Regarding the movie “Street Fighter: The Movie,” which opens today, October 16, the Tomatometer (critics’ approval rating) on the movie review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes stands at 44% as of this writing.
Critical reception has been generally harsh
This film is a live-action action movie based on Capcom’s “Street Fighter” series of fighting games. Ryu and Ken, who are like brothers but have grown estranged, are invited by Chun-Li to participate in the “World Warrior Tournament,” only to find themselves caught up in a conspiracy lurking behind the event.
On Rotten Tomatoes, as of this writing, the film has garnered a total of 57 reviews from critics, resulting in a Tomatometer score of 44%—a harsh rating. On that site, a film is classified as “Rotten” when the percentage of positive reviews is less than 60%.
Looking at individual reviews, The New York Times gave the film a favorable review, calling it “a work that seems to be the very embodiment of an arcade gamer’s imagination.” It expressed the film’s enjoyment by noting that it’s easy to picture audiences who were children in the ’90s throwing punches and kicks into the air as they leave the theater.
Meanwhile, The Movie Couple praised the film for its “visually appealing characters and action, as well as many entertaining scenes,” but pointed out that “the story is convoluted and crammed with too many characters who don’t get much screen time.”
The Playlist acknowledged the film’s love for the source material and its original scenes but criticized it, stating, “The atmosphere isn’t the story, and nostalgia isn’t imagination.” They assessed that the film does not fully succeed as a work with its own unique charm.
As of this writing, Metacritic has compiled 22 reviews, with a Metascore of “45.” While some praised the action scenes and animated sequences, others criticized the character relationships and the screenplay.
The movie “Street Fighter: The Movie” is now playing in theaters nationwide starting today, October 16.
Game*Spark has published a preview screening report and an interview with the director, so be sure to check those out as well.
