Paramount Pictures returns with another video game-to-movie adaptation with Street Fighter, following the success of the Sonic the Hedgehog films; Paramount & Capcom have teamed up to kickstart the next live-action franchise, yet some flashy action & one-liners can’t save a subpar story.

It follows the story of estranged friends Ryu & Ken Masters as they get thrown back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament. There’s a lot to love here as I went in expecting great action, faithful recreations of some iconic fight moves & some 90s fun; the film doesn’t take itself too seriously & knows what it wants to be, which is a fun, popcorn-fuelled movie experience.

Interestingly enough, the film starts with a really interesting premise, but as the film progresses, it bogs itself down with cheap jokes and humour that miss the mark. Despite this, it isn’t all underwhelming, as the action, choreography and soundtrack all pull their weight, and the arcade style of fighting that fans have come to expect from the video game is in full effect here. The film brings in artists the likes of Muse & The Weeknd for some more upbeat moments, alongside an original track from one of the film’s stars, 50 Cent, with his song “Street Fighter”.

Firstly, the film knocks it out of the park with casting: Noah Centineo as Masters, Andrew Koji as Ryu, and  Callina Liang as Chun Li all play these roles perfectly, and despite the overarching story lacking in some aspects, they carry the film’s emotional narrative with Centineo & Koji;s brotherly chemistry keeping it alive as we see what they went through together in the flashback sequences, which have been beautifully hand-drawn & crafted by the team over at Titmouse, who worked on the likes of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Legend of Vox Machina.

The flashback Sequences in this film are the absolute standouts, and something we wish we had more of, as the beautiful work that the artists over at Titmouse crafted here is truly a spectacle to behold. What makes these sequences so special is that they serve the narrative, as the director, Kitao Sakurai, opted for animation to bridge Japanese and American pop culture naturally. Instead of relying on jarring CGI to de-age the actors, the scenes explore the psychological roots, training, and ultimate fallout between Ryu and Ken under their sensei, Master Gouken (Don Lee).

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The story is it falls flat: despite the beautiful animated sequences, fight scenes and fan service moments, Street Fighter misses the mark with an incomplete narrative, opting for a sequel-bait ending, which I could see some fans being disappointed with, as the story kicks itself into gear only for it to abruptly end moments later. It’s a shame to witness the story bog itself down as the film progressed, as the opening had me hooked with the animated flashback sequence; despite the failures, the film takes the campiness & runs with it, constantly having jokes & some truly entertaining action scenes to go alongside it. If you’re a fan of the games, you’ll absolutely love what’s on offer here, as this is definitely made with die-hard fans in mind.

As unfortunate as it is, Street Fighter is still an entertaining ride for fans, with the cast pulling their weight to make this film as enjoyable as it can be. The action sequences had me grinning throughout as they take the arcade aspect into the stratosphere, with some of the moves and combos that they pulled out here. For the general audience watching, they too will have fun, especially with the action and set pieces on show here; yet ultimately, the story leaves much to be desired. I hope we get a sequel, as I would still like to see more of these characters in the future.

★★★

In UK cinemas on October 16th/ Noah Centineo, Andrew Koji, David Dastmalchian, Callina Liang, Jason Momoa, Cody Rhoades, Andrew Schulz / Dir: Kitao Sakurai / Paramount Pictures /12A.

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Bailey McKenzie

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