Street Fighter Review: Great Fights, Too Many Jokes, and a Missed Opportunity

Street Fighter is a martial arts comedy, so going into it, I already knew this wasn't going to be a completely serious movie. And honestly, I was fine with that. I enjoyed parts of it, especially the fight choreography and some of the character moments, but I didn't love it. There's enough here for fans of the games to have a good time, but the constant lowbrow humor started getting on my nerves, especially when the movie was trying to build up a serious moment.

Set in 1993, six years after the first tournament, the movie follows Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) as they're pulled back into the world of fighting. Ryu's struggle with darkness plays into M. Bison's larger plans, with Akuma (Roman Reigns) also part of the conflict. It's a pretty straightforward story, and while I wasn't expecting some complicated plot, I wish the movie had done more with what it had.

Some Casting Choices Work Better Than Others

Noah Centineo was someone I wasn't sold on as Ken Masters when the casting was first announced, but I have to give him credit. He makes the character his own and brings the right kind of energy to the role. I ended up enjoying his performance a lot more than I expected, and he's easily one of the movie's highlights.

Callina Liang's Chun-Li was another standout for me. I really liked her portrayal, especially the undercover cop storyline and her personal mission to take down M. Bison for murdering her father. She gives the character something worth investing in beyond the fighting, and I appreciated that.

David Dastmalchian as M. Bison, on the other hand, was just okay. I like David as an actor, but I'm not convinced he was the right choice for this particular version of the character. I had a hard time buying him as someone who would murder Chun-Li's father and be the intimidating threat the movie wants him to be. The performance just didn't sell that side of Bison for me.

Cody Rhodes as Guile was certainly an interesting choice, while Eric André as Don Sauvage didn't do much for me. And I'm still not a fan of Blanka basically being a green Jason Momoa. I never loved that approach when I first saw it, and actually watching the movie didn't change my mind.

The Fight Sequences Are Easily the Best Part

One thing I absolutely cannot complain about is the fight choreography. The fights are great, and the movie does a good job capturing the over-the-top nature of the games. This is where Street Fighter really shines, and when it embraces that energy, it's genuinely entertaining.

The anime-style scenes between Ken and Ryu are dope. I really liked seeing the movie lean into that visual style, especially with the animated versions of the characters appearing larger than the actual actors. It's a funny touch that works because it feels connected to the source material instead of being another random joke.

And when we finally get Akuma versus Dark Ryu, that fight is easily one of the highlights of the entire movie. That's the kind of action I came to see, and I wish we had gotten more of it.

The Humor Keeps Getting in the Way

Unfortunately, the humor is where the movie really started losing me. I understand that Street Fighter is being presented as a martial arts comedy, and I wasn't expecting everyone to walk around being serious for two hours. Some of the jokes land, but there are way too many juvenile jokes and sexual references for my taste.

Balrog and Vega randomly planning a bar fight feels like something thrown in just to get a reaction, and some of the dialogue is unnecessarily childish. Balrog's line about being promised some "fresh meat to beat" is a perfect example of the kind of humor that just didn't work for me.

My biggest issue is that the movie constantly interrupts its own serious moments with jokes. Just when something starts getting intense, somebody has to say or do something goofy. There's nothing wrong with having fun with the source material, but there needs to be a balance. Here, it felt like the movie didn't always know when to let a moment breathe.

Not every emotional or intense scene needs a punchline. Sometimes the actual punch is enough.

Where Was the Tournament?

Another disappointment was how little we actually got to see of the tournament itself. For a movie called Street Fighter, I was looking forward to more of the competition. Not even getting to see the first round of the tournament was frustrating, especially when the fight sequences were easily the strongest part of the entire movie.

Balrog also felt pretty pointless to me, and 50 Cent's appearance was so brief that it barely registered. Roman Reigns as Akuma was another casting choice that left me feeling indifferent. There are moments where the movie gets things right, but there are also several decisions that didn't work for me.

It's frustrating because the potential is there. The characters, the fighting styles, and the game's larger-than-life world give the filmmakers plenty to work with. I just wish more attention had gone toward those elements instead of squeezing another joke into practically every opportunity.

Final Verdict: 6/10

Overall, I liked Street Fighter, but I didn't love it. The action is strong, the fight choreography delivers, and the anime-inspired moments between Ken and Ryu are some of the best parts of the movie. Noah Centineo surprised me as Ken, and Callina Liang's Chun-Li was another standout.

Unfortunately, the simple story, some questionable casting choices, and especially the constant lowbrow humor kept me from enjoying the movie as much as I wanted to. If you're going in expecting a martial arts comedy that fully embraces the ridiculous side of the games, you might have a better time with it than I did.

For me, the fights were the best part, and I just wish the movie had trusted them a little more instead of undercutting so many serious moments with another joke.

I give Street Fighter a solid 6/10, mainly for the fight sequences alone.