I want you to really think about the original Street Fighter game. Do you remember the action packed days and nights of you and your friends fighting each other across the globe? Do you remember all the iconic characters and their special moves and combos? Do you remember how ridiculous and cartoony the story was? Well that's exactly what you get here. Unlike its other more serious competitor, Capcom's world famous fighting game wasn't really the most known for its dramatic storytelling. I wanted this film to come out swinging for the fences while delivering enough of a coherent story to balance the juggling act of all the characters and locations. For the most part, the film achieved that by focusing on the more central lore of the iconic lead characters. I loved the energy of the film as there really wasn't a moment to breath too deeply before the action takes hold. As a film though, its not great as it really has so many plotlines going at once and so many people thrown at you that it may leave you with stars swirling around your head in confusion. Even so, I can never say that I wasn't thoroughly entertained.
Like I said, there are many characters so I'm gonna focus on the ones that mattered for the story. Noah Centineo was great and energetic as Ken Masters. He nailed the characters' arrogance and fighting skill. He was the typical rich kid that loved the spotlight, but really lost his soul a long time ago as he fills the void with commercialism and parties. I liked that we explored his vulnerable side for the majority of the film. Andrew Schulz was great as his fellow trained student, manager and friend, Dan Hibiki. He had some great moments of comedy, but he surprised me on how balanced he was dramatically and comedically. Their friendship was great throughout the film as he would constantly pick Ken up from the sadness. Andrew Koji was awesome as Ryu as he embodied the characters' traditional and humble personality. I loved that we explored his origin and how he addressed his darker side. There was a tremendous amount of guilt that was bottled up inside of him that is explored and it was the most compelling part of the film. Both Noah and Andrew were perfect for the roles of Ken and Ryu and I think they nailed the brotherhood between them. Their shared history was brilliantly animated in the opening moments of the film and I loved how they came together and faced the rift that was between them. Cody Rhodes was having the time of his life as the very macho and over the top, Guile. He wore the hair brilliantly and captured the characters brazen attitude while delivering his iconic moves and catchphrases. Vidyut Jammwal was really cool as Dhalsim. He captured his iconic movements and philosophy for time he was on screen. Callina Liang was fantastic as Chun-Li and she really brought to life the tough and determined nature of the character. I always loved her story of revenge. Callina kicks ass as the Chun and I enjoyed how interactions with the lead fighters. David Dastmalchian understood the movie he was in and as M. Bison, he nailed the power hungry and perverse nature of the character. His scenes with Chun-Li were fun as he would chew up every bit of scenary. Joe "Roman Reigns" Anoa'i was intense as Akuma. He was the truly the main force to be reckoned with and I loved that he embraced the unrelenting darkness of the character and his history with Ryu.
Composers Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson deliver a score was as big and boisterous as the film itself and it was truly epic in the final 30 minutes. I loved that this was a period piece set in 1993, but since I grew up in that era, it was distracting to here a few songs that weren't around like a 50 Cent song. The many scenes of animation that we got were brutal and fantastic as they tell the early stories of Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and a few others. I loved that the cinematography embraced the splashes of color the game is famous for. The fight sequences are what you came for and they deliver on an epic scale. Almost all of the iconic moves, powers and locations are wonderfully utilized and the sound design within those fights were truly deafening. The film may have been a complete mess alot of the time, but it pulls itself together by the final act for a satisfying conclusion that was both fun and insane. I want a sequel. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
