STREET FIGHTER - 2026 -Movie Review
Why the New Street Fighter Movie is the Most Fun You'll Have in a Theater This Year
If you haven’t bought your ticket yet, stop what you're doing and go see the new Street Fighter movie. I cannot express this enough—it rules, and you will not be disappointed.
From start to finish, everybody involved in this film is clearly having an absolute blast, and that energy is entirely infectious. It looks incredible, it sounds amazing, and it delivers on every single front.
Action, Special Moves, and Deep Cuts Galore
Let's talk about the action, because there is a ton of it, and every fight scene is an absolute blast. You actually get to see everybody's iconic special moves brought to life on the big screen.
Whether you're a casual fan or a die-hard franchise veteran, the movie delivers:
The Roster: You get to see almost every character you remember from the original games.
Deep Cuts: Super fans of the entire fighting franchise are going to geek out over some of the deeper character inclusions (like Juri showing up alongside Vega!).
Lore Tie-Ins: If you grew up playing the games and never quite understood the overarching story, this movie finally ties everything together—bridging the video games, the anime series and movies, and the comic books into a coherent narrative.
Speaking of lore, spoiler alert: the very beginning kicks off with a brilliant prologue telling the story of Street Fighter 1, featuring Ryu defeating Sagat in the original World Warrior tournament and dealing with the Evil Hado (essentially the dark side of Street Fighter lore).
A Gorgeous 1993 Aesthetic & Killer Soundtrack
Setting the movie in 1993 is absolute genius.
No Cell Phones: Without modern tech getting in the way, the film leans fully into a retro-futuristic video game world where the 90s went a completely different direction.
The Music Rules: The soundscape is packed with fantastic 90s needle drops and brilliant homages to classic stage songs (yes, 50 Cent even makes an appearance with a track!). The art direction, color palette, and style are stunning to look at.
Standout Performances & Comedy That Actually Lands
The cast is firing on all cylinders. The two actors playing Ken and Ryu are fantastic, but the ultimate scene-stealer is Cody Rhodes as Guile.
Every single scene Cody is in, he steals. Watching him bounce off Andrew Schultz’s Dan Hibiki—trading hilarious one-upmanship—had me laughing out loud multiple times. The comedy genuinely hits; it's charming, funny, and effortlessly entertaining.
And let's hear it for Chun-Li, who is phenomenally cool and tough. Girls looking for an incredible role model have a cool new one in Chun-Li, she rules the screen, especially during her epic fight scene against Vega and Juri.
The Verdict: PERFECT! (Go See It Twice)
Yes, the movie leaves the door wide open for a sequel, and yes, the internet will probably find something to nitpick. But honestly? Even if you're not a die-hard Street Fighter fan, it's just a wildly fun martial arts popcorn flick.
I’ve already seen it twice, and I am definitely buying it on physical media the second it drops so I can keep it forever.
Make sure you go watch Street Fighter in theaters right now. Seriously, go see it—I've already seen it twice, and I need someone to talk about it with!
