Street Fighter (1994)

Street Fighter was written and directed by Steven E. de Souza. It is based loosely on the same-titled video games produced by Capcom, and stars Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Raul Julia, along with supporting performances by Byron Mann, Damian Chapa, Kylie Minogue, Ming-Na and Wes Studi.

The film altered the plot of the original game and motives of the Street Fighter characters. It also significantly lightened the tone of the adaptation, inserting several comical interludes (for instance one particular fight scene between E. Honda and Zangief pays homage to the old Godzilla films).

The film was a commercial success, making approximately three times its production costs, but was universally panned by critics and fans of the video game series alike. However, Raul Julia’s performance as General M. Bison was widely praised and garnered him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Saturn Awards. Julia, who at the time was suffering from stomach cancer (as evidenced by his pale and gaunt facial complextion throughout the movie), took the role at the request of his two children. This was Julia’s final theatrical performance, and he died before the film’s release. The film is dedicated to his memory.