SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne calls one of the most highly anticipated video game films in recent memory “unexpectedly hilarious” but still “missing something” in his Street Fighter film review.
“As expected, the fight scenes are well shot and choreographed, but the film is also unexpectedly hilarious.” -Kevin Bourne, SHIFTER
Adapting video games for film and TV is nothing new. In recent years, we’ve seen legendary franchises like Resident Evil, Super Mario, Mortal Kombat, Minecraft, Sonic, The Last Of Us, Twisted Metal, and Halo brought to the big and small screens. But this week, fans are ready to see the king of all video games make its return to theaters. Capcom’s Street Fighter has been generating a generous amount of buzz since the first-look at the Game Awards last December.
The film is the latest in a long line of Street FIghter projects dating back to the mid-90’s, including Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Street Fighter (1994), Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie (1994), Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009), and Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist (2014). But it’s safe to say, none of them had the buzz that the upcoming film has.
That’s in large part due to an all-star cast which includes Andrew Koji (Ryu), Noah Centineo (Ken Masters), Callina Liang (Chun-Li), David Dastmalchian (M. Bison), Jason Momoa (Blanka),WWE superstars Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa’i (Akuma) and Cody Rhodes (Guile), 50 Cent (Balrog), Eric André (Don Sauvage), Andrew Schulz (Dan Hibiki), and UFC fighter Alexander Volkanovski (Joe). Yup, that’s a big, and expensive, cast.
When the cast was first announced, it seemed more like a mishmash of big name celebrities simply slapped together for marketing purposes and to get butts in seats. But the casting turns out to be one of the film’s major strengths.
The performances are also strong across the board, including Koji as the sometimes stoic Ryu who toggles between being moral and dark, Centineo as Ken Masters who is out to prove he’s more than a sideshow, fame whore, party animal, and Liang as thick-thighed Chun-Li who is out for revenge. As expected, the fight scenes are well shot and choreographed, but the film is also unexpectedly hilarious, thanks in part to Rhodes as the over-the-top soldier and American hero Guile and Schulz as Ken’s best friend and manager Dan Hibiki.
Still, with all this going for it, it still feels like it’s missing something. First, the story could’ve been a touch stronger. The film surrounds a martial arts tournament, presented by Bison, featuring the best fighters in the world. Obviously, we know how the Street Fighter story goes. After winning the first championship back in the 1980’s, Ryu goes into hiding for years, living a normal life, following the death of his and Ken’s master Gouken. He’s also hiding from his dark side, an untapped power, which resurfaces when he gets angry. Brison is using the tournament to lure Ryu out of hiding so he can steal his power. Unfortunately, they tried to fit so much fighting and references to the game that the story suffers.
The film could’ve spent more time tapping into the pain of Ryu’s past as an orphan who lost his parents. There was also an opportunity to deeper with Ryu’s battle with his dark side. His inner battle felt kind of weak. There are also a few key moments that felt rushed, including Ryu’s decision to enter the tournament, as well as his final battle which is built up from the first scene of the movie. After such a long build up, the supposed battle for the ages feels slightly underwhelming.
“Overall, despite its weaknesses, with good performances and enough nods to the game to make true video game nerds geek out, Street Fighter is still a good watch for true fans of the legendary franchise.” -Kevin Bourne, SHIFTER
Still, the film makes up for it by blending live-action and animation in the flashback scenes. This decision adds another layer to the visual appeal and storytelling while bringing viewers back to Street Fighter‘s video game and animation roots.
Overall, despite its weaknesses, with good performances and enough nods to the game to make true video game nerds geek out, Street Fighter is still a good watch for true fans of the legendary franchise.
Kevin Bourne is SHIFTER’s editor-in-chief and Senior Arts & Entertainment Reporter focusing on film & TV, music, and fashion. He was named one of 340 international voters for the Golden Globe Awards and a Tomatometer-Approved Critic by Rotten Tomatoes.
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