Street Fighter -The Legend of Chun-Li parents guide

Street Fighter -The Legend of Chun-Li Parent Guide

After watching numberless characters killed in this film for the sake of entertainment, I'm left wondering about the state of the movie industry's conscience as well.

Overall C-

Girl power takes on a martial arts flavor in Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. Based on a video game, Chun-Li (Kristin Kreuk) uses her special talents and training in the hopes of taking down a crime boss (Neil McDonough) whom she suspects is responsible for the death of her father.

Release date February 27, 2009

Violence D+
Sexual Content B-
Profanity B-
Substance Use B-

Why is Street Fighter -The Legend of Chun-Li rated PG-13? The MPAA rated Street Fighter -The Legend of Chun-Li PG-13 for sequences of violence and martial arts action, and some sensuality.

Run Time: 97 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

I’m always intrigued by audience demographics—especially at public performances where people have to pay to get in. I picked up a screening of Street Fighter: Legend of Chun-Li early on a Friday afternoon. Arriving a few minutes before the lights went out, I had a chance to look over my fellow viewers. Of the dozen or so people settled into their seats, most, by far, were men, not teens, but middle-aged men.

Street Fighter: Legend of Chun-Li hardly seems like an obvious pick for this segment of the population. And by the end of the film, I was still unenlightened as to why they would be there. Considering the tough economic times we are in, the script does offer some vile, illegal and immoral business strategies on dealing with plummeting real estate values—but hopefully these audience members aren’t that desperate.

On the other hand, Bison (Neal McDonough) is. During dinner in his extravagant home, the head of an organized crime group announces his plans to move into the territory of other corrupt families in the Bangkok slums. When the bosses protest Bison’s outrageous proposal, they are summarily decapitated on their way out the door. Their heads are then put on plates and arranged in similitude of Christ’s Last Supper. After receiving an anonymous tip, Detective Maya Sunee (Moon Bloodgood), the head of Bangkok’s gang unit, and Charlie Nash (Chris Klein), the chief Interpol investigator, come upon the gruesome site.

Nash has been trailing Bison around the world for months. Yet he remains unable to corral the high profile criminal. However, this latest plan, which involves the kidnapping of government officials’ children, the extortion of city leaders and mindless murder, has another opponent eager to shut down Bison.

Chun-Li (Kristin Kreuk) lives an enchanted childhood with her parents in exotic locations. But when her father is viciously attacked and then kidnapped while she watches from the stairs, her whole world changes. On the eve of her mother’s (Emilze Kirukhina) death, Chun-Li receives an elaborate scroll with intricate writing. After the funeral, the young girl takes the scroll to the heart of Hong Kong where she meets a woman who deciphers the hieroglyphics. Chun-Li is then sent on her way to Bangkok in search of the mysterious Gen (Robin Shou). A master fighter and leader of a secret organization, Gen prepares the girl to avenge the disappearance of her father by confronting Bison and his thugs.

An abundance of martial arts action pervades this film as characters fight with everything from saw blades and spiked heels to bamboo sticks and swords. Hoards of faceless soldiers, SWAT team members and innocent bystanders also fall victim to gunshots, explosions and gang violence. While relatively little blood is shown, the scenes that do include it are often gory. With little regard for others, Bison brutally beats his female colleague to death after she reveals some highly confidential information. He also callously breaks a man’s neck in front of his family.

Bison’s biggest fault appears to be his total lack of conscience and his willingness to do anything for a buck. Yet after watching numberless characters killed in this film for the sake of entertainment, I’m left wondering about the state of the movie industry’s conscience as well.

Starring Kristin Kreuk, Neal McDonough, Michael Clarke Duncan, Andrzej Bartkowi. Running time: 97 minutes. Theatrical release February 27, 2009. Updated

Street Fighter -The Legend of Chun-Li
Rating & Content Info

Why is Street Fighter -The Legend of Chun-Li rated PG-13? Street Fighter -The Legend of Chun-Li is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for sequences of violence and martial arts action, and some sensuality.

While hand-to-hand combat is a staple of this film, guns, missile firing devices, bombs, swords, saw blades and steam are other weapons used to inflict death or injury. The bloody corpse of a woman is seen after she is beaten to death. Characters are killed by snapping their necks. A woman is attacked by a masked man with a knife. While fighting in a public restroom, two female characters use spiked heels, sinks and bathroom stall doors as a way to inflict pain. A crime boss orders the decapitation of several other men. Sounds of their deaths are heard. Their bloody heads are seen plated on a table. Young male gang members attack older people in the subway and on the street. A female shop owner is robbed at gunpoint. Poor residents are shown living on the street or being driven from their homes. Later they rebel by throwing rocks and other items at the crime members. Government officials have their children kidnapped and are subjected to extortion and force. The cries of a pregnant woman are heard when her baby is supposedly ripped from her body. A man is pushed from a rooftop and dies in front of his daughter. A woman wears low-cut tank tops. Other female characters are shown pole dancing at a club. A man begins to undress his wife. Brief sexual comments are made. Infrequent profanities and scatological slang are used. Characters drink at dinner and in social settings. A woman eyes other female dancers at a club and begins to make sexual advances towards one of them.

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Street Fighter -The Legend of Chun-Li Parents' Guide

Chun-Li’s father believes in standing up for what is right, even when standing is difficult. Chun-Li does that by confronting Bison and his thugs. What are ways (hopefully less violent) that individuals can take a stand for right in their own communities? Is it possible for people to work together to improve their neighborhoods?

Why must Chun-Li learn to control her anger? Why does the mastery of martial arts involve so much personal discipline?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Street Fighter -The Legend of Chun-Li movie is June 30, 2009. Here are some details…

Release Date: 30 June 2009
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li: Unleashed & Unrated, releases as a two-disc DVD set. It is presented in widescreen, with audio tracks in 5.1 Dolby Surround (English) and subtitles in English, French and Spanish.

The two-disc Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li: Unleashed & Unrated on Blu-ray is also presented in widescreen. Audio tracks are available n 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio (English), with subtitles in English, French and Spanish.

Both versions offer the following bonus features:
- The theatrical and unrated version of the movie.
- Audio Commentary by Patrick Aiello, Ashok Amritraj, Neal McDonough and Chris Klein
- 14 Deleted Scenes
- Marvel vs. Capcom 2: Sneak Peek
- Becoming a Street Fighter
- Chun Li: Bringing the Legend to Life
- Fox Movie Channel Presents Making A Scene
- Recreating the Game: Arcade to Film Comparisons
- The Fight in Black and White: Storyboard Gallery
- Behind the Fight: Production Gallery
- Street Fighter Round One: FIGHT! (An animated comic movie)

Related home video titles:

Female characters show their martial arts prowess in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. In a more family-friendly venue, Mulan disguises herself as a boy and trains as a soldier in the Chinese army.