Steet Fighter Review
Loud, dumb and fun, this Street Fighter isn’t without its merits; but there’s certainly a lot to be wished for in this age of quality video game adaptations.
Years after Ryu (Andrew Koji) won the World Warrior Tournament, M. Bison (David Dastmalchian) funds a new Tournament - intent on harnessing the world’s greatest warrior’s psycho power for his dastardly weapon. The Tournament draws the best fighters in the world - but it’s Ryu and his estranged brother Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) who are the big draw cards. Meanwhile, Chun-Li (Callina Liang) seeks to bring down M. Bison while his henchwoman Cammy (Mel Jarnson) endeavours to stop her.
Street Fighter is a movie that feels out of its time. And that’s not just the incessant 90’s nostalgia baiting. It’s the endless butt shots of the female protagonists. The overtly dumb naming of the villain’s power. The needle drops that feel so common these days.
But there’s an energy about all of it that feels kind of endearing. This isn’t a movie here to win hearts and minds. It’s a film designed to just kind of say, “Screw it, we’re gonna do what we want.”
And for some of the runtime, that kind of works. There’s thrills to be had. Centineo is pretty good as the mindless, clueless brother of a powerful duo, and Koji is deeply brooding and apt for his role. But honestly it’s Liang and Jarnson who shine as interesting characters. And it’s kind of nice to see David Dastmalchian playing somewhat against type; still the villain, but a lot larger and more self-confident than some of his previous work.
The problem with Street Fighter is kind of tough to put your finger on. Because it’s not any one thing.
Firstly, it’s earnest, which is great. But it’s not earnest enough, because it’s also cynical. And it’s not cynical enough. It wants to have its cake and eat it too, both lauding and loving the original lore and video game, but at the same time subverting it and making fun of it. It never quite lands a balance that feels cohesive.
Secondly, it is structurally a mess. The film takes eons to get to the point, and when it does, it decides - inexplicably - to avoid showing the actual fights that the whole film is predicated upon, and instead just jumps straight to the results.
Finally, it ends literally mid-beat. As the heroes go to chase down the villain, the film just … ends. It is the most egregious level of sequel baiting you’ve ever seen.
Overall, those three things sort of kill this film, particularly when coupled with some absolutely horrific dialogue. But at the same time, there are elements of this film that really work; that lean into audiences wanting to be entertained not preached to; be thrilled, not needing to be introspective. It’s escapist at times, and that really thrives on the screen.
Alas, it cannot overcome those flaws that it has. And as much as it might be fun to watch Ken stumble around a ring, when it feels like a bunch of random scenes stitched together, there are only so many plaudits you can give it.
