The Street Fighter (Mini Webisodes)

Sora

Sora

[11] Champion
Episode 1

Initial Thoughts:

Surprisingly a really fantastic start. I had really mediocre expectations on this from the trailer, but they really invested on the acting and plot here (perhaps even more than stuff about the game itself). For a no-low budget film, good acting and plot is saying A LOT.

What really sold this episode (and series) for me is how real it seems to be. Especially for people who are looking to become competitive now, you will inevitably run into the problem of life balance.

'How do I play competitively yet keep doing my job, living my life?'

'I have no time to play this since my life is too busy/messed up right now.'

Or probably the worst scenario of all (and the one that this film depicts): 'I have no job, and this is all I got'.

I won't sing praises to this right now, as its only been the first episode. But, this is a fantastic start and perhaps a sign of fighting game media going outside of the games itself. Looking forward to the next one.

PS.
Lisa Foiles is an added bonus. #allthatforlife
 
having watched this thing, I have to say this.

This is horrible.

I liked the premise and I liked the idea of this story. The execution fell short. The acting was very wooden, and downright comical. That's partly to blame on the actors, and mainly to blame on the director and the actual lines of the script. were there parts that were supposed to be taken seriously? because some of those scenes were just laughable and in a sad way. if they're trying to suggest that having barely any budget means it can excuse a crappy screenplay, it doesn't. The lighting in certain shots could have definitely used some work. Not to mention, I didn't believe any of the characters. the actors had no chemistry with each other which accentuated their stiff acting and in some places over acting. The only relationship that felt natural was the gamer chick and the main character. and they didn't even really fully establish her role. I get the idea that she's a long time friend, childhood maybe? since they mentioned street fighter 2 so would suggest they have some history together. But who is she? an exgirlfriend? I thought she was the baby sitter at first. cause he was talkin about payin her. and then was like. welp, i don't have the cash. maybe next time.

yeah. for a pilot episode, this was fail. because not only do you want to introduce the premise, you want to set up your characters. solidify their relationships so the audience can follow along. showing me gameplay clips while two characters are supposed to be having a "life" moment/conversation isn't doing it. the strained relationship between father and son barely registered. and wasn't even really a strained relationship when you think about it, just a kid embarrassed to be seen with his parent. that's every fuckin kid. so, what kind of relationship does the kid and dad have exactly? a normal one from the looks of it. so what conflict do we have exactly?

how this thing went:
i got fired from my job.
let's play games.
maybe i should enter a tourney for cash.
but it seems childish.
let me dream on it.
yeah. i think i'ma do it.
hey son. watch me beat ass at a tournament.
son is like nah. i'm goin with my friends.
okay.

tell me when in there, should I begin to care for this guy and his plight? for that matter. WHAT PLIGHT? The fact that he has no job and no means of income? and he's going to use this tournament to get some money? is that it? he's going to win the respect of his son from beating ass in a tourney. he goin start hustlin niggas in $5 dollar money matches first to five?

yeah. i give no shits about that. why? because nothing in there made me care about this dude.

so let me get this straight.

you're getting fired from a publication. that paid well. how do i know? he's living in a house. a well furnished house. he's living comfortably. able to support him and his son. so he was paid well, and isn't necessarily fired, just downgraded to a freelancer. which then tells me.. You have a career. That tells me, you got references. Which then says you can write up a resume. So you have another opportunity to get another full time job. while having a freelance gig on the side? so.. then.. what does needing money have to do with anything? nigga you can get money. so what plight? hell, newspaper might be dying, but you got internet publications right? you work at a newspaper firm, that suggests journalism. CNN nigga. apply. right?

so knowing all this. why should I care about him?

they never established any real struggle for this guy and I'm sitting here wondering, who the fuck wrote this script so i can slap him with a 7-11 slurpee? get the ice all on him, then take a blowdryer and blow dry the shit out of all that so it get super sticky.

anyway, to summarize, I've seen better College pieces. and that's exactly what this felt like. some college fresh amateur film student turning this in for a grade.

to that end. I seen better. a lot better.

i give this show a some ol bull shit.

and i daresay, if you like this crap. you probably like tekken blood vengeance.

Harada ain't got no right to be shitten on NOONE after the crapfest that movie was. how dare he cosign this one and act like it's cool. that movie was a straight fuck you. with no regard for the audience. I expected better from the man who wrote Ghost in the Shell: SAC

this street fighter is almost just as bad, but it's some ol bull shit because it was only 8 minutes of a pilot. That doesn't mean it can't get better.

We're alive started very similarly with the wooden acting, but it had a better script, and it did in fact get better.

as this is a series, i'll give it the benefit of the doubt. but.. yeah. this pilot was some ol bull shit. let's see if it gets better.
 
Madnis said:
snip
Click to expand...

Why do I feel like I'm the one getting criticized? Lol.

Different strokes for different folks. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on the series though.

I won't comment on anything you said (since most is a matter of taste) except for the apparent 'ridiculousness' of the plot. My answer is - it is dramaticized.

The plot isn't meant to be taken literally, like 'I'm out of work and now I'll hustle people for $5 Street Fighter'. You named a bunch of real life scenarios like making a resume, working freelance as alternatives and while that makes common sense, you can't really make a movie from that now can you? (Instead of The Street Fighter, you'd get The Freelance Writer -- hardly interesting)

And further to that point, you tell me on what kind of real life problem does 'I will play pro Street Fighter' make sense as a solution? No one, not even the best writer in the world could let that rock without making it cheesy as all hell. So if you wanted to make a movie that revolved around competitive Street Fighter, you either do a documentary or take some creative liberties with it. I think you are taking the plot WAY too seriously, and completely missed the value of the story because of it.

Look, here's me being fucking real. People ARE losing their jobs left and right. People ARE barely scraping by. Yet the same people STILL play Street Fighter competitively. The FGC has its roots from people on the streets -- criminals, drug dealers or otherwise people who have re-found their way through not only the game, but the community. Some of the biggest names in the FGC right now come from these hard-knock-life roots. This series does a really admirable job presenting (and dramaticizing) that real life hardship.

PS. I like this, yet I don't like Tekken Blood Vengeance. I'll have to ask you to keep your generalizations to yourself.
 
Sora said:
I felt like i should quote you so you know i'm talking directly to you at this point.
Click to expand...

dude, my review is my review.

how you feel, is how you feel. i'm not taking pot shots at you, or attacking your review or how you feel about the show, in truth. I don't care about you and your opinion on the show. i watched it. gave my reveiw, and left it at that.

this is what i came away with when i sat there and watched that crap.

if you feel some special connection with the show, hey. that's you. I didn't.

simple as that.

but the question that comes to my mind is, why are you defending this thing as if you wrote it, shot it, and know all the ins and outs of the inner workings of this production?

clearly, you have a connection.
you know what? fuck it. i'm lettin it go. and i'm telling you i'm letting it go because i'm tired of being the ass hole. it's too much energy spent, but i stand by my review.

it was some ol bull shit all the way. (using spill's review guide in case you're wondering.)

edit: on second thought, you know what? this can be a healthy discussion. and not some lame flame war, but an interesting topic on story telling. I'm going to come back during my lunch break and actually read your review. since you're all for it. and we'll discuss this show right proper.

i'll tell you where I felt things could have been better. and i think we can come to an understanding without me having to become the ass hole once again.

edit 2: sorry. had a daily to attend, gotta work. (like you care. HA!)
 
You're right -- your review is your review. I didn't attack any of your points that was a matter of preference or taste (if you think that the acting was wooden, that's perfectly fine. It actually made me think if I was being too biased about the story).

The only time I really didn't see your review contributing was when you did take a potshot at me by saying 'if you like this review, you must like Tekken: Blood Vengeance'. I don't thrash on your tastes, but don't thrash on mine.

I'm also not going to say I couldn't care less, as I genuinely do want to hear your thoughts on my reaction to your review. For example, if you can come up with a plot line for competitive street fighter that doesn't sound asinine or cheesy, let me know -- I'm really curious if that's possible.
 
son. let me reiterate. I was not taking any shots at you. no guns were fired. I saw the video first on SRK. saw the thread here, glanced at what you said. paid it no mind. and posted my review. mainly because, i was at work when i wrote it. and it was right before i went to my daily. yes, I know you didn't know that. but now you do. the tekken bV thing was there so i can segway to shittin on harada for thumbs upping that piece of shit. notice the placement..

there you go. method. to the madness. if you thought i was taking a shot at you, i apologize. but no. i wasn't. if i was, i would take credit for it and continue to shit on you, not sit here and continually repeat, i'm not insulting you.

that said.

my reaction to your review... well.. you gave a paragraph and that was mainly based on the premise of the show. which. I liked. so... what now?

hmm? well, i guess i can go ahead and add my cents and scribble a plot idea.

well. first and foremost. I would introduce the character(s) of the show, and actually try to get you to care about them. I would introduce the main character with his job. showing you just how much he really needed it, and why losing it would lead up shit creek without a paddle. I would keep the gaming as a background thing in the beginning, give you hints to him being a competitive player at one point in his life, and contrast it to how he's gaming now. primarily for stress relief and a hobby. that way. when he loses his job, we can see him at his lowest point. and we know what he might do to assuage his anxiety. and then see him grow from there. I would show the struggle of finding a new job especially with his career. those points i added in how he can still make money? they're valid points so then giving a reasonable explanation as to why they're not working or how it fails all together will add to the drama. I would also accentuate and make clear his relationship with his son, as well as wife or exwife. the babysitter chick/friend/who the fuck is she? I wouldn't even put him in any tournament until maybe midseason or the season finale. I'm not looking at one story per show, i'm looking at the entire season, so i can pace the story in that time frame. and not like how they have it now:

we have no idea who any of these people are, and this is the pilot episode. not to mention, this thing is fast paced. we moved from one thing to another, and in all honesty. not much is really given except this is what's happening now.

anyway, within the first episode, i want you to know the main character, his motives, and rationale, as well as introduce the characters that affect his world directly. in this case, his wife, and son and chick friend. throughout the story, and throughout his various conflicts he deals with in life, I would gradually make way to show how competitive gaming would indeed seem like a viable reason, so we can suspend belief and go with it. So that would just be the first season. second season would deal with him actually living that life or trying to. having to travel. come up with money to travel. and then how that affects his relationships at home. with his son and his wife and the possibility of a love triangle? i don't know.. that's just one angle. and by the third season, i would bring it to a close. how this ends a chapter of his life, not his entire life. but how he was able to resolve the issues with his lifestyle and how he came out of it. and that's just one way this could have played out.

and if i'm working 8 minutes per episode, releasing every tuesday and thursday of this month. how many minutes is that?

72. that's an hour 30. that's a feature film. yes. i dare say that's pleanty of time to work a cohesive and compelling story out.

as for the wooden acting. that's solvable by creating situations on how these characters act and have them play off of each other. in other words. direct them. lo and behold we have someone in the industry named just for that. he's called "the director". if i can't do it. I find someone who can.

how were they wooden or overacting in certain points? well.. notice how they're delivering their lines. they were blurting em out, talking at a evenly paced and seemed unnatural at points. their postures and their movements were very stiff, awkward even in some scenes (specifically the dream sequence and introduction), and their expressions in their delivery... they were forcing it, and it was very noticeable. Didn't really seem like they were playing off one another so much as repeating memorized lines.

which adds to amateur hour, or college film school kid going for his grade. and I don't want to insult you, but I'm not sure if you actually know what a plot is. because you were describing the premise. and how real it is.. but the plot or what semblance it had wasn't really adhering to the usual pattern. and if it was, I couldn't discern it from one thing to another. I mean, break it down for me. help me understand the plot. Can you identify each plot point within that pilot? I mean everything was rushed and it was like: conflict? solution. where's the struggle? where's the climax? and I'm still lost on the relationships of these characters. I mean.. what do they mean to each other? none of it was actually established anywhere in that video, aside from father and son. will we get that insight in the future episodes? I would hope so. because leaving it as it is now. it's a complete mess.

if you say I'm taking it too seriously, I retort with why shouldn't i? if the person behind this took the time to make this. what was the reason for it, if not to show me what he/she can do? if they put their heart and soul into the making of it, why shouldn't i take it seriously?

I'll be damned if i throw out an animation and I put my all into it just for someone to say... don't take it too seriously. regardless of budget, if you put something out there. I'm going to do you the honor of treating it as I would any professional project and just as seriously.

as for your second post, I'm going to disregard it completely cause I honestly couldn't read it. you were being way too defensive there guy. for future reference, I am a hell of a troll. and a huge ass hole. and what you gave right there is gold. it was an open door. watch yourself bruh. because if i was in my I give no fucks mood. yeah.. i would be eatin well right now. very well.

as it is, let's hear your thoughts. since you thought the plot was so well done, help me understand it. won't change my feelings towards it, but at least i'll understand it. also, be so kind as to how you thought the acting was well done. Cause I honestly couldn't see it at all.

since we the only two in here. might as well talk about it.

also. where do you think this story will lead to?

i'm thinkin at some point we'll have a guest appearance of justin wong and have him lose to the main character, because.. he is.. The street fighter!
 
Boom. wall of text. also.

episode 2 is up. i'll watch it during lunch and post my review after work. :)
 
my review can be summed up to grand total of one word:

sigh.

review score: some ol bull shit.
 
wow.. I know i couldn't have closed shop up like that...

2 reviews that stated this series is beyond garbage and people just up and leave? I know I couldn't have done that... Please don't let me get that big headed.

anyway.. episode 3.

well.. we finally got some semblance of character development! starting to develop an idea who these people are and what they mean to each other. the pacing is still ridiculously fast as we're zooming by things I feel should take a bit more time. but hey, now we have an actual sense of urgency.

the story so far:

Phil i think that's his name. lost his job, and isn't sure what to do with himself or his life. he has a kid, who for all rights and purposes is a normal kid who is embarrassed to be seen with his pops, and his friend who he wants to be more than friends with some gamer chick who also in turn, wants his dick but for whatever reason they don't hook up. apparently at one time he was a competitive gamer which was made clear this episode when his ex-wife stopped by and said something along the lines of "oh, so he's back on that again." in a dreary worn out, bored tone. side note, if she's this indifferent towards it, what was the purpose of the dream sequence in the first episode? kind of made it pointless because clearly. she gives not one fuck about it. back to the story at hand.. he relives the joy of competition by entering a street fighter tourney, where we meet the villainous Dan. Loses, but earns second place, a date with the gamer chick who i think owns the comic shop the tourney was held and the respect/admiration of his son. which then brings us to this episode.

life has caught up with our main character as he has to come up with his half of the money to take care of his child. so he starts going through job listings on Craig's list, typing up resume, etc to see if he can get something real started. and by the end of the episode the solution once again appears as a street fighter tourney where the prize money is $1500.00. So, he believes he needs to start training.

giving a deadline to when the money is needed creates a sense of urgency, which then adds a reasonable explanation why entering a tournament is a good idea vs simply just job hunting. the second episode established who his rival will be for the tournament, and this episode further established the relationships between the characters and what they mean to each other. a huge step up from the past two episodes. In truth i really didn't feel the second episode was all that necessary. this third episode really should have been the second episode, as the actual second episode was more or less a glorified love letter to the competitive scene. if placed at a later time the comic tournament could have been used to add to the tension between phil and his rival and actually further the plot. as it is, it's just wasted film time. Introducing him through XBL would have been a fun way to introduce the "villian" and when we actually see him at the tourney would have been, a "so this is the ass hole" moment of the series.. another complaint. i have no idea who's playing who. it took me a minute to realize he was playing balrog. i feel like an establishing shot would have been nice here. something that lets you know who's playing who. so that when the characters talk you won't have a "what the fuck?" moment. I say this because, they established that balrog is the girl's main and was using him at one point. and yet in the practice match up, he's screamin hit me and balrog is getting fucked up so i'm like he's just good with akuma. but it turned out to be the other way around... i just went with it. but, knowing who's playin who is a fun idea. and although this episode is connected to the other episodes as one on going story, if you haven't watched the prior episodes and is just goin in fresh, this can actually stand on it's own. as we do actually have a semblance of an actual plot here. We'll see how the story develops as we move closer the end of the series.

review score: "watch if you ain't got shit else to watch."
 
episode 5... yo! i can't stop laughing!!! this shit is retarded!

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA oh god. the stiff acting made it so fucking funny! my god!!! that shit was hilarious.

story wise, not much of a climax was it? it's like.. drop. there it is. hold that. you goin need some keys! take mom's. she won't give a fuck. HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

it's like:

writer A: we goin do some character development yes! we goin dive in this guys mind see what he's thinking, try to dig deeper with this dude, we goin make it happen!

writer b: nah bruh. we got a tourney to get to. fuck character. you should know what they about by now.

writer A: but that's so 1 dimensional! they're flat! they need to grow a bit!

writer b: nigga fuck that. we got games to play. write the tourney up. call it a day. let's go. this joint's lame.

OH GOD.

street fighter episode 4 comedy.

we're back at amateur minute folks.

review score: some ol bull shit.

only thing that will redeem this thing at this point is if they go off the wall bat shit cray.
they already done fucked it all up.

let's just get in the laughs.
 
final episode of the street fighter...

yeah... this shit was horrible. I MEAN HORRIBLE..
a huge fuck you to story. i mean jesus... the final episode was episode 2.
what character? they give you no reason to root for any of these fuckers. the most interesting character in here was the mom, and she didn't even get any screen time in the last episode. wow...

this shit was horrible. on par with tekken blood vengence. i mean i can sit here and write a fuckin essay on this series as a whole and why it's nothing more than a piece of shit.
but that's just an insult to any form of intelligence. not to mention would be a waste of time..

review score.. fuck you.

wow. this shit made me mad. i'm actually really pissed off at this show. this shit is complete garbage. wow... what is it about this shit that people actually like? hmm... i'm wondering is it because it's street fighter? tell me.. you could put any other game in there. blazblue, KOF, tekken, soul calibur. in there wouldn't be no real difference in the end result.

so mad at this...

message to director/writer. STAY THE FUCK OUT THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back