Street Fighter Saga (VCI)
Picture: C+ Sound: B- Extras: C+ Films: B
The early 1970’s Martial Arts
film craze started by the film Five Fingers of Death (1973) spawned
hundreds of imitators, but beyond the work of the immortal Bruce Lee, not many
martial artists were able to stand out from the crowd. A notable exception to this was the work of
Sonny Chiba, and specifically his Street Fighter series of films
released from 1974 – 1979. As many of
his fans already know, Chiba possesses the same aura of imminent violence that
Bruce Lee projected in Enter the Dragon (1973). It is this sense of impending danger that
makes Chiba’s screen presence in these films so vibrant.
In fact, Chiba’s
presence manages to come through despite the sometimes-choppy transfers in the
four films. However, there are times
when the films’ graininess and poor color spoil the intricate ballet of
violence the various directors are trying to portray. The dubbed English dialogue of the films also suffers from spotty
sound quality, and in a few cases, characters’ voices inexplicably change from
scene to scene. In spite of this, the
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound and non-anamorphic wide-screen transfers provide
credible reproductions of films rarely seen on television (although sharp-eyed
viewers will catch glimpses of Chiba in action in certain background scenes of
Tony Scott’s Tarantino-scripted True Romance).
In terms of substance the four
films in this boxed set (The Street Fighter, Return
of the Street Fighter, Sister Street Fighter, and The Street
Fighter's Last Revenge) are all plagued by similar problems. Formulaic plots, improbable action, and
spotty continuity cause the viewer to blanch on occasion, but strong
performances by Chiba and a host of great character actors make all of the
films solid martial arts fare. In fact,
it is the martial arts choreography and Chiba’s unique style that combines to
make the Street Fighter films such satisfying experiences. Extreme, almost campy violence often
punctuates Chiba’s fight scenes, as the lanky Karate-expert deals death to his
foes in innumerable and ever more creative ways. In one scene in Return of the Street Fighter,
Chiba, playing the role of hard-bitten martial arts mercenary Sonny Sugury,
strikes a thug so hard on the back of his head his eyes literally fall out of
their sockets! Silly? Perhaps, but Chiba’s on-screen presence, his
aura of violence, lends him a credibility that makes such scenes work.
The boxed set is short on extras, but does include
a nice filmography of Chiba’s marvelous career, which spans over one hundred
films and four decades. Some
biographical information on Chiba is also included. The menus are clear and usable, but otherwise unimpressive. Not included in the filmography of course is
Chiba’s latest work in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill. Chiba’s film legacy is recognized by
filmmakers like Tarantino, because his distinctive style has left an indelible
mark on the genre of martial arts cinema.
There is no better proof of this than the raw, frenetic, sometimes
bellicose films of the Street Fighter Saga.
- Scott Pyle
