February 6th, 2009 -- Written by Rodney
I am not a big fan of music artists getting gigs in films as actors. I do however offer a certain amount of forgiveness when they let them play supporting roles or minor characters. And this is the case with Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas abusing his star power to branch out into movies.
Now we get our first look at the prissy Spanish assassin Vega, complete with his fist blades and the silver mask he wears.
Vega is a character from the Street Fighter video games that is allied with the villain M. Bison. He is a masked talon-wielding warrior from Spain who uses a personal fighting style combining Japanese Ninjutsu and Spanish bullfighting. As for how his story plays out in the movie, we’re not really sure!
I think that Taboo looks the part. The guy is pretty buff, though I am sure we will eventually see him in the purple pants and penny loafers with the long sash and topless to show off Vega’s elaborate chest tattoo, you just don’t run around the street wearing that. So this first look shows us a more conservative look for Vega. I just hope they retain the level of prissyness and have him all vain discussing how pretty he is.
Each character in the original game spelled out a simple version of their story as to why they were finding people to randomly beat up on the street. Some were in it for revenge against M.Bison (the eventual end boss in the game), others were just in it to prove that they were the best fighters in the world.
Chun-Li had the most personal story, but as you meet each player in the game you get a peek at their story and I always found Vega to be interesting but also the most fun to beat the piss out of. Back then, interactivity in arcade games was limited to a coloured burst indicating successful impact on the screen, but with Vega you got a treat. Aside from him wearing a mask to protect his pretty face, if you scored enough hits in a row you would break off his fist blades.
They would go flying and you had that momentary internal cheer that let you know you accomplished something.
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Oh man, those were the days! I have broken my share of arcade joysticks on SF too.
Now that our generation is all grown up and have money to burn, all our childhood characters like Spiderman, Knight Rider, hulk, and now Streetfighter, are being recycled and milked again.
Vega always looked like a tranny to me. Great observation about the claws.
Well Vega isnt a complicated character but I would have wanted a martial artist then a muscian. Not much I can say besides hating his look which is a bit trivial because they gave him his claws and mask. Those two things make the character stand out and you know who he is from the game. Cant say that about any of the other characters thou and I still say its bullshit to leave out Ken and Ryu. Thats like making the new Star Trek film about Scotty and the rest of the crew but leaving out Kirk and Spock.
Well if they made a Star Trek film called Star Trek: The Legend of the Red Shirt then clearly the story would be focused on that guy.
I imagine that if this movie has any degree of success there will be a sequel or series that focuses on the other characters as well.
this movie will have no success im pretty much certain of that…..and personally this is the second best casting in the movie…the chick playing chun li IMO is looks awful as her….but least vega is played but a truely awesome breakdancer…which is perfect for vega…really taboo is amazing as a dancer and this movie will probley make a good amount of money from the filipino audience in the world….but IMO this movie is way way way too late…ps ditching ryu for chun li was just plain stupid…fact is all the seriers n cartoons are off the ryu storyline…whether its akuma or goki…..ryu was the center of the universe cause of his HADOUKEN!!!>>>>>SHORYUKEN!!!!
True, but BigSampson, the thing you have to understand, is that in a fighting game, even though there may be a more foward character to base the whole game around, Every character has a storyline, which makes them a main character in their own right. Chun Li just finally has her time to shine in a feature film. If all goes well, you will see Ken and Ryu in their own film. Just give it time, and give this one a chance. Everything will no doubt fall into place.
doesn’t this come out in a few weeks? Pfft…fans of SF won’t be going to see this stupid movie…they will be too busy playing Street Fighter 4 on their xbox and ps3
Oh wow thats a good point to make. Fans might not even care about the movie because they want to play the game more than see another poorly made SF movie.
I know that’s what I’ll be doing :)
I don’t know if this guy should be playing Vega. One of Vega’s big things is that he was completely vain because of his good looks. I just don’t think he is good looking enough. Then again, there is nothing about this movie that has convinced me yet that it will be good, so maybe he will fit right in.
On a scale of 1 to “Teh Suck,” This movie is going to rank “AIDS.”
Though, anything short of genital torture may be better than the last one.
@ Rodney
I wasnt saying anything as stupid as the color of someones shirt. Im pointing out the sheer stupidity of leaving the MAIN CHARACTERS out of the film completely. If they had a Star Trek movie that was about Scotty and had Sulu,Bones,Uhura,etc but left out Kirk and Spock fans would be saying why they left them out.
@Seth Rex
Theres a seceret rule in fighting games that there always has to be at least two characters returning from pervious installments. SF,SF2,SF3 all had a larger number of diffrent characters but the two characters that would always be there was Ken and Ryu. In fact in the orginal SF arcade the only character you can play as was Ryu so you can say he is the main character. But its ok if they want to focus the story on Chun-Li but give as a scene or more with Ken and/or Ryu.
Who is to say that Ken and Ryu are the main characters? If there only ever was the first Streetfighter game then perhaps I would agree with you.
The great thing about the Streetfighter games is that its more about the whole of the characters and not about just one. This is a movie about one character’s story and Ken and Ryu are not about that story.
If they have them in this at all, it would be pointless. The story is not about them, and to put them in it would be a waste and of no significance.
Believe me, Streetfighter: The Legend of Ken and Ryu will be coming if this is a success.
well the thing is, why in the hell did they not make a movie focused on Ryu and Ken. The 2 BY FAR most popular characters in the franchise.
I’d be all over a movie with Ryu fighting Sagat. That would be badass. However, a movie about Chun-Li? No thanks. Maybe if it looked really well done but, nah, this one doesn’t look like it.
The difference is that out of the stories to make a movie on, this one is probably more interesting.
Ken and Ryu’s entire purpose was just to prove they were the better fighters.
“Revenge story” trumps “I can kick your ass” story anyday.
i’m not going to watch a street fighter movie without Ken or Ryu. Definitely going to skip this one.
Ken and Ryu were featured in 2 movies already. The first one with Van Damme and also the second one which was an anime. It’s good that they give Chun Li her own story. I guess all the Black Eyed Peas are doing films now. Will.I.Am is in X-Men Origins Wolverine. Fergie was in Grindhouse. Now Taboo is in this. All thats missing is that other guy in the group to do a movie.
He certainly does look the part. I’ve never seen a blonde Spanish cage fighter person in half bull-fighting get-up that goes by Vega in any of the video games.
Then you have never played Street Fighter II′: Champion Edition Street Fighter Alpha 3, Street Fighter EX series (from Street Fighter EX2 and onward), the Capcom vs. SNK series and Street Fighter IV.
And he wasn’t blond. He has always had brown hair.
isnt the black member of the black eyed peas (sam i am? wtf was his name?) playing some x men in wolverine?