10 Genius Moments In Otherwise Irredeemable Films
9. Street Fighter - The Savage Quote That Inspired Its Own Trope
One of the first video game adaptations to receive a widespread theatrical release, the Street Fighter film also set the bar extremely low for future movies based on video games. It was cheesy and cartoonish in all the wrong ways, and leading man Jean-Claude Van Damme wasn't able to find his footing in the campy environment.
Raul Julia, on the other hand, feels like he was tailor-made for the role of M. Bison, the movie's Big Bad. His performance is all bulging eyes and over-enunciation, like a gecko trying out for the role of Hamlet. Except this Hamlet is a mass murdering lunatic warlord who can shoot lightning out of his hands.
Bison is at his most delightfully evil when casually telling Chun Li, who spent her time up to this point trying to exact revenge on Bison for killing her father, that he doesn't even remember that particular murder.
Chun-Li: You don't remember?!
M. Bison: For you, the day Bison graced your village was the most important day of your life. But for me... it was Tuesday.
It's a darkly funny line, but it's his calm sincerity that gives it some real bite. The final battle scene is also chock full of great quotes from Julia, which almost makes up for the lackluster fight choreography surrounding it.