Expectations are never high for a film made from a video game. Just so it has some great action scenes and fights, fans of the genre seem satisfied. But even they might be a bit disappointed in the broken plot lines and maladroit editing in Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li. Those who haven’t played the game will be left wondering what exactly is going on here.

Still, Street Fighter is not without it’s moments. The fact that the main character, Chun Li (Kristin Keuk), is a beautiful, talented, educated and cultured female is an interesting twist. Her successful and beloved father taught her both classical piano and martial arts, but she witnessed his brutal kidnapped when she was young. Now, in her early 20’s, she is summoned by a mysterious scroll to travel to Thailand, live in the streets, find her father and save the world. Where the scroll came from and why she believes the old crone who interprets it is a complete mystery. Once in Thailand, however, she is drawn into the world of the evil corporate entity Shadaloo, lead by the almost supernatural Bison (Neal McDonough), who grew up in the slums of Bangkok where his Scottish parents left him as a wee baby. That supposedly explains the blond hair and blue eyes, but not the Scottish accent. Michael Clarke Duncan plays his brutal right-hand henchman, Balrog. Bison is using Chun-Li’s father for his technical prowess and Chun-Li’s well-being for leverage. Once she disappears from the Bison radar in Bangkok, she must learn to fine tune her martial arts skills (yes, there is the de rigueur spiritual mentor and trainer) to find her father and save the Bangkok slums from development. She will be aided in her search by a laughably cliché Interpol agent (Chris Klein) and a cleavage-heaving local crime fighter (Moon Bloodgood). Of course there are slow-motion fight scenes, and because women are prominently involved, the obligatory sexy lesbian undertones.

The film was tailor-made for young male gamers and should satisfy them to a degree. It will also probably do well in Asian markets because of the familiarity with the genres and the stars. But aside from the stunning physical beauty of the cast and the interesting street scenes, the film has little to offer those who don’t fall in either of those categories.

Rated PG-13

—Lisa Johnson Mandell