Street Fighter (2026) Review: Action Unhinged

Street Fighter (2026) captures the vibe and aesthetic of the popular video game franchise, even if the film itself is not all that serious in terms of storytelling.

It strikes a balance between gameplay and story, while also revelling in how silly the story is just on a surface level. This approach will be appreciated by some and alienating to others. 

Street Fighter gets off to a strong start with the animated flashback showing talented fighter Ryu (Andrew Koji, of Bullet Train) defeating known antagonist Sagat in 1986, supported by his lifelong friend Ken (Noah Centineo, of Union County). The two are raised like brothers and show a bond which lasts a lifetime. Flash forward seven years later and they are sent to the World Warrior Tournament, run by the nefarious dictator M. Bison (David Dastmalchian, of Dune) who feeds off of energy, seeking to confront the world’s greatest warriors all in one place.

All the while, Ryu must battle to overcome the influence of the evil spirit Akuma (Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa’i, of Zootopia 2) to avoid losing control of his special powers. This follows the story of the games down to the letter, and with Kitao Sakurai’s impeccable direction gets the look of the game just right down to the color palette. This was a movie made by fans where you can tell everyone had a fun time making it. 

Many of the most successful video game movies, like Resident Evil earlier this year, try to capture more the “feeling” of playing the game than the story of the game itself. Street Fighter goes in the opposite direction, unapologetically leaning into its own absurdity. The story itself is a fictional heist film based on a silly arcade game, so it need not go for gritty realism. Lavish, stylized fighting works just fine in this instance. The anachronistic music drops and high contrast colors are all part of the fun, as it is what Street Fighter has always gone for. The casting of actual pro wrestlers and mixed martial artists adds to the authenticity and makes for some impressive fight direction. 

While Street Fighter nails the look and feel of the games, the story has to pack itself into two hours with a few too many subplots. Every single character from the first three Street Fighter games is included here, which makes it a bit overstuffed. The M. Bison subplot plus his confrontations with secret agent Chun-Li (Callina Liang of, Presence) take up as much of the film as Ryu and Ken’s subplot. This means only two fights in the actual World Warrior tournament are shown, which kind of detracts from the main focus of the film.

While the fight scenes we do get are great, some may have preferred the sports movie angle rather than the spy angle. In particular, fan favorite character Zangief (Olivier Richters, of Black Widow) is relegated to a one scene cameo. In spite of this, the characters who are spotlighted are given their due, and the way they come together is fun to watch and would lead well into any potential sequels. 

Street Fighter is a treat for the fans, and even non-fans may find something to like about it. Its flaws are carry-overs from the game and serve as a reminder of how inherently silly this premise is. With video game movies, the idea is to stand alone as a movie while also having the feeling of the game, and Street Fighter certainly feels like a nostalgic tribute to its game. The director commits to the bit, no matter how absurd it may be. It is not a film for everyone, but those who enjoy it will absolutely love it. 

Street Fighter is now available to watch in U.S. theaters, in U.K. and Irish cinemas, and globally in theatres.