Over the last 30 years or so, there have been two Street Fighter movies, one of which came out in 2009. The latest adaptation of the iconic video game franchise features a stacked ensemble, including WWE rivals Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes.
For what it is — which is a pleasantly fun video game movie — it succeeds. Street Fighter is easily the most accurate to the game of any of the adaptations, bringing the vibrancy and hard-hitting action to the big screen. However, the script, which was co-written by director Kitao Sakurai and T.J. Fixman, falls flat at times.
Trying to translate a side-view action video game to a narrative feature film is tricky, so it's understandable that Sakurai and Fixman, for all their effort, struggled, especially in the middle hour.
But what works is the cast, led by Andrew Koji as Ryu and Noah Centineo as Ken Masters, who have impeccable chemistry. Some of the other ensemble members, specifically David Dastmalchian for his ridiculously hammy performance as the dictator and megalomaniac M. Bison, turn in good performances. Street Fighter also features Jason Momoa hidden under prosthetics and makeup after playing Lobo in Supergirl earlier this summer.
Who will likely be most remembered are, surprisingly, the WWE Superstars, who are relative newbies when it comes to Hollywood (Rhodes appeared in episodes of Arrow and The Naked Gun last year while Reigns has had roles in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, The Wrong Missy, and Zootopia 2).
Street Fighter review: What's the new movie about?
After six years of estrangement, Ryu and Ken Masters are courted to compete in a second World Warrior Tournament by Chun-Li (Callina Liang).
The two were raised as brothers while training under Gouken. However, when something happens to him, the adoptive brothers disconnect.
A second World Warrior Tournament forces them to connect again. They have to work through their past to face the threats that arise.
Street Fighter utilizes anime to bring audiences up to speed. These scenes were undoubtedly the best parts of the movie. In all honesty, a feature-length Street Fighter movie with this look would be marvelous.
Outside of these scenes, the visual language of Street Fighter is pretty strong. The set pieces are good, but it's the lush color palette that really gives Street Fighter a distinct identity.
Some blockbusters struggle with color grading, especially at night. Street Fighter features some lively nighttime scenes, and that is a breath of fresh air.
Roman Reigns brings “OTC” energy to Akuma
Reigns plays Akuma, one of the Street Fighter series’ big bads. The “OTC” has one of the strongest auras in WWE — when he makes his entrance for a match, it's cinematic.
He is also known for working a limited schedule, making his matches feel special. That's a pretty fitting parallel to his character in the Street Fighter movie.
Akuma is an overarching villain, but his presence is felt despite how little he actually appears. Apparently, that is something Reigns really excels at: making such a strong impression you miss him when he's gone.
When he's on screen, the “Tribal Chief” holds his own going toe-to-toe with more trained actors. Acting in WWE is one thing; acting on a Hollywood production is another.
It's fascinating to see how some of the “Ruthless Aggression” era of WWE Superstars (namely John Cena and Dave Bautista) have excelled in acting, following in Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson's footsteps (Reigns is smartly billed as Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa'i in Street Fighter) from the “Attitude Era.”
Whether or not Reigns is able to make it as big as his cousin or Cena remains to be seen. Street Fighter is a good showing from him, and it only bodes well for his future.
He has the charisma and the look necessary for booking action gigs. Reigns doesn't over-rely on his god-like physique, though, also delivering lines with true tenacity.
Cody Rhodes was the biggest surprise
The “American Nightmare” is even more surprising. His character, Guile, is a foul-mouthed Air Force veteran, and his first couple of lines will shock any WWE fans who only know him from his work in the squared circle.
Surprisingly, the three-time Undisputed WWE Champion doesn't get as physical as you'd expect. He does, however, trade some hilarious one-liners with Dan Hibiki (Andrew Schulz).
Schulz is one of the curious casting choices, given that Dan is of Japanese descent in the games (Reigns, who is of Samoan and Italian descent), also plays Akuma, who is traditionally Japanese). The writers do Schulz no favors, as he has to deliver MCU-like quips.
For everything well the cast pulls off, the movie falls apart towards the end. The World Warrior Tournament should be the biggest set piece of Street Fighter.
Article Continues BelowBits and pieces of it are shown, but not nearly enough of the bouts are. Guile is strangely relegated to an entrance and exit, with nothing in between.
This just felt like the biggest opportunity to show fighting in a Street Fighter movie. There is action elsewhere, but seeing the various characters—all of whom have unique abilities—mixing it up would've been memorable.
Should you watch Street Fighter?
At times, Street Fighter feels like the clash of a few different movies. On one hand, there's a video game-accurate movie full of fighting. On the other hand, there's a story-driven drama fueled by the story of estranged brothers.
The third act features a really cool fight sequence followed by an epilogue that feels somewhat out of place, almost as if the filmmakers learned about a sequel after wrapping filming.
Even if the ending is a little jarring, a sequel is definitely interesting. Street Fighter is an example of the parts being greater than the whole. There are several interesting ideas—the biggest highlight being the visuals—and a follow-up would have the chance to flesh them out. On its own, Street Fighter is a little too messy to be a knockout.
Grade: C+
Street Fighter will be released on Oct. 16.