Today’s quick review: Street. Remo Street (Beau “Casper” Smart) earns the respect of Ozzy (Shashawnee Hall), a local MMA coach, when he saves his niece Jasmine (Kate Miner) from a pair of Russian mobsters. Ozzy offers Street a job at his gym and training to become a fighter, and Street throws himself into his new career. But trouble rears its head when Uri (Mark Ryan), the kingpin of the Russian mob, pressures Street to fight for him.
Street is a budget action movie about a young MMA fighter struggling to improve his life. The story follows Remo Street as he supports his family, trains at Ozzy’s gym, and works to get out from under Uri’s thumb. The movie’s solid story structure and decent character arcs give it some potential, but its execution falls flat. Mediocre acting, inexpert writing, and skimpy action scenes all keep Street from matching its bigger-budget counterparts.
Street suffers from many of the same problems as other budget movies. The acting and dialogue are rough in places. The sets are bare-bones, the sound mixing is splotchy, and the fights cut corners, coming across more as highlight reels than full-fledged action scenes. But unlike other budget movies, these flaws don’t get in the way of its core story. Street’s vision comes across clearly, even if the overall execution is lackluster.
Ultimately, Street has a clear goal in mind but lacks the tools needed to achieve it. Those familiar with the budget side of the action genre will find that it has more substance than average, with thought put into its plot and characters. But without the action and cinematic craftsmanship to support its better ideas, there’s nothing to set Street apart from the many other films that try something similar. Most viewers should pass.
For a drama with a similar premise and a bit more heart, try Fighting. For another action movie about underground fighting, try Blood and Bone, Kickboxer, or Lady Bloodfight. For a martial arts movie that goes farther with a similar premise, try Man of Tai Chi.
4.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.0 for a reasonable story without the skill to be what it aspires to be.