The storyline in
the King of the Streets is more than a little familiar, but I suppose when you
make a movie filled with martial artists and fighters it becomes about
something other than the narrative. The story and the acting appear sketched
in, minimizing all but fight scenes which are plentiful. Star Yue Song is also
the writer and co-director, making certain that he showcases his own real-life
abilities above all else. This makes for entertaining action in a shell of a
tired storyline.
Yue Song plays
Yue Feng, a character whose name shows the creativity in the writing process.
Feng was once a brilliant street fighter, able to take on an endless number of
attackers until an accidental death sent him to prison for eight years. After
being released, Feng makes a vow not to fight anymore, but thankfully this is
not taken very seriously. Most films would show the struggle within the
character as he decides that the cause he is fighting for is worth ending his
vow, but The King of the Streets doesn’t bother with pesky details such as
characterization or convincing storylines. Instead, Feng just jumps right in
and begins fighting as if he had never stopped. This is justifiable because he
is fighting for the safety of a group of orphans, in another lazy manipulation
of the storyline.
None of the
horrible screenplay seems to matter once the fighting begins, especially since
the cast seems mostly comprised of top contenders in MMA, Jiu-jitsu, Jeet Kune
DO, Sanda, and Muay Thai boxing. Any of the scenes of dialogue just get in the
way of the action in this Bruce Lee wannabe. Watch it for the action alone,
with little else needing to be skipped over. For the life of me I can’t even
remember a scene with Song talking, though I’m sure it must have happened at
some point in the 88 minute running time.
The Blu-ray
release includes no special features to discuss, and the only reason for high
definition is for the extra punch it gives playback of the fight scenes.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 4/10
Historical
Significance: 3/10
Disc Features: 0/10
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