tieniemajig With the release of SSFIV, Street Fighter sure has been on my mind a lot! So I noticed there was a Street Fighter Zero anime movie on netflix instant queue... and it was complete and utter garbage that I had to watch this Street Fighter II movie again to calm down.Now, I can't speak to whether or not non-Street Fighter fans will enjoy this movie, but I think this is pretty much the best video game movie I've ever seen. It does what I wish more video game movies did: stick to the source material, which means, include the characters people already care a lot about, rather than introducing half-baked new ones. SFII: The Animated Movie did a wonderful job of doing just that. The entire SFII cast is in here, and in a more or less meaningful way -- which isn't to say, for example, we find out why Blanka is the way he is, but rather that he does get worked in to the story naturally and we get to see him fight.And boy, are there fights! This movie is action packed, and in particular Chun Li's battle against a particular Shadaloo villain is epic. Don't miss it!

mechg2994 The live action Street Fighter movie was a disaster and almost killed the series. Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie fixed the whole storyline.The intro between Ryu and Sagat fighting was cool and it followed both SF 1 and 2 on how the rivalry came to be. My favorite battle would probably be the last battle: Balrog vs. E. Honda, Ryu vs. Ken (classic fight) Guile vs. M. Bison, & above all Ryu & Ken vs. Bison (Main protagonists vs. the main antagonist).I laughed so hard when they cussed and yeah there was some humor.10/10

Cesar Rodriguez Let me start off by saying that I have never enjoyed anime, ever since i was a kid I always thought that it was pretty lame. However, being a huge fan of the Street Fighter series I was aware of this film but I avoided it assuming it would be something along the lines of Pokemon or something to that respect, or worse yet being similar to the terrible live action film of the same title. I finally was able to watch this film with the recent release of the Street Fighter Anniversary, being a fan i picked up a copy of course and decided to finally give the film a chance, wow I cant believe I put this film off for so long.All 16 characters from the game are in the film, however the center stage is clearly on Ryu and Ken, leaving some characters to have little more than cameos which is a bit disappointing for Cammy, who is one of my favorite characters but in the film had very little screen time, sure seeing her take out several body guards and then assassinating a political figure was cool, but i was hoping for more. The film follows Ryu who is a traveling martial artist seeking other worthy fighters and he does get into many fights throughout the film, and his old friend Ken who is a wealthy man who trained with Ryu in Japan when they were younger, however it seems that money bores him and is eagerly awaiting Ryu's arrival. Chun Li and Guile fans would probably be very happy as well since they have very prominent roles in the film as well, however the hero's of the film would be nothing with out a villain. Bison is recruiting powerful fighters around the world for his own evil goals, and currently he has his eye on Ryu and Ken.Of course the plot isn't what the fans want to see, it was almost nonexistent in the games, no sir, its the fights! There are plenty and they all pack a punch(pun intended), the film begins with a fight between Ryu and Sagat done very stylishly in a grass field, it looks very low lit at first but its the roaring lightning that suddenly flashes and lights up the fight, it truly has to be seen. Apparently one of the most acclaimed fights in the film is the Chun Li vs Vega fight, which is absolutely brilliant. A helpless Chun Li in her PJ's is attacked in her apartment by the psychotic Vega, this fight is easily the bloodiest though it never gets to extreme, the finale of the fight is just fantastic and very satisfying. The last twenty or so minutes of the film is just non stop action, Ryu vs Ken then Ryu AND Ken vs Bison, i wont go into details to avoid spoiling anything but the film couldn't have ended any better. The best part is, thats not all, there are still about half a dozen more fights in the film, and I have to say i really enjoyed the flashback scenes showing Ryu and Kens training together that really adds more depth to their friendship.Visually the film is a wonder to behold, the animation is detailed and is very smooth and crisp, clearly a lot of time went into this. The film is also notorious for having the fight scenes professionally choreographed to give them a realistic feel and it shows since every movement really feels like the characters do put their entire bodies into it, there really is a sense of movement and power behind ever punch. The soundtrack is a mixed bag, when it is actual scored music it is great full of guitars and other instruments, i particularly like the recurring theme around the flashbacks, although i found that mixing in popular(at the time) grunge tracks just awful, they don't fit the tone of the film and are what keep the film having a timeless feel. Overall, if you are a fan of the game you will love this film, its very true to the source material and really adds layers to many of the characters, and its cool just to see your favorite fighters in animated form talking and doing their trademark moves in a different medium, this is a must see!

deepion there is no denying that this movie had everything a video game to movie transfer needs. it remains faithful to the game and it has plenty of action to boot without going too over the top. i've only seen the USA version, but i'm assuming the Japanese version is just as good. i was a little shocked with the choice of music but after repeated viewings i think i understand why it was chosen and it does seem to fit. in fact, i can barely find a thing i do not like about this movie (although the 'truck' ending was a bit stupid and i'm not sure why but all the characters seem to be majorly bulked up). this movie had everything, action, jokes and even suspense! i also think the Chun-Li/Vega battle maybe the most violent (without being overly violent) and heart-pounding scene i have ever seen in an anime. if i was to nit-pick i could say Chun-Li didn't get enough action, but then again, she does have the best fight (and wins) and she does have way more than most characters, so i'm happy. hell, any more and it would have ruined the movie by being unnecessary, and here inlies the point where all other movies of this nature seem to fall. this movie managed to keep the fans of the game happy and create a decent story and movie without loading it down with a load of stuff not needed. the animation itself is outstanding and deserves rightful praise. in conclusion, and excellent movie, not just in anime but in the whole genre of video game movies. well worth watching, especially if you like the game and/or are interested in anime.