Street Fighter (2026)

I didn't regret watching it, a lot better than the older Street Fighter/Mortal Kombat movies.

I liked the flow, the characters & actors, the fighting moves, and the use of anime sequences (changing to/from anime helped as well to keep me interested).

Two hours were for my taste too long and I would have shortened/compressed it to 1.5, I would have slightly changed the sound & music audio levels and chosen from time to time some even more aggressive songs (e.g. Slipknot?), I'm not a big fan of flashbacks and I would have reduced their amount, but the end result is still not bad.

All in all the movie definitely fulfilled my average expectations - I think that people that complain about it expected something that would have taken itself more seriously, but in my opinion doing it this way was the correct move.

If you want to watch a light dynamic action movie with quite a lot of good music then I recommend it.

As someone who grew up mastering combos and bonding over *Street Fighter* across console generations with my brother, this adaptation delivered everything we hoped for. The filmmakers clearly respect the source material: from the UI fonts and audio cues to signature move choreography and mid-fight banter, the film is packed with authentic Easter eggs that reward longtime fans without getting bogged down in tedious exposition.

At its core, the emotional anchor is the relationship between Ryu and Ken. Their dynamic carries genuine heart, blending earned humor with high-stakes resolution. The action sequences deliver crisp choreography and striking, game-accurate stage aesthetics, all backed by an energetic soundtrack. The casting across the board hits the mark. Cody Rhodes brings great presence and charisma to Guile—my only real critique is simply wishing he had more screen time and another fight sequence. Similarly, the fresh take on M. Bison works effectively when viewed as a deliberate origin setup for future installments rather than a rehash of past iterations.

Online complaints regarding character costumes are completely overblown; the female fighters are portrayed as capable, strong, and central to the action rather than decorative eye candy. While complete newcomers might benefit from a quick five-minute lore primer beforehand, the film provides enough narrative ground for anyone to follow along. It is a stylish, faithful, and immensely entertaining martial arts film that lays a fantastic foundation for a broader cinematic universe.

Check out my full review @ https://movieswetextedabout.com/street-fighter-movie-review-callina-liang-stands-out-in-a-dumb-fun-adaptation/

Rating: B-

STREET FIGHTER delivers exactly what it sells: dumb fun packed with references for fans of the game, made by people fully aware of how silly the whole thing is. The 2D animated sequences are the clear highlight, the fights are intense and energetic, and the neon-retro look and practical sets give it more personality than the recent Mortal Kombat films. Callina Liang stands out from the cast, but Noah Centineo and Andrew Koji also make a compelling pair. It tries to do far too much, burns runtime on Bison’s sequel-baiting, skips half of its own tournament, and misses most of its jokes. Still, it’s a light, entertaining time at the cinema. If indeed there’s a second round, I’ll most likely be there.

Street Fighter has its moments, but it never quite comes together. There’s some fun in seeing these characters brought to life, and the action provides occasional entertainment, but the story gives you little reason to care between fights. The cheesiness sometimes works in its favor; other times, it just makes everything feel awkward.

I wasn’t expecting a deep story, but a stronger sense of momentum and more memorable character interactions would have gone a long way. An uneven diversion with enough appeal for a casual watch, but little that sticks afterward.

“Envy is the seed from which evil grows”. Hmmm - never some truer words, but that is about the only seed that will sprout from this. The menacing "Lord Bison" (David Dastmalchian) has been trying to obtain some super-human powers but thus far hasn't quite managed, so decides he needs to lure back the legendary "Ryu" (Andrew Koji) from his reclusiveness. How to do that though? Well that might involve his long term friend "Ken" (Noah Centineo) and the staging of a second fighting championship to allow "Ryu" to defend his title. It turns out that he ain't so very hard to track down after all, and so after a bit of vacillation he decides that he will join in - if only to clear up some old misunderstandings with his erstwhile pal - the dumb as a rock "Ken". What now ensues sees a more violent and destructive version of "It's a Knock Out" with the eight competitors being thrown through the masonry, old grudges faced and settled before a steady progression to a denouement that you could have seen from space. The acting is pretty terrible - especially from the arch-ham Dastmalchian, and there isn't the slightest degree of jeopardy as it has at least four goes before finally running the credits. Fans of the game may well love it; I did like the novel use of animation to fill in the backstories and it certainly moves along rapidly once it gets going, but at just shy of two hours it does really over-milk a very simple story and the repetition doesn't do it many favours either nor does the rushed finale. Centineo tries quite hard to hold things together in a sort of Chris Pratt meets Karl Urban sort of fashion but doesn't quite pull that off leaving us needing a more charismatic lead, for the plot to be less tiered, and for a little more humour from it's writing to sustain it. It's all watchable enough, but I know I'll never remember it.