Street Fighter pays plenty of homage to the games and even the 1994 movie of the same name. Written by Dalan Musson, the screenwriter behind Captain America: Brave New World, and directed by Kitao Sakurai, who previously directed Eric Andre in Bad Trip, the movie clearly understands that Street Fighter is supposed to be ridiculous. Eric Andre brings his usual childish humor to a movie that often feels like it was made for teenage boys rather than the people who actually grew up playing these games. The choreography is great, but the direction is all over the place. I am part of the target demographic for a Street Fighter movie, but I am clearly not the demographic this film was trying to reach. I know it's easy to say you're a fan, so here's my achievement tracker for Street Fighter IV.
Noah Centineo is a great Ken Masters. He has the charisma and personality needed to play the character, and he does a good job capturing the cocky attitude that makes Ken entertaining. I could easily imagine teenage girls enjoying his performance, but he also gives fans of the games a version of Ken who feels recognizable. He is one of the few casting choices that genuinely works.
David Dastmalchian is excellent as M. Bison. He brings the right amount of menace and theatricality to the character, making him one of the most entertaining parts of the film. It is a role that requires an actor to embrace the ridiculousness of the material without turning the character into a complete joke, and Dastmalchian manages to find that balance.
Callina Liang does well as Chun-Li, but I wish the film had given her more to do. She has the potential to be one of the movie's standout characters, yet she feels underused. It is frustrating when a film has a character as important as Chun-Li and does not take full advantage of the actress playing her.
Mel Jarnson is beautiful, but the movie gives her absolutely nothing to work with. She feels more like a character who was included because the filmmakers wanted her in the movie than someone who has any meaningful contribution to make. Looking good on screen can only get you so far when the writing refuses to give your character anything interesting to do.
Andrew Koji tries to portray Ryu as a stoic martial artist, but his performance comes across as edgy rather than disciplined. There is a difference between a character who quietly carries the weight of his experiences and one who seems determined to look serious in every scene. Ryu should be the grounded counterpart to Ken's more flamboyant personality, but Koji never quite makes the distinction work.
Cody Rhodes plays Guile as though he wandered onto the set of a comedy sketch. The character is loaded with stupid humor, and it rarely lands the way the movie seems to think it does. Guile can be larger than life without becoming a walking punchline, but this version seems more interested in getting a laugh than doing the character justice.
Jason Momoa is essentially Jason Momoa painted green. There is not much more to say about his performance. He brings his usual screen presence, but the character never feels like anything beyond another excuse for Momoa to do what Momoa does. It is a familiar performance with a fresh coat of paint.
50 Cent is okay in his limited screen time, though the role is too brief to leave much of an impression. Oliver Richters is similarly underused as Zangief. Both actors feel like they should have been given more opportunities to contribute, especially in a movie built around such an entertaining collection of characters from the games.
The biggest problem with Street Fighter is that the filmmaking cannot keep up with the choreography. The fights are great, and there is plenty of appreciation for the source material, but the direction makes some baffling choices. Who decides to light a meaningful exposition scene between Ryu and Ken with ambient green lighting? Why does the movie resort to using anime for what feels like a quarter of its runtime? Was there not enough live-action footage, or did the filmmakers simply decide that replacing scenes with animation was a good idea? These choices make the film feel disjointed, particularly when it should be building toward the emotional moments that connect these characters.
Street Fighter has some strong casting choices, great fight choreography, and plenty of nods to both the games and the 1994 film. Noah Centineo and David Dastmalchian are highlights, but much of the supporting cast is underused or saddled with material that does not work. The direction is inconsistent, the humor often feels juvenile, and the excessive use of anime makes the entire production feel strangely assembled. I wanted a Street Fighter movie that could balance its ridiculousness with compelling characters and well-executed action. Instead, I got a movie that seems more interested in entertaining teenage boys than delivering something fans across generations can enjoy. Result: C+
Comments
Post a Comment