Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture (1994) User Reviews (18)

I found it passable

[ericstevenson · 7/10 · 27 December 2016]

I admit that it's hard for me to judge this seeing as how I'm not into the "Fatal Fury" series that much. Of course, when you know as much about pop culture as me, you can't help but recognize a couple characters. I at least know Terry Bogard and Mai Shiranui. There were some cameos by characters who unfortunately didn't have much relevance to the story, like Duck King. Of course, it's hard to have a character with that name being taken seriously. I actually do like the romance in this movie. It does come off as pretty believable and a lot of it ends up pretty tragically.

Maybe this was in fact in the actual games, but you don't really see much romance in fighting games. Yeah, I'm such a sucker for that stuff. I admit that the animation does look pretty bad at some points. I guess old anime doesn't hold up that well. I still found the cast to be pretty likable, especially Mai Shiranui. She seriously steals every scene she's in and yeah, that is kind of because she's so amazingly beautiful. The story could have been better but as far as movies based on video games go, it was certainly better than most. ***

This is a must see for fans of the video game but far from a classic anime picture

[kevin_robbins · 5/10 · 8 March 2022]

Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture (1994) is a movie I recently watched on Tubi. The storyline follows a group of friends who live and train together who encounter a ruthless killer looking to acquire an invincible armor. They partner with the killer's sister to hunt him down and try to stop him from acquiring the armor.

This movie is directed by Masami Ôbari (Gundam Build Fighters: Battlogue) and contains the voices of Mark Hildreth (The Tudors), Lisa Ann Beley (Dragon Ball Z), Jason Gray-Stanford (Monk), Matt Hill (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III) and John Payne (Silent Mobious).

The animation in this didn't age well but did align closely with the video game cut scenes. The fight scenes did a good job of using the split screen features when introducing the characters that also aligned to the game. They also gave the characters the mannerisms from their post fight victory scenes from the arcade game. The fight scenes and characters were fun as was the premise. The ending song was a bit funny as they segwayed to the credits.

Overall this is a must see for fans of the video game but far from a classic anime picture. I would score this a 5/10 and recommend seeing it once for fans of the game.

Best Fatal Fury Movie so far

[yy15 · 7/10 · 10 June 2000]

This one is the best of the three so far (Fatal fury 1 & 2). The story is more touching and the character interactions are good. As for the plot, Terry has to face a new battle and this time, the enemy is not human! There is also new love for Terry, a girl who seek help from him. Another high about the movie, Mai, the cute ninja girl plays a more important role here. It was good to see her around.

Incredible...

[Tyree-2 · 30 October 1998]

All that I can really say is, after watching this movie and its 2 prequels, I can not wait for another episode. Anyone who is a fan of anime should own the entire series for this movie in their collection. This movie remains as my favorite Anime movie, and as one of my favorite movies overall.

Good movie but...

[amanfigo · 6/10 · 12 February 2003]

The movie of anime based on the popular saga of video games Fatal Fury it is a good adaptation although it doesn't end up putting on to the height of Street Fighter: The Animated Movie. I like enough the movie although I had preferred that it had been based on some of the parts of the video game and that they had not been invented a new adventure that it is taken out of the series of Saint Seya, but even so they guessed right in the new characters of the history (The Gaudemus and company) and they even reflected faithfully the 4 main characters (the Bogard Brothers, Joe and Mai) that are the same ideas that I had of them like in the video games. The pity is that some characters of the saga that some appear in the movie making a " cameo " (Billy Kane, Jubei Yamada, Richard Myer, Geese...), they don't have the protagonism that I would like them to have like in the saga. It is also missed that characters like Blue Mary or Ryuji Yamazaki doesn't appear in the movie. It was not bad idea to leave the movie open to a second part like leave when Billy Kane speaks with his master Howard when it is training. It is not a bad movie, it is a great movie with the main characters of Fatal Fury, but the pity is that the history was not centered in some concrete video game of Fatal Fury.

More and Bigger of the First Movie

[fatcat-73450 · 6/10 · 29 August 2023]

This film is a continuation of the two previous Fatal Fury movies, but unlike the previous two members of the trilogy, this one is of normal length for a film and appears to have a theatre-release budget.

The time and budget were put to competent use, as no one can deny that this is the most "epic" of the three. The fight scenes are bigger and longer, the moves from the game are shown in their full glory, and you just get more and better of what you got in the first movie as well as a lot more of the sexualization of Mai from the second movie.

In raw terms, however, the plot is generic martial arts fluff. A rich man with apparently infinite money at his disposal is looking to collect a bunch of pieces of Exodia to achieve ultimate bragging rights. He has cyborg henchmen and mutant henchmen (whose eyes also glow red sometimes so they might actually be cyborg mutant henchmen).

The plot will be like water, filling any of the various containers it's put into. Characters will defy gravity for no reason, the relationship between twins will show a complete defiance of basic biological principles, and a team of martial artists that had trouble defeating the henchmen of gods will suddenly have no problem defeating the giant god itself. I would would laugh at how they turned a game about petty revenge in martial arts circles into an international action thriller of global proportions, but actually the King of Fighters series is no stranger to plots involving the saving of the world from otherworldly divine forces, so it fits.

It's a big beautiful mess, with sleek animation and all the cameo appearances from the game you could want, as well as a healthy dose of Mai Shiranui and the twins. Action anime fans and fans of SNK lore won't be disappointed with this adaptation.

Honourable Mentions: Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle (1993). I found the simplistic plot arc and marginally better character and villain development in the second movie to be much more fulfilling from an artistic standpoint, but the grand nature of this film did give it a lot more mainstream appeal.

"Hey, this sucks." "No, it's ANIME! That means it's art!"

[Vincent de Boule · 1/10 · 5 January 2002]

I'd like to start off by saying that I am NOT an anime fan (with a few notable exceptions), and I generally have a low opinion of so-called otakus, as they are so in love with their particular brand of cartooning that they label every movie starring spiky-haired, big-eyed characters as a work of art without even considering other more vital factors, such as the plot. And no anime movie better represents this division between otakus and people with actual taste than this elegant piece of trash, Fatal Fury: the Motion Picture.

As seen through the glassy, witless eyes of an otaku, there's little to find fault with in Fatal Fury-- there's plenty of quirky Japanese-y humor, one-on-one duels, some "dramatic" moments, and everything is beautifully drawn. But everyone else will be turned off by the cliched, predictable plot with cliched, predictable characters, culminating in a cliched, predictable ending. The love scenes are hilariously overblown-- the scene in which Sulia "heals" Terry is obviously intended to be a tender moment, but it's virtually impossible to not be thrown into spirals of giddy laughter by the sheer ludicrousness of it. And of course, Fatal Fury is not without the obligatory cartoon T&A-- this is supplied gratuitously by the huge-breasted Mai Shiranui. And since Fatal Fury IS based off the video game series of the same name (oh boy), we're treated to numerous pointless cameo appearances by popular characters with little or no relevance to the plot whatsoever (they go through all the trouble of introducing Kim early on, only for him to disappear from the movie totally after that point). This mess of a movie reaches its climax with the unintentionally farcical final battle, in which all the main characters engage the all-powerful main villain in one-on-one combat in turn. That's some thing that's always amused me... even when battles in animes AREN'T taking place in a tournament, they always happen as if they were, regardless of the fact that it makes no sense whatsoever!

Otakus always rave about how anime movies should be treated as MOVIES as opposed to merely cartoons, and a disturbing portion of those same people love Fatal Fury. So would Fatal Fury have been good if it wasn't an anime? The answer is an emphatic "no"-- all of this movie's charm, what little of it there is, resides in the actual drawings. Had Fatal Fury not been an anime, it would have been worthy of an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, if the show was still on the air. That's the key-- this is nothing more than a laughably bad B-movie in the guise of an anime epic. If you're a fan of movies so bad that they're actually entertaining, consider renting Fatal Fury (or catch it on the Sci-Fi channel), as it is definitely one of those. If you're an otaku, please WAKE UP and realize that a good 90% of the stuff you're watching is garbage. As for everyone else, buy a Dreamcast and Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves, but don't even consider seeing this movie.

Cool animated movie

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 10/10 · 21 January 2001]

But unfortunately my fave character is not in it much, his name is Geese Howard and he is only in a few scenes. But that's a minor quibble.

The plot is about Terry Bogard falling in love with a girl named Sulia who's brother is wrecking havoc all over the world searching for a suit of armor that will make him a God. Sounds like something from an Indiana Jones movie but it works well and there's enough humor and pathos mixed in with all the mighty kicking-of-ass to keep others interested who do not like martial arts.

Of course the story could be stronger with more developments but at 95 minutes you'll be darned if you can find another animated movie or even live action that crams in so much adventure, color and light-hearted thrills into its running time.

I am a big fan of the series and of the entire Garou Densetsu/Fatal Fury franchise and I hope a sequel follows soon.

Dragon Ball Z meets Mortal Kombat

[GreyFox37 · 10/10 · 22 February 2001]

now, this is more like it. video game based animes are generally decent or awful, but i think this is the best one i've seen since street fighter 2. most of your favorite characters are in it, the story was well thought out, and the animation is top notch. by the way, to the teenage audience, hope you like the shower!!! fatal fury is one to see.

A Brilliant Success!

[TJThayer34 · 10/10 · 26 August 2002]

"Fatal Fury: the Motion Picture" has become a timeless classic in the world of Japanese Animation! With a little of everything, it's become even bigger (as difficult as it is for me to admit) than "Street Fighter II: the Movie", and I am a Street Fighter II fan! Seeing as it may be shot up there with other successful animation pieces as Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis and the classical "Sea Prince & the Fire Child", Fatal Fury has come a long way. What's next? We'll wait & see!

A great cinematic treatment.

[gohmifune · 9/10 · 23 July 2001]

A movie that was apparently planned from the begining if you watch the other movies. This is an incredibly cool movie, something that should have been in the theatre, but instead one has to cut off the lights and and pop some popcorn, and watch this movie. The ending is the best part, and is my personal favorite part( because of credit theme).

Bed Anime Motion Picture

[EverydayIDecay · 9/10 · 8 July 2021]

One of the greatest anime motion pictures ever. Stays true to the greatness of the games and characters. Can't believe it took me this long to check out.

Considering the source this actually made a cool movie.

[Aaron1375 · 8/10 · 17 November 2009]

Yes, the inspiration for this anime movie was a video game that was basically a "Street Fighter" clone that for me was not the most entertaining fighting game ever made. Here you have character from that game in a fight with a madman that is after the armor of mars, which of course makes its wearer very strong. During the course of the adventure you get to see the fighters display their various moves and even have an appearance by a character in a castle whose part in the movie makes him nearly pointless. You get to see two of the characters fall in love and you get a somewhat bittersweet ending. They do a bunch of moves to where they yell out their special attack which is sort of like a Dragonball Z show which also helped me enjoy this one more even though I was not particularly fond of the game. The character are rather interesting too, as they add much needed depth to the characters as opposed to just a bunch of dudes fighting in tournaments. So all in all a nice anime based on a not so nice video game.

Good but missing some plot.

[Gator-27 · 10/10 · 30 October 1999]

It could have done with a bit more I won't lie to you. But it is a funny movie and didn't irritate me like most others in the genre do. It is a little corny at times and like most Japanese anime movies it has (the obligatory) female nudity. But hey go along with and enjoy it. Hope there are sequels.

A spectacular achievement...

[Wheels-4 · 10 September 1998]

Garou Densetsu (***1/2 out of ****) Director: Masami Obari Legendary prize fighter (Terry Bogard) and company are hired by mysterious (and beautiful) young woman to prevent her hot-headed twin brother from capturing the "Armor of Mars" and becoming a god. A stunning portrayel of character emotion that is sparkled to imaginable (if barely credible) vitality. Fine and colorful production designs, unique character development, and director Obari's visual finese (not to mention a story well told) will assist the viewer to look past hokey dialogue and contrivances. Obari's theatrical debut is a spectacular achievement in every way!

This is the best Fatal Fury movie.

[jgusw · 8/10 · 17 November 2000]

This is the best F.F. movie, no hands down. It has a great story and it's not as boring has the first two. Everything is better, better animation. The fight scenes are still boring, but that's in all the Fatal Fury movies.

pretty darn cool

[sdraughon-20567 · 9/10 · 20 October 2021]

Ever since i show this on retrocrush this is very cool i like it the animation is very cool and stuff and its all ANIME holy crap i love it the english dub has slighty stronger swearing then the japanese subbed the japanese subbed is really good so watch it in retrocrush today!!