Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture

Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture
Directed by	Masami Ōbari
Produced by	Hiromichi Mogaki Susumu Nakajima Yumiko Shigeoka Yoshihiro Suzuki Tatsuji Yamazaki
Screenplay by	Takashi Yamada
Based on	Fatal Fury by SNK
Starring	Kazukiyo Nishikiori Keiichi Nanba Nobuyuki Hiyama Kotono Mitsuishi Tomo Sakurai Shinichiro Miki
Music by	Toshihiko Sahashi
Cinematography	Seiichi Morishita
Edited by	Hajime Okayasu
Production company	Studio Wombat, Yumeta Company
Distributed by	Shochiku
Release date	July 16, 1994 (1994-07-16)
Running time	100 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture (餓狼伝説 THE MOTION PICTURE, Garō Densetsu: The Motion Picture, "Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture") is a 1994 Japanese animated feature film based on the SNK video game series Fatal Fury originally released in Japan on July 16, 1994. Discotek Media released a Blu-Ray version on July 25, 2017. It was directed by character designer Masami Ōbari and follows the same continuity as the preceding two TV specials, Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf and Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle. The movie features an all-new storyline centering on original characters,^[1] although many of the characters from the first two Fatal Fury specials make extensive cameo appearances thorough the film.

The original ending theme in Japanese is "Yoake no rejendo" ("Dawn of a Legend") by Kazukiyo Nishikiori of Shonentai. For the North American film release, the song was given the title "Oh Angel", and re-recorded with English lyrics by Canadian singer Warren Stanyer.

Plot

While exploring a cavern in Egypt, Cheng Sinzan discovers a leg armor plate said to be one of six pieces of the Armor of Mars. Cheng is defeated by Laocorn Gaudeamus and his three henchmen before Laocorn attaches the part to his body and destroys the cavern. In Japan, Joe Higashi makes his triumphant return into the ring by defeating Thai champion Hwa Jai after the events of Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle. Joe reunites with Terry and Andy Bogard, as well as Mai Shiranui. While being chased by a masked assailant, Sulia Gaudeamus - Laocorn's sister - befriends Terry. After Big Bear is knocked unconscious by the assailant, Kim Kaphwan defeats him, exposing the assailant as Cheng. Sulia reveals that she has searched for Terry since his battle with Krauser. Sulia, Terry, Andy, Mai and Joe travel to Rhodes, where Sulia reveals that she is a descendent of Gaudeamus, a powerful warrior whose armor drew fear among Alexander the Great. One night, Alexander killed Gaudeamus, but the armor gained life after his death, and reincarnated himself as Mars before destroying a city; it was eventually defeated by four warriors. To prevent Mars from destroying cities again, the armor was broken up and hidden in different places around the world. On the island, the five discover a series of cave paintings that indicate that martial arts moves such as Tung Fu Rue's Hurricane Punch and Krauser's Blitz Ball were influenced by Gaudeamus. Sulia reveals that she possesses healing powers due to her heritage and shares a mental bond with Laocorn. After Sulia discovers the locations of two of the three remaining armor pieces, the group divides into two subgroups in an attempt to find them.

While searching for the breast plate in Turkey, Terry, Joe and Sulia discover an ancient chamber, which was unearthed in the police station's destruction. The three discover that the breast plate is in Stroheim Castle, Krauser's former home. Joe is sent to Baghdad to rendezvous with Andy and Mai. Having realized that the breast plate is in Stroheim Castle in Germany, Terry and Sulia travel to the castle, but are confronted by Laocorn's henchman Jamin. Terry is severely injured after using the Power Geyser attack to escape. At the castle, Panni, Laocorn's henchwoman, defeats Krauser's former henchman Laurence Blood and acquires the breast plate from the castle. In Iraq, Andy and Mai find out that the site of the leg armor was raided when the Mongolians sacked Baghdad and brought their loot back to China. They figure that Tung Fu Rue knew the location of the armor piece before he died, and their next lead would be Tung's old friend Jubei Yamada.

Sulia heals Terry using part of her life force. Terry, hears from Sulia that her and Laocorn's father was leading an expedition to find the Armor of Mars after discovering the first piece - the right gauntlet. Then one day, a business partner killed the twins' father. After Laocorn was shot by the murderer, he used the armor to kill the murderer. Since then, Laocorn developed an insatiable desire to complete the armor. Hearing the story, Terry vows to fight to protect Sulia from any pain or suffering. In Japan, Andy and Mai go to Duck King's nightclub, where they have arranged to meet with Jubei. As Jubei gives Andy the location of the leg armor, Andy confronts Geese Howard's staff-wielding henchman Billy Kane, but is interrupted by the appearance of Laocorn's third henchman, Hauer. After unsuccessfully trying to seduce and bring Mai to his side, Hauer destroys the nightclub. The next day, Billy reports the confrontation to Geese. Geese, however, dismisses it as trivial information. In China, Andy retrieves the leg armor when he and Mai are attacked by Hauer, who defeats them and steals the armor piece. The five regroup in Rhodes, where Sulia tells them that Laocorn has not found the crown - the sixth armor piece. They discover a secret chamber behind the cave paintings and use Sulia's pendant to reveal the Dead Sea in Israel as the location of the final piece.

In Jerusalem, while Andy is away practicing his techniques, Terry and Joe are knocked unconscious while Mai and Sulia are cornered by Laocorn and his henchmen. Sulia agrees to go with her twin brother if he promises not to harm her friends. Laocorn, Sulia and Jamin flee, but Hauer and Panni are easily defeated by Andy and Mai. The heroes head for the Dead Sea, where Laocorn raises an ancient temple. While Andy, Joe and Mai confront an army of Laocorn's masked thugs at the temple, Terry runs toward the entrance and defeats Jamin with his Burning Knuckle technique. He explains that he sees the bond between Terry and Sulia, and that Terry is the only one who can save her and Laocorn.

Laocorn finds the armor's crown, mounted on a statue of Mars. Over Sulia and Terry's objections, Laocorn crowns himself - causing the armor to encase him in vermeil and augment all of his powers and abilities. Andy, Joe and Mai join in the fight, but are overpowered by Laocorn's newly acquired powers. Then, just when Laocorn is about to finish off the heroes, Sulia stabs her own arm to injure Laocorn. As his abilities have become more powerful, so has his mental bond with his sister. Sulia stabs herself in the heart, causing more pain to Laocorn. Before succumbing to her wounds, Sulia tells Terry to strike Laocorn's breast plate. Terry uses his Burning Knuckle technique to defeat Laocorn and reduce his armor to four coins. The coins assimilate into the statue of Mars, bringing it to life. Realizing that the armor was using him to bring Mars back to life, Laocorn sacrifices himself to save Mai. Terry absorbs the last of Sulia's lifeforce, combining it with his skills to attack Mars head-on. Terry uses the Buster Wolf technique to defeat Mars and he, Mai, Andy and Joe escape the temple. The film ends with Terry throwing his hat in silence.

Voice cast

Cameo appearances

• Reiko Chiba, a singer and voice actress who posed as Nakoruru in SNK's Samurai Shodown advertising campaign has two speaking roles in the original Japanese version of the film.
  • The first is right after Joe's bout with Hwa Jai in which she congratulates him. He instantly recognizes her as "THAT Reiko Chiba" (in the English version of the same scene, Reiko's character is not named and Joe simply asks if it is "really her").
  • The second is during a scene in Duck King's "King of Dancing" night club, when she, dressed as her character Nakoruru, switches places with Mai, who has disappeared in order to get ready for a surprise stage performance. This can be considered somewhat of a double in-joke, as Reiko once performed an image song for Mai on the arranged soundtrack to Fatal Fury Special.

SNK references

• The Neo-Geo Land Sports Amusement, where Terry runs into Sulia, is based on a real arcade of the same name that was located in Osaka, also home to SNK's original office. The same building can be seen in the backgrounds of various Fatal Fury games.
• The SNK company logo appears multiple times in the film. Most notable are its presence in the middle of the ring where Joe and Hwa have their match at the beginning of the film, and on the grill of an eighteen-wheeler that Terry's motorcycle crashes into in Germany.
• The video game Terry is playing is Fatal Fury Special, in which the movie is very loosely based on and Terry is using himself while fighting CPU controlled Andy, his brother. Terry's character loses the match.

References

External links

• Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture on IMDb