Prime Time Geek

This is before things get weird

Images courtesy of www.game.watch.impress.co.jp

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I think Kristin Kreuk is great. Her depiction of Lana Lang on Smallville from the very beginning, both her look and her persona, as seen through Clark’s eyes and later as she evolved into more than just the object of Clark’s affections, was a combination of exotic beauty and girl-next-door charm and allure that had my heart racing. Having had plenty of unrequited crushes in high school for gals way out of my league, the Clark-Lana stories gave me one more reason to cheer for Clark and hope the character could have what I never did. Yes, yes, I always knew the romance was doomed, for we all know who Clark ends up with as an adult, but I hoped nonetheless, and I credit that entirely to Smallville’s writers and Kristin Kreuk. And to all the “Clana” haters out there, I give the proverbial “finger”, because the amount of venom they collectively spewed in Kreuk’s direction as years passed on the show is entirely undeserved. I love Chloe and Allison’s Mack’s depiction of her as much as anyone, but all you gals who suffered in high school from thinking you were overlooked for the prettier cheerleader girls, and thus cheer for brainy Chloe and hiss at too-pretty Lana, get over it. It’s in the past, and Kristin Kreuk the actress has never done anything to you.

Smallville Season 2 promotional image for Kreuk as Lana Lang

When the writer’s strike interrupted Smallville’s Seventh Season and its duration created a scheduling conflict with Kreuk’s plans to shoot Street Fighter: the Legend of Chun-Li, for me as a fan it was bittersweet. I could see Kreuk doing very well in the role, but I didn’t want to see her leave Lana behind so soon. Then the news that she wouldn’t be returning as a regular came down from the CW, and that along with the departure of Michael Rosenbaum had me saying that the sky was falling. I can certainly admit that I was wrong in my dire predictions – Smallville’s ratings are stronger than ever, and there’s talk of a ninth season, although Tom Welling reportedly has still not signed on for it. But as well as the show was doing without Kreuk, I welcomed her 5-episode guest stint and savored one last temporary moment of happiness for Clark and Lana. When that moment ended, I truly shed a few tears, as I have whenever circumstances have torn the two characters apart. And to those who expressed gratitude that Lana Lang seems to be gone for good, well I hope you’re satisfied. I’ll still maintain that she was a huge part of why I fell for Smallville, my Superman fandom notwithstanding. I fell for Smallville because Kreuk’s portrayal of Lana made Clark’s pining for her, always just beyond reach, truly believable to me. Had I been Clark, I would have fallen for her precisely the same way.

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li theatrical poster

Anyway, it remains to be seen what Kreuk will do with her career post-Smallville. “Street Fighter”, despite her presence, has the potential to be mindnumbingly bad–all you have to do is look at the Jean-Claude Van Damme adaptation from the 1990’s (poor, poor Raul Julia-you deserved so much better than for that to be your last screen credit!). One thing is definitely certain in my mind, though–no matter what else Kreuk may do in her career, few experiences in publicity tours and junkets could possible ever top the craziness of this Japanese promotional appearance. Check out the MAN in the Chun-Li costume, and I shouldn’t have to say any more. [scroll down to see the smoking hot mess]

The look on her face ... "I'm SO going to kill my agent."

Oh, look, he's got a cord attached to him, wonder what that's for ...

If only she'd really hit him ...

Kristin Kreuk, you are awesome. Rampant absurdity as only the Japanese media can do could NEVER change that.