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We finally did it: we took on the Street Fighter II animated movie. But is it any good, what's with those easter eggs, what's going on with Zangeif's shins, did we really watch one of the most realistic home invasion scenes in a video game movie, and (most importantly) how did we rate the movie?
psst. we've done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.
This is actually a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click here to check out the full show notes..
Content Warning
As this is an episode about a both PG13 rated movie, a fighting game that it's based on, and the fact that there are scenes with... shall we say "fan service", we'd advise a little caution for this episode. There's nothing explicitly terrible in this episode, but the subject matter can be pretty rough.
There are a few swears toward the end of the episode, but none which should be too offensive.
Please listen responsibly.
Show Notes
Remember when they talked about the Hollywood made Street Fighter movie back in episode 95 with Z-Boi? Well, Squidge and Jay wanted to tackle the Japanese animated movie which came out before it.
But before that, Squidge broke in with a great intro of his own:
From active time battling to zombie slaying, waffling Taylors covers video games and beyond.
In this episode, me and Jay cover the 1994 animated movie Street Fighter II. We cover everything from realistic fear and tension, derpy face fighters and Sith lords. Yes, I said Sith Lords. You'll have to listen out for it.
So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Street Fighter II - Vintage Testosterone and Walnut Cracking Thighs". Oh my.
Enjoy.
— Squidge
Basic Info on the Movie
And before they could talk about the movie, Squidge dropped the bomb that it came out 30 years ago—or longer, if you're listening in the future—which caused Jay to do some fist shaking at clouds:
That's just not fair. When did it become 30 years ago? That's not fair.
— Jay
But fret not, as it's only 20 years since Final Fantasy X was released. So there's that.
And Squidge continues with the knowledge drops by giving us some background on the movie:
So the film was released in August 1994 in Japan in all of its uncut, uncensored glory, because it's different in Japan than it is in Europe and America—censors and all the rest of that.
Street Fighter II Turbo came out on the Genesis or Mega Drive, depending on where you are, in February 1994. So a certain character being in the movie is an Easter egg. But I digress.
To see an uncut, uncensored version of this film, you would have to wait till 2006, when The japanese version of the film was released so everyone could get a hold of it. And that was uncensored and uncut because there's a particular scene or series of sequences that were cut for "British Sensibilities." It wasn't too bad in the States, but certain things were still cut as well.
— Squidge
And that certain character is...
Initial Thoughts
There is no way that gamers of a certain vintage and demographic (one that both Squidge and Jay are both part of) will have not played Street Fighter II, and as Jay says:
I would argue that this movie versus the Hollywood movie sticks way closer to the source material. Like it's actually following what little story there is in the Street Fighter II the game.
Whereas Street Fighter the [Hollywood] movie...
— Jay
And Z-Boi summed up the Hollywood movie pretty well when he said:
And of course, at the end of the movie, they have the one photograph that people would take at a cosplay convention because it was cosplay.
— Z-Boi
However, where the animated movie sticks closely to the plot, it doesn't have a woman running around amid chaos holding a shoe, or a Shadaloo soldier cradling his favourite gun rather intimately.
And Jay sums up his feelings about this movie (which he hadn't seen before making this episode) vs the Hollywood movie in this way:
The Hollywood movie that came out later, kept my attention. Like, I couldn't take my eyes off of the screen. It was entertaining.
But this movie is just like, if you were lucky enough in 1994 to see this one and then go see the live action one. I am so sorry, because I saw them the other way around. Like, I never saw the animated movie until we did it for this [episode], right. And so I'd seen the live action movie in my childhood. We saw it together as kids. We watched it again for when we did the episode with Z Boy.
But I'd never seen the animated movie. And I am so glad that I saw them in this order because let me tell you, folks, the Hollywood movie is such a let down after you've seen this one.
— Jay
Whereas Squidge was more succinct in his description:
I will put it in my own mannerisms, which was, I watched the Hollywood film, then I watched the anime and quite simply, bricks where $h@! in the comparison. I can't put it any other way.
— Squidge
Full Show Notes
Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.
What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.
psst. we've done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.
Links of Interest
Signing Off... For Now
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