’t really an option for the veteran thespian – but the sheer magnetism he brings to the role singles him out as one of the flick’s few unqualified delights.

9 The Costumes

On the one hand, Street Fighter is a textbook example of why faithfully replicating the flamboyant costumes characters sport in video games or comics in a live action film is a bad idea. After all, there’s a reason why even the Marvel Cinematic Universe – which has largely embraced the colorful spandex aesthetic of its source material – has shied away from incorporating the more impractical aspects of its characters’ iconic attire.

But on the other hand, it’s hard not to appreciate Deborah Kramer’s approach to costume design on Street Fighter, which eschews bland realism in favor of more visually appealing (if utterly illogical) game-accurate clothing. What’s more, some of the outfits devised by Kramer work pretty well in context – particularly the military garb rocked modeled by M. Bison and Guile – although the less said the awful prosthetics used to realize monster-man Blanka, the better…

8 The Humor

Most fans of the Street Fighter video game series were expecting its 1994 big screen counterpart to be a relatively straight-faced affair. They were decidedly disappointed when the movie was jam-packed with goofy gags. We can certainly sympathize, as Street Fighter’s off-beat sense of humor (which is cheesier than an overstocked fromagerie) certainly isn’t for everyone.

However, we’d be lying if we didn’t admit to digging the film’s infectiously whimsical sensibilities. Whether it’s Russian powerhouse Zangief’s moronic cry of “Quick, change the channel!” to avert the disaster unfolding during a live telecast, or M. Bison planning future stronghold’s food court, we defy you not to snort with amusement at least once during Street Fighter’s 102-minute runtime.

7 The Easter Eggs

Street Fighter is surprisingly light on easter eggs, especially by the standards set by today’s fan service-heavy blockbusters. That’s not to say that there aren’t any shout-outs to the original video games in the movie, as there still quite a few – and several of these references are actually pretty cool.

Just off the top of our heads, we’d highlight the Buddha statue from Sagat’s stage which adorns his hideout in the film, the exchange between Guile and Bison that recycles pre and post-fight dialogue in Street Fighter II, and the controls of Bison’s hovering command station – which mirror those of a Street Fighter arcade cabinet. But best (or worst) of all, the film’s closing shot features our heroes recreating their video game victory poses!

6 The Characters’ Special Moves

A common criticism of Street Fighter is its failure to showcase any of the video game franchise’s famous special moves. It’s true that Steven E. de Souza intentionally dialed back the mystical aspects of the mythos – in a 1994 interview with GamePro, the director revealed his plans to explore Street Fighter’s supernatural side in a sequel – but that doesn’t mean that superpowered attacks are entirely absent from the finished film.

Yes, how these special moves are portrayed can often be lacking – Ryu’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Hadoken is the prime offender in this regard – but Ken, M. Bison, Cammy, Vega, and Balrog all perform subdued versions of at least one of their special moves. Indeed, there’s something to be said for seeing Jean-Claude Van Damme executing Guile’s signature Flash Kick (sans any visible flash effect, sadly) with expert precision.

5 The Dialogue

The dialogue in Street Fighter was never going to win the film a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar – but that doesn’t mean it’s not a quotable outing. So many of the cast’s lines are so unbelievably hammy that they somehow circle back to being oddly brilliant, which is why we’re still quoting the movie to this day.

As you’d expect, Street Fighter’s greatest lines are reserved for antogonist M. Bison. From lamenting his ongoing struggle with the forces of good (“All I want to do is rule the world, is that so much to ask?”) to casually dismissing a past war crime (“For you, the day Bison graced your village was the most important of your life. But for me … it was Tuesday”), everything Bison has to say is as entertaining as it is patently ludicrous.

4 The Bonkers Plot

The plot of the Street Fighter movie diverges dramatically from the martial arts tournament-based narrative that (loosely) ties together the game it’s based on, Street Fighter II. To be honest, we don’t blame Steven E. de Souza for jettisoning the competitive fighting angle, either. Unlike rival franchise Mortal Kombat, there’s nothing in the established lore to really sell audiences on the idea that only one-on-one fisticuffs can save the world.

That said, it doesn’t really seem like logic was a major concern here – at least, not if de Souza’s replacement story is anything to go by. The screenplay includes a news crew comprised of a ninja, an ex-boxer and a disgraced sumo out for revenge (natch), conmen martial artists trying to hoodwink a one-eyed arms dealer and his cage fighter goon, and to top it all off, a bombastic villain obsessed with world domination. Insane, stupid…and maybe just a little brilliant?

3 The Tone

We’ve touched on the humor in Street Fighter already, but the overall tone of this would-be tentpole blockbuster deserves kudos, too. While a po-faced live action incarnation of Street Fighter is the most obvious take on the subject matter – and it’s almost certainly what fans really wanted – the 1994 adaptation’s disarmingly breezy vibe is actually a masterstroke.

After all, the franchise’s canon is so delightfully ridiculous – filled with fireball-slinging martial artists and limb-stretching yogis – that we really can’t see it working as an overly dark affair. Could the movie have taken itself a bit more seriously? Sure. But we reckon a full-blown grim ‘n’ gritty approach would’ve ended in failure, as well.

2 The Fight Scenes

Principal photography on Street Fighter was infamously troubled, with Raul Julia’s poor health, Jean-Claude Van Damme’s substance abuse problems, and volatile weather all contributing to a difficult shoot. These troubles extended to preparations for the film’s numerous action sequences, with the actors’ fight training bearing the brunt of the disrupted schedule.

That said, you wouldn’t know about any of this just by watching the movie itself. If the fights in Street Fighter tend to skew a tad too far on the brief side, they’re at least solidly performed – especially the brawl that pits Ken and Ryu against Sagat and Vega late in proceedings (underwhelming Hadoken notwithstanding).

1 The Massive Ensemble

It ain’t easy juggling a large ensemble cast – yet somehow, Steven E. de Souza managed to find a place in Street Fighter for all 12 iconic characters from Street Fighter II’s roster. Admittedly, several characters get short shrift – Blanka and Dhalsim mostly just sit around, waiting for the climax to roll around – but everybody you’d expect (plus three out of the four “New Challengers” added in Super Street Fighter II) is present and accounted for.

Now, you may not agree with the actual characterization of Ryu, Chun-Li, Guile and the rest of gang in Street Fighter. Indeed, you almost certainly won’t. However, it’s still undeniably impressive that de Souza was able to squeeze so many the franchise’s heroes and villains into one film.

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