Street Fighter (2026)
In a thumbs up, or thumbs down world… this gets a thumbs up from me. Ironically, it shares some parallels with Mortal Kombat 2, but I’d argue I enjoyed this more.
The 2D animation was perhaps my favorite aspect of the film. The animation, tone, and overall sequences were magnificent.
On the flip side, this film is incredibly silly, right? It leans heavily into campiness and gets downright wacky with certain jokes and bits, which definitely undermine the tone at times. What’s frustrating is that this film has the foundation of a genuinely great drama centered around Ryu and Ken, particularly their dynamic and upbringing.
The additional characters are a mixed bag. Some are fun, while others are just meh. Chun-Li was fine, Blanka was okay, Lord Bison was pretty underwhelming, and the remaining crew were serviceable.
The visual effects looked great at times and weak at others. The fight choreography was actually pretty decent, while the costumes and makeup did a solid job of bringing certain character designs to life.
Overall, despite its tonal inconsistencies and excessive silliness, I had a fun time with this one.
