Street Fighter (2026) review

A story of revenge and redemption. Beautifully shot with a filmic texture, especially during the emotional scenes with Ken, Ryu, and Chun-Li. But some of the bigger action scenes suddenly have this B-movie digital texture. The backstory of Ryu and Ken reminded me of the Tarantino style backstory of O-Ren Ishii in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003). The fights are actually awesome, but I still prefer Mortal Kombat II (2026) when it comes to the fights themselves. I like how that film uses less camera movement and often keeps the fighters visually positioned on the left and right sides of the frame, almost like I am looking directly at the game. The wider and cleaner presentation also lets me appreciate the choreography, triumphant tournament action, brutal violence, and special moves more clearly. But Street Fighter wins for me when it comes to cinematography and story. Everything feels properly fleshed out. Everyone has a character motivation and character development. I think the pacing is perfect because every beat serves the entire arc. I don’t feel like there’s any filler or fluff. David Dastmalchian did a great job as Bison. Really solid performance. Looking forward to seeing him in more villainous roles! Jason Momoa is better here as Blanka than he was as Lobo in Supergirl (2026). The slow motion hits hard!!! Especially during the rain and the emotional beats. Bring back slow motion shots!!! The slow motion hook punches and blood splatters reminded me of Raging Bull (1980), where slowing down the impact makes every punch feel heavier and more dramatic. Instead of the hit disappearing immediately into the choreography, I get to actually feel the body react and see the violence hang in the frame for a moment. 2026 is a solid year for video game movies! Gone are the days of shitty video game movies. Watched in IMAX at SM Megamall. TL;DR: Street Fighter delivers awesome fights, a well developed story, and surprisingly strong character arcs without wasting time on filler. I still prefer Mortal Kombat II (2026) for its cleaner and more brutal fight choreography, but Street Fighter wins in cinematography, storytelling, and those gorgeous slow motion shots! David Dastmalchian is a solid Bison, and Jason Momoa is even better as Blanka. 2026 is shaping up to be a great year for video game movies!