ROTTEN TOMATOES: Jessica Biel: "Street Fighter"?

Jessica Biel: "Street Fighter"?

by Scott Weinberg | May 09, 2007

Remember that pretty rotten Jean Claude Van Damme movie that was based on a video game called "Street Fighter"? Well, you can bet the producers of the new version wish you'd forgotten.

Not only will there be a new-fangled "Street Fighter" movie, but early word is that Ms. Jessica Biel is in line to star as Chun Li, who is obviously a mega-talented butt-kicker, which means Jessica will have ample opportunity to jump around and look hot. Cute as she is, though, Jessica Biel doesn't look much like a "Chun Li" to me...

To those without eyeballs, I'll remind you that Jessica Biel starred in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Blade: Trinity," and (hehe) "Stealth."

More word on this 20th Century Fox video game adaptation when we get it.

Source: Latino Review

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(1-20 of 25 posts) | Reply

bamb0o-stick writes:
on May 09 2007 03:05 AM

[b]WTF?[/b]
They haven't even gotten into casting yet and they already have a Caucasian woman play a Chinese character? This movie is already turning up Homer...

(Reply to this)

alephnull writes:
on May 09 2007 03:42 AM

There is a large enough pool of Chinese actresses that can act, fight and look pretty to choose from. There is no reason to have Biel in the roll of Chun Li, unless they want us to think this project is a joke before it even gets started.

(Reply to this)

frogleg writes:
on May 09 2007 04:25 AM

Incredibly stupid decision, if it's accurate.
Bleh.

(Reply to this)

jacog writes:
on May 09 2007 04:45 AM

I shouldn't care... it's Street Fighter ffs, not Wuthering Heights... but geez... the planet has gone way stupider than I thought.

This is kinda like how they chose to have Carradine in Kung Fu instead of Bruce Lee. I wonder what kind of board of idiots made that decision. I mean there are plenty of Zhang Ziyi - alikes to choose from. Plaf... I am going to go jump off a cliff now.

(Reply to this)

Matanuki writes:
on May 09 2007 05:05 AM

[b]Pin the tail on the donkey...[/b]
Yeah. Stupid. 'Memoirs of a Geisha' was a good film but I understand the anger the Asian community expressed over the culturally insensitive casting. One imagines they'll be dusting off their picket signs for this load of steaming... news.

But anyone struggling to fit their minds to these filmmakers' runaway logic, one need only ask themselves one question: besides the obvious fact that they're both women, and Chun Li is supposed to be hott, what is the common denominator between the Chun Li we know from the original game and the drool inducing Jessica Beil?

(Reply to this)

Evimeleth writes:
on May 09 2007 05:12 AM

I adore Jessica Biel, but this is the worst casting ever. Even worse than Jessica Alba as the Invisible Woman. Even worse than Christopher Lambert as Raiden.

(pu_u)p thumbs down.

(Reply to this)

Defmonkey writes:
on May 09 2007 05:48 AM

[b]Wow[/b]
I was hoping it wasn't Chun Li. I really was. Because that makes no sense whatsoever, since she is white, credit to a previous poster.

Hell, dye her hair blonde and she'd make a fine Camby... ( I think I'm thinking of the right character, Blonde Woman Merc with the green and camo painted on her thighs)

Man, I would love to paint camo on Biel's thighs. Best Job in the world people.

(Reply to this)

lonechicken writes:
on May 09 2007 06:28 AM

[b]Worst career move ever![/b]
You mean Cammy. That character seems to be sort of short and skinny. Jessica Biel is taller and perfectly shaped. She simply shouldn't even consider this movie.

(Reply to this)

Yeah Write writes:
on May 09 2007 06:59 AM

[b]Why are we surprised?[/b]
Van Damme was Guile people! Guile, the American solider was played by Van Damme!!!

(Reply to this)

bigbrother writes:
on May 09 2007 07:05 AM

In reply to this comment (#864527)
I often wondered about the Carradine/Lee thing myself, The only thing I can come up with is they didn't think western audiences would buy Lee as a wiseman. I don't remember him ever taking the role as a sage kinda guy and having lived in other countries I can attest that almost anywhere in the world anything less than a perfect grasp of a language/broken English/a heavy accent is interpretted as stupidity. I can't tell you how many times I've responded to someone with my broken French and had them start speaking louder to me. I'm foreign, I'm not deaf :)

(Reply to this)

Matanuki writes:
on May 09 2007 07:08 AM

In reply to this comment (#864532)
Yeah, but that was probably the best casting choice in the original film. Relatively speaking, anyway. Biel as Chun Li is, yes, a bad , culturally insulting choice, but it's not as colossally bad like the mess we were given before. And that's saying a lot!

(Reply to this)

Matanuki writes:
on May 09 2007 07:25 AM

In reply to this comment (#864533)
Well I am deaf, so I'm probably an authority here on how annoying the exaggerated screaming in your face is. The angry side of me wants to advise you to just shut them up with your fist, but that's another topic...

As for the Lee/Carradine thing (I can't bring myself to write Carradine's name first), we probably would have never had 'Enter the Dragon' if it weren't for the racism that prevented Lee from getting the role of Caine in Kung Fu. I hate that show to this day for obvious reasons, but 'Enter the Dragon' and Bruce Lee's subsequent film success washes away the sting. The biggest irony of it all, for me, is how Brandon eventually starred opposite Carradine, as Caine's son no less!

(Reply to this)

taran72 writes:
on May 09 2007 08:46 AM

This has to be a joke or a just plain false. It's too laughable.

(Reply to this)

Vitamin M writes:
on May 09 2007 09:15 AM

Yeah I think she would fit in the film, she's already got a string of action packed bombs but she definetly should not play a Chinese character.
she could play the evil American who fights chun li...and then the fight could devolve into some lovely girl on girl!

(Reply to this)

violentk writes:
on May 09 2007 09:39 AM

[b]Nah...[/b]
This has to be a mistake.

They meant to say Cammy right? Cammy, as in M. Bisons little Psychic Sex Puppet (you know he's hittin' that, he IS the last boss).

If a blonde white chick is playing Chun Li, then this movie might actually be worse than the first Street Fighter movie, and thats got to be the worst Video Game movie of all time (or close to it).

Also, Im not sure chinese would be offended by this casting choice. More like the Japanese, I believe they have a closer connection to these characters and the story line. They have made a couple movies and series of their own (animated) which are better than our first try (not really an accomplishment). Additionally, I think any fan of the game will be offended after we butcher these characters for a second time, as if once wasnt enough.

Cant they just focus on Ken, Ryu, and Akuma? Why does Chun Li have to be in there at all? We already had that story once didnt we?

(Reply to this)

Gimy writes:
on May 09 2007 10:37 AM

why are they making another street fighter anyway? this game is so old, whats next...Pacman? ooooh...i hear a rosie odonnell casting rumor!!

i'm sorry, jessica biel used to be hot but she needs to lay off the man juice or something. i don't know if they cgi her testicles out of the pictures of her in a bikini or what but she makes the ol' wrestler Chyna look feminine. even van damme would be jealous of her deltoids...c'mon

(Reply to this)

RainNIU writes:
on May 09 2007 10:57 AM

C'mon. White girl as a Chinese girl? You're just looking for laughs and to piss a lot of asians off.

(Reply to this)

Illusionator writes:
on May 09 2007 12:38 PM

In reply to this comment (#864539)
Comon, they basically created "I Now Pronounce You, Chuck and Larry" to be a vehicle for her phenomenal backside.

That being said, terrible casting especially with the wealth of female Asian leads populating American cinema who are just begging to be typecast.

(Reply to this)

Mr. Kong writes:
on May 09 2007 01:29 PM

I thought Jessica Biel learned that all the action and horror movies she's in are garbage (though I didn't see Next) with The Illusionist. I was wrong.

(Reply to this)

ghosty06 writes:
on May 09 2007 01:31 PM

In reply to this comment (#864542)
Guys in all seriousness, Don't you want to see Biel do a Spinning Star Kick?? God that would be hotter than the Video Game Chung Li panty exposing move

(Reply to this)

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