Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist (2014) User Reviews

A reasonable review. - 6 of 10

[deadsenator · 6/10 · 12 June 2014]

I enjoy martial arts movies of all ilk, so perhaps you should know that.

I see reviews for this film at both extremes. Folks gushing seemingly uncontrollably about it and others condemning it completely. I have no dog in this fight. As of this writing, there are 3,146 voters rating this film at 8.4. I will state that there are many fabulous and fantastic films out there done to much higher standards that are currently ranked lower than this film. This is no insult to this film, as it was done with limited resources, but eight point four seems a bit high for the quality we have here. I will certainly give it a solid six.

I think fans of the genre are the ones most likely to see this film, so the high rating is understandable in that regard. Furthermore, it was aired initially as a webisode. I sort of stumbled on the movie and decided to watch it despite my no great attachment to the Street Fighter genre. I played the game back in the day, but that's about it. I had a rudimentary understanding of who the prime characters were, but had to learn the others. Fortunately, there are few. This film employed simple locations and scenery, and it all felt right except for a powerline swath of trees going up one hillside that kept showing up in shots. It dragged me away from their world if but only for a moment. A distraction.

Otherwise, the production value seemed decent and I settled in to watched it. I actually found the acting and writing a bit rough at first blush. It had a thinner, made for teevee feel (crude dialog excepted), but perhaps it was more of a mini-series quality since it also runs so long (2hr20min). I decided to take the roughness as 'quaint' and some of the dialog as 'real-world' and that made it work for me, but I wondered about the director. So I looked up the details and learned that this was an independent "work of love" project by the young director/actors/writers/martial artists Joey Ansah and Christian Howard, who are also fans of the genre. Well, that sort of explains that then. Still getting his director legs under himself seems plausible, but his passion for the story pushes it along. The writing seemed rough at times, but flowed fine elsewhere. There was an unevenness, but I feel their enthusiasm added a positive element to the film and I like that. It allows me to look past its rough edges and we're getting a richer back story because of it. No, that doesn't fix the acting or the cringes in some odd scenes, but the characters were done well enough and I was engaged with all of them, even our nemesis. It would be impossible for me to pick apart any of the details of the story as I have not followed the genre, but I enjoyed the story well enough.

Only one other reviewer I read complained about this next item: the ending. ***This could be considered a spoiler***, so you can stop reading now if you deeply care, but I am sure someday I will understand why the film sort of just petered out. I was missing the traditional climax culminating from the struggle between the characters. There was some very good tension built up in that struggle and then there was none of the expected satisfaction. I was not frustrated, but instead disappointed. I would watch a sequel of the same making (same film style) and perhaps that is the intent. I don't know. It may have been a singular work of love. Should a second 'episode' get funded, I would expect better from Ansah and Howard and I would suppose they could do it.

Fans of the genre will love it while fans of martial arts movies should like it as I did, too. Fans of movies will have to decide for themselves.

Low budget, average quality, high spirit

[siderite · 8/10 · 14 June 2014]

I always rate movies based on their niche, so I would not compare a fan made martial arts film inspired from a game to a Hollywood big production. Also, I've seen this as a two hours twenty minutes film, not a bunch of episodes. That being given, I enjoyed watching Assassin's Fist (even if I think the name is completely misguided) and I appreciated, as I see many others have, the strong Street Fighter feel. If you look carefully at the battle between Ken and Ryu you see a lot of the trademark game moves, which were carefully choreographed in a believable fighting scene, which I think is both commendable and very difficult.

Now, the film is an origin story, it doesn't contain much fighting and it only concerns the two characters who had disappointingly identical fighting styles in the game: Ken and Ryu. You get the typical dojo Master/pupil story (Street Fighter Kids would have been a better title). I really haven't played any version of SF newer than 2, so I don't know how the mythos evolved in the game, but if you think about it, this is not really a film inspired by the game, but by the small text boxes explaining who each character was :)

In conclusion: the acting and directing were not perfect, but if you look at the cast, you realize that they did a decent job for their experience. The story is a little frustrating, given that every "master" in it is concealing and even destroying information rather than sharing it with his pupils, in order to "protect" them, fact which of course leaves them completely powerless against certain "dark" techniques. It also ends in a sort of cliffhanger, which sucked. But the spirit of the film was really close to what I would think of a Street Fighter game. I enjoyed watching it and at the end I wanted to see the continuation.

Then again, I thought the VanDamme movie was OK, too. The only strong problem I see with this model of Street Fighter movies is that if you make so much effort to describe the origin of just two characters, we will get to see a tournament film somewhere in 2050. Personally I can't wait to see a Blanka bit, though.

Best adaptation so far. Really!

[mirwais-orbit · 7/10 · 22 November 2019]

When we talk about Street Fighter live adaptations it's almost impossible not cringe. The opinions unanimously travel from laughable to awful.

The reasons for that are obvious. The game is a fantasy driven fighting genre. Stereotyped characters, over the top vilains, lack of story and characters development. All elements that together may not be important for a fighting game, but doesn't make a live adaptation consistent enough.

Some fans dare to say that Street Fighter games has a story, and the same about each character. Well, in fact the game never had a story, neither its characters. What the game had was a brief information about each one, the necessary to give them reasons to be in the tournment and to give players reasons to have a personal interest for a specific character. And that's all.

Of course that, as the game series evolved, the same happened to its story and characters. Either way, all the fantasy surrounding its universe can make live adaptations dread easily.

But Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist is a special case among live adaptations of the game. Curiously the cheap production is never a reason to call it a bad adaptation. The poor costume design and make up incredibly never overshadows other qualities too.

When I pressed the play button on Amazon Prime, I did it because I was sure that I would fall asleep easily. I had in my head that no way that production would caught my attention. And I was wrong about it.

Yeah, at the very begging, when sansei screams the attack movement, I laughed out loud and I though: the horror show begins.

At first I couldn't stop looking at that awful wig on Christian Howard's head, or some bad acting between them, no matter how much they wanted to make it right. The colors of Ken and Ryu's gloves were so cartoon-ished that looked like being made of paper.

But then the story was revealing itself, developing each character as it should. Filling gaps and showing some consistency. The relationship between Ken and Ryu was exactly how fans created during the decades, and the same about their personality.

I don't know if Christian Howard is a fan of the games, because he knew exactly what he was doing on screenplay. The self centered and well educated Ryu; the impatient and arrogant Ken; the friendship filled with pinches of an unharmy rivalry. Both characters building the same path but by different means, giving reasons to understand why their fighting styles are the same and their strength are equivalent, more than believe that game producers did that only to reuse game's special effects sprites. Something that no adaptation have done properly until then.

The great surprise about it all was the fighting scenes. No stunt actors, no editing tricks abuse. Most of the fighting scenes were real movements from different martial arts, even the classic air kick given by Christian in the 1st fighting scene was real and felt incredible on the camera. It was just about muscles and techniques exposed, well crafted choreographed fights, some of them with real body impacts.

Really, the internet mini-series turned into a 2 hours movie is the best live adaptation of the game that no big studio dared to make. Don't pay attention to its cheap look or lack of art design, what you need to be entertained on a way that few fighting movies do are there.

Impressive, and congratulations to Christian Howard for the incredible consistence he gave to the story and characters with so few on his hand.

Excellent series. True to the gaming roots!

[burhanrajbhoy · 10/10 · 28 May 2014]

If you are a fan of the original SF games, you will love this. This series gives new birth to the street fighter franchise. It sticks to the authenticity of the game series and does a great job of portraying the street fighter characters that you loved as a child. The action sequences are amazing and executed very well along with the special effects which are not over the top.

The story is very well scripted and is true to the video games.The origin story of Ryu and Ken is very authentic and the focus on the details makes it satisfying to watch. The creators of the show have done a great job of capturing all the little details that make the characters so memorable.

As a hardcore fan of the street fighter games I hope this is the start of something great and look forward to future episodes. Would love to see more of the characters being introduced into the series. Shoryuken!!!

Finally a decent SF story

[craigshaunhenry · 2 June 2014]

Street Fighter Assassin's Fist: Finally the story we have been waiting for, the way it was meant to be told. A brief but comprehensive history of the Ansatsuken fighting technique, the mythos that surrounds it and the destiny of 2 brothers and the paths they follow .From the masters that perfected the technique through the generations.

Hollywood has traditionally failed fighting game genres like street fighter with over the top fight scenes and special effect coupled with a weak storyline.SFAF does not fall in this trap , instead focusing on the story of the fighters,the history behind them and their motivation. The fight scenes are brilliantly done because they are integrated in a believable way, as the warriors practice and understanding of the ansatsuken technique grows.

For such a low budget offering, the storyline and "feel" of street fighter is faithfully upheld and expounded upon, this is my favourite rendition yet, culminating in the rivalry and friendship of Ken and Ryu....Very well done and thank you!!!

Saw it all at once- didn't quite win me over.

[DarthPaul85 · 6/10 · 9 November 2014]

So first let me say that I'm a huge street fighter fan.

A lot of people seem to love this, but I was kind of left cold. Also, I didn't know this was a TV series- I saw it as a "movie" (all 180 minutes in one sitting). As you can imagine, I was constantly annoyed that this "movie" felt like a really drawn out TV show...so I'll try not to complain too much about pacing and call-backs, but I still have lots of positives and negatives to share: +The attention to visual details is awesome- especially in the choreography. The moves and poses the characters make could be taken directly from the game. This is the only street fighter movie/show I've ever seen that consistently keeps the choreography consistent with the game for every fight (for better or worse...).

+Ken. He is the best part of the show, and for the most part he's fun to watch (when he's given something to do).

+Acting (for most). Goki and Goken were very good, and Gotetsu was amazing. The show could have just focused on him.

+Imagery. Occasionally, the show has some great shots- but these are few and far between...

+True to canon. For the most part, this is what I thought the back story should be based on the video game.

So now what I didn't like: -Too limited! My major complaint is that the show feels too limited in scope. Seeing the same sets used for 180 minutes straight was very tiresome. I was dying to see them leave the damn dojo and go do something! Maybe this is because it was a low-budget thing? Even so, the writing didn't quite sparkle on its own either, which leads me to...

-Lackluster script. My second biggest complaint is that the script lacks heart. I didn't care about Ryu at all (and he's my favorite character!) and though the actor playing Ken was great, he was barely given lines to work with at all. Even the all-important back story with Goki and Goken was so abrupt and choppy that it felt completely unreal to me. Everything that was supposed to be important and emotional felt rushed and under-developed. The actors tried their best, but almost none of the lines gave them any personality or edge. The characters felt 2-dimensional (so to speak) and lifeless.

-Sterile action. I love the attention given the individual moves and imagery from the game, but there comes a point where you need to loosen up a bit and get gritty. The camera work is all so controlled and remote; it felt like the whole damn movie was one medium shot and one wide shot. I always felt aware of the camera, and the characters were always at a "safe distance." There is so much redundancy in the camera moves, the action, and the choreography that the whole thing really lost my interest (visually) after the first hour.

-Repetitive story structure. What bugged me the most about the "story" is that nothing happens or is motivated. Every "day" in the characters lives is the same; they're always sparring, or getting lectured, or standing still, and it gets old really fast. On top of that, their training is just plain dull. There's nothing at stake, and no reason for us to want them to succeed. There's ONE scene that takes place in the city, and it's the only time these characters even *remotely* feel like real people.

So that's pretty much it. Overall, I think it's a wonderful tribute to the game, but apart from a few good fight scenes and spot-on imagery, everything else in this productions feels sterile, limited, and unmotivated. Maybe it works better watching it 21-minutes at a time, but I find it hard to believe it would be much more intriguing that way.

Check out the anime series instead- Street Fighter 2 V. It's so much more satisfying and tells a much more interesting story.

Finally STREET FIGHTER is done RIGHT !!

[grae_manta · 10/10 · 1 June 2014]

After years of disappointment from Hollywood putting out horrible films of this beloved video game franchise, now we have an independent director come and do the film JUSTICE! This was just greatness. I've played Street Fighter all my life and now recently have become an even bigger fan because of this movie. Street Fighter Assassins Fist is what the fans have wanted for so long!!!!!

I applaud everyone who put their hard work into doing this project and hope for many more in the series to continue!! It also inspires me as a martial artist to continue my training further. The movie really goes in depth storyline wise and that is what makes this project such a beautiful thing- sticking to the script!!! Why is that so difficult for Hollywood directors to understand ::shaking my head::? BRAVO on a job well done guys!!!! I'll be watching for future projects!

Very Decent

[athena24 · 7/10 · 20 September 2015]

I think that 'Less Is More' perfectly fits "Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist". It didn't try to be all in one. The plot is confined to tell the story of four 'Street Fighter' characters: Goken, Akuma, Ken and Ryu. The acting is flawed, but it's good enough for this type of movie. The special and visual effects are made decently. The score is great and adds a lot. Finally, fight choreography is very good and very pleasant for the eye so the overall impression of "Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist" is very positive.

I didn't care much about 'how true was the plot to the game?', but it looked coherent so I found it to be quite interesting. Moreover, it looked very mature relatively to its content, something that cannot be said about most of computer game adaptations. It is wrapped very well and I had a satisfactory feeling after watching it. It flows smoothly and can be perfectly watched as a movie (in fact I hope they will release it as a single movie on cable).

Another thing that I liked about "Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist" is that it doesn't contain violence. No gore or brutality, which is very prevalent today. I think it is suited well for the younger generation. It focuses on martial arts and training rather than violence.

Couple of words about the fight choreography. I looks very solid and visually pleasant. However, since it retells the story of practitioners of a single style, the fights share similarity.

The longest awaited game adaptation of all time...

[maoui84 · 10/10 · 28 May 2014]

When I was a kid, Street Fighter II was my game. Apparently, it also was Joey Ansah's, and Christian Howard's, as well as Mike Moh's!

All Street Fighter fans who loved the lore and the martial arts of the game were disappointed never to be given a rich, powerful representation of Ryu and Ken on screen, except for some great anime versions.

After a long wait (about 16 years for me), Joey and Christian announced that they wanted to make a live action adaptation, and after another year and a half, with hyped up expectations, their team unleashed Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist onto the world. It is truly phenomenal. As a fan, and one with extremely high expectations, I was amazed at how these were blown out of the water with the great story given us with SFAF.

Do they actually Tatsumaki? Yes. Do they Hadouken? Yes. Do they Shoryuken? Yes! (No spoilers here, they show it in the trailer)

And the story is indeed great: it is intricate, starts in medias res with very interesting developments throughout. The friendship between Ryu and Ken is endearing. It is for fans (with lots of little references to various elements of SF lore) as for people who have never heard of the game, and it's not just for male audiences, girls have really enjoyed it too! (And not just because of Christian Howard being topless a lot in it.)

On such a small budget, it is AMAZING what they have done. The dialogues are good, the characters are well developed, the fights are fantastic. The ending makes me cry, but also leaves me wanting more! More of Gouken, Akuma, Ken and a lot more of Ryu, knowing where the story can take us from here!

The most imposing actors in the movie for me were Igawa (no surprise there) but also Akira Koieyama, who can be very impressive and compelling. But you can also see that there is room for growth in the characters of Christian and Mike, who did a great job and will look even better is a sequel.

Regarding the cinematography, wow. The shots are great, with fantastic views and angles. The image gives off a warm vibe, a strength of colours which just feels good to me as a viewer.

I truly hope that Joey, Christian and their team will get the proper funding for many more features and will continue (soon!) to produce more of this great story on screen for us!

In the meantime, I just want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH JOEY, Christian, JACQUELINE, MIKE, TOGO, AKIRA, PATRICK, and all the others for the amazing work done on the show, and EVERYBODY, WATCH THIS MOVIE!!! It's available online on the Machinima website!!!

lots of fun, character driven action

[bkbirge · 6/10 · 24 June 2014]

I don't know beans about the video game this is based on other than I'm old enough to remember it in the arcades but as I've never been a fan of that kind of game I never really played it. So my review is as a casual martial arts movie fan...

This is character driven, make no mistake. There is a plot and it's not bad but the bulk of the movie is us all getting to know these characters and their backstories. 90% of the scenes are in one dojo in the woods and if you are craving lots of spectacle you will be disappointed. This is cut more from the old Kung-fu TV series style of cloth, where there are lots of scenes of characters training and struggling with inner motivations on their way to becoming masters. In that sense it follows a grand tradition of martial arts cinema and that's a good thing. A little magic, a bit of action, and a lot of character development is what you get here.

Most of it is set in the 80's with flashes back to the 60's and they did a good job of portraying those time periods without hitting us over the head with "hey it's the 80's". It's believable within the logic of the movie.

It is not without flaws. Pacing is slow and while I get that's on purpose there are some areas where it is just too slow. There is also a bit of scenery sameness, it's pretty much all in the woods. What they did with the budget is amazing but it is still noticeable that there wasn't much of one. And a blond badger apparently climbed onto the head of one of the main leads and died there.

Speaking of the acting, this is what carries the movie through the flaws. You can tell the actors were having fun with their particular archetypes they played out. It is their interactions that make the movie as interesting as it is.

I think if you are a fan of traditional martial arts movies, perhaps not as filled with explosive action as modern fare, you will like this. I hope they make more and I look forward to seeing where they take the characters.

Recommended.

Did not like it at all.

[WatchAndSmile · 3/10 · 3 August 2015]

I am inclined to believe all the 8-10star ratings are fake since it seems to be those people only reviewed this movie and nothing else. I watched the whole thing and I just can't give more than 3. The story is very primitive and narrow. The Nsync boy band fighters are a good laugh in the beginning until it becomes boring. Fighting scenes are OK at the most and perhaps fit the people who like those Chinese movies with flying monks, magic and other fake stuff. To me, it looked very fake. Everything from fighting scenes to the magical stuff perhaps can fit kids,but as an adult I can't force myself to take it all serious in any way or form.

Acting is not very good at all. This is one of the main reason I was surprised to hear from those allegedly fake reviewers how they liked the acting as acting was pretty bad. Same goes for directing and of course the camera work - all what you'd expect from a very low budget movie.

A review from a die-hard Street Fighter fan

[wastedgeneration-263-327227 · 10/10 · 28 May 2014]

Street Fighter is very close to my heart, starting with the very first game in the series that me and my brother played to death on our Amstrad CPC and subsequently being blown away by the release of Street Fighter II in Arcades - I've followed the franchise and bought nearly every version of SF on each generation of console.

Obviously being such a huge fan I have always wanted to see these characters and their unique stories,look and fighting styles brought to life in live action.

I remember seeing the 94' movie at the cinema and the disappointment I felt when the credits rolled, how could they have got the characters so wrong? Why were the two main heroes of the Street Fighter story reduced to con-artists who were literally just flimsy supporting characters. How could a Van Damme movie suck so HORD?!

My faith was somewhat restored by the awesome Manga cartoon, which I bought on VHS twice (as I wore out the first copy). Subsequent anime movies and shows failed to impress but luckily around this time we had the amazing ALPHA series of games that seemed to breathe new life into the franchise.

Then years later I became increasingly excited at the announcement of a new SF movie even if it was to focus on Chun-Li (once again bypassing Ryu and Ken). I followed every news item about the production and poured over every nugget of information I could get my hands on...then the film arrived and AGAIN another disappointment! The film makers missed the point entirely and wasted the budget and cast at their disposal but worst of all the rich source material with an in built audience just ready to love a true live action Street Fighter adaptation.

I feared I would never see my beloved characters brought to life on screen so I resigned myself to reading the UDON comics and sticking with the games.

Then Street Fighter:Legacy happened.

It was obvious that this was no ordinary fan-film. This was made by real movie industry folks who just happened to have the love and passion for the source material, along with the skills,resources and ability to film and perform a TRUE SF film. It may have consisted of a single fight scene, but the mood, moves, costumes and brief glimpses of Akuma just blew me away. I literally watched it hundreds...okay maybe THOUSANDS of times. I shared the hell out of it, I screen-capped shots from it and used them as desktop backgrounds, avatars, xbox backgrounds etc etc. In short: I LOVED IT.

I knew from the positive response around the web that "Legacy" had received and the buzz it created that this would NOT be a one off. Then Joey Ansah - the genius behind the project - started communicating with the fans and the origin of the film along with possible future projects was all on the table.

It turned out to be a while before anything came, but it was obviously not for lack of trying! A kickstarter came and went - with the guys managing to receive funding for the project without having to compromise their vision and STREET FIGHTER: Assassins FIST was announced.

I joined the facebook page and followed the twitter account with every set pic, official still and news piece getting me giddy as a schoolgirl (insert geeky Sakura joke here). Until finally the series arrived...

Did it live up to my huge expectations? No.It SURPASSED them!

This series is the live action Street Fighter I have been waiting for since I was a kid, its earnest, beautifully crafted, true to the source material, moving and above all badass!

The dedication of everyone involved oozes through the screen with the cast flawlessly pulling off their roles with all the physicality and nuance you would expect from a major motion picture.

How Ansah and his team managed to pull this off with a fraction of the budget that most movies/TV shows boast is beyond me. It looks stunning, the sound is incredible and the FX are perfect.

Mike Moh and Christian Howard are Ryu and Ken come to life (with the latter also providing story/script along with Ansah). At no point did I see them as anything other than the characters I have grown up with. The fact that they nailed the acting side of these characters whilst simultaneously pulling off all the fight scenes and stunts is a testament to how gifted these guys truly are, I see big things for both of them in the future.

Togo Igawa, Gaku Space, Shogen, Mark Killeen all deserve equal praise as they bring both physicality and presence to the series whilst injecting true heart into the piece. Hyunri is beautiful as Sayaka and her final scenes were heartbreaking.

Last but not least we have Mr.Joey Ansah himself, co-writer, Director and the most intimidating AKUMA you could ever hope to see. The story of Gôki's transition into the monstrous Akuma was handled so well that by the time Ansah takes over the role we are not only totally invested in the character and his arc,but are as terrified of him as the characters on screen.

This was obviously a labor of love and that shows through in every scene. Make no mistake though, none of this would have come to fruition if not for the hard work and passion of Joey Ansah, Christian Howard and the whole cast and crew behind this project.

Above all else I just want to say: THANKYOU! Now bring on Series 2!!!

The formative years of Ryu and Ken

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 26 January 2016]

This is a really good watch for everybody who played the famous Street Fighter video game when they were younger. But it also worth a watch for everybody who didn't. We follow the two young men I mentioned in the title of this review on their road to becoming supreme martial artists. Ken is the more extroverted of the two, Caucasian and truly talented, who really looks more like a surfer than like as fighter. However, he is also probably sometimes too boastful for his own good. Ryu is the calmer one, Asian, with an advantage in mental strength and he does not fear any challenge no matter how hard it is to achieve or how long it will take him. The two are like brothers.

This mini-series is written and directed by Joey Ansah, who also plays a character in here as he is a trained martial artist himself. I read that he next plans a similar miniseries starring Guile and Chun Li and I'd certainly love to watch that. Now about this one here, it runs for 13 episodes (including a very short prologue) and has a total runtime of roughly 2.5 hours, so you can really watch it in one go. Each episode runs for 10-13 minutes. The actor who plays Ken here helped Ansah with the script. Ansah made a short film back in 2010 together with him already, but still with a different actor for Ryu. I have to say this mini-series here is maybe at its weakest when it only focuses on Ryu and that happens a couple times as he is probably even more lead character than Ken. Still the two do belong together and also get a great ending where they go off into the world with their trainer staying behind. And as Ken says at that point, the adventure had only just begun. Occasionally, I felt in the second half that they may not have enough quality material to make this worth watching for 150 minutes, but every time I began thinking like that, the level rose once again quickly after, for example in entertaining moments when Ken cuts of his ponytail or when the two protagonists play video games themselves. Pretty hilarious moment. If they had actually picked a fighter game, this would have been a truly odd situation. But in a positive way of course.

The whole thing came out exactly a year ago today and that is why I decided giving it a look, but also because I really loved the video game as a kid. Recommended and I would love to see a real Street Fighter movie soon including more than only two crucial characters.

Boring DVD

[claudio_carvalho · 5/10 · 8 November 2015]

Yesterday I saw "Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist" on DVD with my wife and two friends and two of us have taken a nap along the movie. We all find it very boring with tedious story and screenplay. There are two parallel similar stories of Ken, Riy and their master Gôken in the present days and young Gôken, Gôki and their master Gôtetsu in the 50's while learning to fight "Ansatsuken" with different conclusions.

Reading IMDb Ihave just found that "Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist" is indeed a TV Mini- Series. Based on the IMDb User Rating, it seems that out opinion it might be based on a problem with the compilation. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Street Fighter: Punho Assassino" ("Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist")

An extremely well produced series for both fans and new comers alike.

[nico-stormchild · 10/10 · 1 June 2014]

For the past 2 decades, pretty much every movies based off a video game; flops. Usually, this is due by the complete disregard to the original creation. While some comic books and novels did get a great feature film, Street Fighter has always been stuck on the short end of the stick. Hollywood latest attempt to monetize the franchise was nothing short of extremely bad. From terrible casting, bad fighting scenes to a genuine lack of passion and respect to a franchise that has impacted our world in more ways than we could ever imagine.

So why is Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist any different? Why is this particular series able to break the vicious circle of failures?

Well, for a starter, Street Fighter: AF was produced by passionate fans for the fans, but passion is only the starting point. While it is a great driving force, a good script is required and that's where SFAF shines. For new comers to the franchise, the series presents a well written story that carries an intriguing lore, which gradually reveals itself through each episodes. The premise is simple and focused on two iconic characters; Ryu and Ken. Both learning a mysterious martial art in a secluded part of Japan in the mid 80s. Through each episodes, we get to discover and learn about past students and the darker secrets behind the art.

To reinforce the script, we are presented with an incredible selection of actors that really poured their hearts into this production. For fans, the characters were authentic and as real as they could get. Mike Moh and Christian Howard are pretty much the perfect Ryu and Ken. Both can act the part and perform physically. Togo Igawa and Akira Koieyama really felt like masters of an ancient art while still offering a very human side. The careful balance between being a surreal character with a human touch is very hard to maintain but these actors did and it payed off. The intensity of certain scenes could rival some of the best triple A productions out there.

Speaking of authenticity, Street Fighter: AF nails it in pretty much every possible way. From choosing the right shooting location, to the fighting style of each characters to the incredible costumes. Ryu and Ken are in simple words, perfect. Even through the action scenes, the combat stances, special attacks and general movements were simply jaw dropping. As a huge fan of Street Fighter, I couldn't stop reciting the sequence of every moves such as Ryu performing a great focus attack.

As for the music, usually in independent productions, the music is often very generic and unoriginal. However, I got to say that in this case, the soundtrack is quite good and in most situation, it strongly delivers. For the fans, there's a few pleasant surprises. On a technical side, the production does contain a few mistakes here and there. Some special effects and editing could have used a bit of additional tweaks but for the most part, these issues are very minor and shouldn't distract you from the overall experience.

In the end, Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist is an incredible independent production that values and respects both fans and new comers alike. It has heart and knows its own limits. The story is focused, the actors are well balanced, the action is short but intense and the overall production is strong.

As a fan and artist, I really do not have anything negative to say. There was a huge effort put in this production and it was felt from Episode 1 to 12.

Bravo to everyone involved!

A Nice Look Into the Early Years of Ryu and Ken

[randy_orton_fan · 28 May 2014]

I've never been that fond of the Street Fighter games. Mostly because I'm just awful at fighting games. But I always enjoyed the stories of Ken, Ryu, and Akuma.

So when I found out about Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist, I was excited, but leery. Mortal Kombat: Legacy was wildly mediocre and jumped between characters too much to have a cohesive story, so I was worried this would be the same.

It wasn't. This has a solid story that ties together nicely. We get to see their training over a period of a couple of years. We also get to see flashbacks that show the birth of Akuma.

The special effects are great for such a small production. The costumes look the way they should, and the fight scenes are well choreographed. The friendship and rivalry between Ken and Ryu is the best part, as both actors pull the characters off nicely.

It's only 12 episodes, which is kind of short. But they were a fun 12 episodes. I would have liked to see Gouken fight Akuma after sending Ryu and Ken away, but I guess that's for next season if it gets one.

Solid 10.

Great fan service for Street Fighter players

[SH_KennY · 7/10 · 24 September 2020]

This move is by far not the most exciting movie that I´ve ever seen. But it serves great fan service for lovers of the Street Fighter game franchise. You can find many details in this movie that remind you of the games - especially Street Fighter 4. So a definitely must see for all true Street Fighter lovers.

A review of the first season of Street Fighter Assassins Fist

[ncunnah · 10/10 · 29 May 2014]

Excellent series, it gives Ryu and Ken the proper introduction and back-story they deserve. There's no real requirement to have a die hard knowledge of the street fighter saga to enjoy this but lets be honest if your watching this series its almost certain you've played at least one of the games, and if not, by the end you will have an higher understanding of the origins of two of the most central characters that made Street Fighter one of the most recognized titles in the fighting genre. I was unsure what style this would take but i was blown away, the cinematography is excellent along with the casting choices, there performances the writing and special effects, all come together to make this an original and authentic street fighter experience. Considering the budget for producing this series was small they make excellent use of the environment, they chose a perfect setting to gives this an authentic feel. The relationship between Ken, Ryu and Master Goken is excellent and gives the story depth, it also sets the stage for what looks to be an equally enjoyable second season. A big thanks to all involved and to all those that donated to kick-starter to help get this made. 10/10

Hadoooken

[m_artist · 7/10 · 28 June 2014]

This is how a video game adapted to TV-series.

Beautifully filmed, great storyline and the best thing of all the characters and their customs done perfectly.

The sound effect were very good if we put to our consideration that this is a fan film with low budget.

The graphic effect again very good for low budget film.

The action scene were AWESOME!! and the best thing in the whole series.

This series and Joey Ansah more budget and more people and characters to be included in the series. also need more drama and character development.

The best adaptation of the Street Fighter story.

[heng_boke · 10/10 · 2 June 2014]

From the actors chosen to the music and the setting of the short films, this rendition of Street Fighter is better than all of the movies made in Hollywood. It was great to see the story as the focus and the history instead of just the fighters. Everyone needs to watch this and help these guys get the recognition they deserve for just loving the game and franchise as we all do! Hearing the Japanese was amazing and I hope they do a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th season. Storyline 10/10 - They stayed true to the Street Fighter Story. Visual effects 10/10 - The graphics and animations used were very accurate and didn't cheapen the films at all. Actors 10/10 - the choice of actors used were very good and the actors really held true to a real life rendition of these characters. Music 10/10 - The music was amazing and held true to the franchise.

Main idea and character development are successful

[roadbytheriver · 6/10 · 31 January 2024]

It's hopeful to forget about the ridiculous and embarrassing movie made in the 90s about this fun fighting game and see this series being faithful to the game, the characters, and successful as it should be.

The friendship of the main characters Ryu and Ken is well handled. They both seem focused on their roles. The fights are effective and good. Especially the hurricane kick that Ken does during training is very aesthetic. Places and landscapes leave an impact. The production could have been more action-packed and dynamic. Other characters and subjects could also have been included in the episodes. Still, I liked the idea and effort. It reflects the development of the characters well.

It would be better if they get the opinions of the die-hard fans of the game before bringing their fighting games to the screen. I think they might have interesting and creative ideas.

I felt compelled to write this review - please read.

[adamcowles · 1/10 · 9 March 2015]

I liked the game. I had good memories of the game. This movie however has ruined the cognitive object in my mind that is Street Fighter, and destroyed it forever.

I can't believe the number of people here giving this disaster any form of positive review.

It went on and on and on. I felt like I had been sucked into a vortex where time no longer had any meaning. I feel like I have literally been trolled by the creators of this movie, for 2 and a half hours.

It wasn't immediately obvious that this was the case. It sucks you in and holds and then disappoints you beyond belief. The punchline however was when the credits finally come up and you are left thinking "what in the actual *expletive removed*!".

Where was the ending? What happened to the big bad guy in the mountain? Wasn't the first 2 hours all about the inevitable fight with his brother? Why was the ending the two students going on holiday ? It's like the writers are saying "HAHAHAHA NOW YOU HAVE TO WATCH THE SEQUEL".

Not me. Not this critic. I would rather battle with registration on this website, laboriously fathom the changing of my display name to Ghey Ken, and pontificate for the next hour, than waste another moment of my life being trolled by Hollywood.

Furthermore, where the hell was Chun Lee ? What's the point of making a Street Figther movie if you aren't going to have the spinning bird kick. It would have been more realistic also, if the movie had stopped half way through and pretended to crash, tricking me into taking the disc out and blowing on it a few times.

In conclusion, this movie is a joke. They are trolling you especially when u pay for it. Don't let them ruin your childhood memories by tricking you into watching this junk. Ken was cool. This guy needs his mommy and a hair brush.

And as for balls of magic Chi whizzing thought the air, it worked better in the game. I almost turned it off the first time it happened in the movie. I wish had.

Trust me, this review is far better than the movie. Thank you for reading it to the end, but save yourselves. Don't make the same mistake with this movie.

This is it, the end of out suffering.

[ji_fat79 · 10/10 · 3 June 2014]

I believe that Street Fighter fans all over the world have been suffering for decades, waiting for a live-action movie that is done right. All over the years, movies are made but clearly not by people who understands what is it really about.

But this is different. I can feel the spirit. I really hope that this will be the first of many to come. Street Fighter fans out there who have yet to watch this movie, I assure you that this is no lame version like Van Damme's or Kristin Kreuk's previous movie adaption.

Nor it is the loose adaptation comedy version of Hong Kong movie entitled 'Future Cops'. At least they really have projectiles compared to Van Damme's version.

It is a very serious adaptation, honoring us as life-long fans of Street Fighter.

Thank you to the production team. We are truly honored.

Wow, this was like a sleep-inducing drug...

[paul_haakonsen · 1/10 · 18 August 2014]

"Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist" was allegedly supposed to be THE movie for the "Street Fighter" franchise. I can't claim to have had any expectations to this, given the previous movies.

But this 2014 really is the icing on the cake. It was abysmal on so many levels. The storyline was just a mess, and there was no real coherency in it, and I must admit that I dozed off more than once throughout this movie, and ended up getting up and leaving, not finishing the movie.

The characters in the movie were adequate, but wow it was so hard to take Ken seriously with that hair. He looked like he had a really bad wig attached to his head.

The fighting was adequate, but there wasn't much of it. Which otherwise would have added a bit more to the movie.

The Van Damme "Street Fighter" movie was at least more spoofy, so it was more enjoyable to watch because it was so out there. And the "Legend of Chun-Li" was at least a step in the right direction, but not really great.

For a martial arts movie based on a video game, "Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist" was a snoozefest on a grand scale, and it failed to entertain me on any level. As such, I give it a mere 1 out of 10 stars.

bring on a season 2

[brownmike8882 · 10/10 · 2 June 2014]

this show was great. the fight scenes the actors were amazing. I loved the story line and it looks like the creators knew what they were doing. I give this a 10 out of 10 and I hope to see a season 2 with more characters and a big adventure. I rather watch this then any fox NBC or cw show right now at least. bring on season 2 I bet it will be amazing. Im glad you made this show. thank you for such an awesome story. the special effects were pretty good as well. I cant wait to see whats in store for ryu and ken and whoever else they may meet on their journey. season 2 is a must. ken and ryu the actors that played them were amazing, way better than the first movie that came out