Spoiler warning: this review discusses the tournament results, the ending and the post-credits scene.
As someone who spent a good chunk of his teenage years in the ’90s pumping quarters into just about every iteration of Street Fighter II I could find in an arcade, I went into this movie with some pretty high expectations. After watching the trailers, interviews, and all the hype surrounding the cast, I fully expected to walk out of the theater absolutely loving it.
Sadly, I didn’t.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I liked Street Fighter. I liked it quite a bit, actually. But there were a couple of things keeping me from loving a movie that, quite frankly, should have been tailor-made for someone like me.
And my biggest problem? M. Bison.
M. Bison: What the Hell Were They Thinking?
Let me start by saying I genuinely like David Dastmalchian. He’s a talented actor, and I’ve enjoyed him in plenty of other things.
But holy hell, was he miscast as M. Bison!
When I think of Bison, I think of this physically imposing, larger-than-life dictator. A muscular, intimidating bastard who commands an army of devoted followers and looks like he could absolutely destroy you with his bare hands.
Dastmalchian just doesn’t have that presence.
Hell, not to bring another professional wrestler into the conversation, but John Cena would have been a more convincing physical fit!
Instead, we get this scrawny, eccentric goofball who throws temper tantrums and delivers bizarre, often sexually suggestive comedy that simply doesn’t land.
And it’s not just how he looks. His entire performance feels completely out of place compared to virtually everyone else in the movie.
The most egregious example comes during what I believe is his first major scene. Bison has one of his scientists drain Psycho Power from four captured thugs, but the resulting energy isn’t enough to satisfy him. Instead of reacting like the terrifying dictator he’s supposed to be, he throws a tantrum like a spoiled toddler before killing the scientist.
That should have been a genuinely disturbing moment.
Instead, as he’s killing the poor bastard, Dastmalchian rolls his eyes into the back of his head and makes this ridiculous, almost orgasmic facial expression. Then they dub Bison’s iconic video game laugh over his face.
And the entire thing falls completely flat.
I’m sitting there thinking, THIS is our main villain? THIS is the guy who’s supposed to intimidate all these powerful fighters into following him?
It was just silly, and not in the fun, campy way that works so well throughout the rest of the movie.
And yes, I caught the callback to Raul Julia’s M. Bison from the 1994 film, including the famous “For me, it was Tuesday” line. I appreciate the reference, but I wasn’t particularly fond of Julia’s interpretation either. Dastmalchian seemed to be channeling some of that same theatrical energy, but the result just didn’t work for me.
What makes it even more frustrating is that the animated version of Bison looks EXACTLY how I wanted him to look in live action: tall, broad-shouldered, muscular, and intimidating. Then we cut back to Dastmalchian, and the contrast is almost comical.
I have absolutely nothing against the actor. I just think this was the wrong role for him, and unfortunately, it’s the single biggest thing holding the movie back for me.
Beautiful Animation, But a Jarring Change of Tone
One of the more interesting creative decisions was using hand-drawn animation from Titmouse for flashbacks involving the younger Ryu, Ken, and other characters.
First, let me be perfectly clear: I LOVED the animation! It was absolutely gorgeous. Seriously, I’d happily watch an entire animated Street Fighter movie in this style.
My issue wasn’t the animation itself. It was the way the movie transitioned between these sequences and the live-action portions.
The animated flashbacks were considerably darker, more serious, and more dramatic than the live-action scenes, which embraced a fun, campy atmosphere that reminded me of Masters of the Universe. That tonal whiplash, combined with the sudden change in visual style, could be pretty jarring.
Personally, I think using CGI or AI-assisted de-aging to show younger versions of the actors might have created a more consistent experience. I’ve seen independent creators on YouTube produce some surprisingly convincing videos featuring actors who are decades older or even long dead. Surely Hollywood, with its enormous budgets, could explore something similar.
Would that have worked better? Maybe. Maybe not.
But when animated Bison looks ten times more intimidating than his live-action counterpart, the transition becomes even harder to ignore.
Still, I enjoyed the animation far more than I disliked the transitions. These are ultimately nitpicks, not dealbreakers.
Where the Hell Were All the Tournament Fights?
Here’s my other major complaint.
It’s called STREET FIGHTER!
When I buy a ticket to a movie about a fighting tournament, I want to see some damn fights!
Don’t get me wrong. The fights we actually get are entertaining, and there are some fantastic recreations of familiar moves from the video games.
But we don’t even get to the opening round of the World Warrior Tournament until almost an hour into the movie. And then some of the fights we’ve been waiting for happen entirely offscreen!
Take Guile, for example. We find out through tournament announcer Don Sauvage that Guile lost to Vega in the opening round.
Wait, WHAT?!
You’re telling me Cody Rhodes is playing Guile, one of the most iconic Street Fighter characters ever, and we don’t even get to see his tournament match?
This is especially frustrating because Guile kicked Vega’s ass the night before with a Flash Kick that sent him crashing through a wall! I wanted to see that rematch! I wanted to see Guile throw a Sonic Boom!
And then there’s Zangief versus Dhalsim. That entire opening-round match happens offscreen, too. In fact, unless you’re paying close attention to the tournament brackets, you might not even realize the match happened.
We get to see Zangief unleash some of his signature wrestling moves during the previous night’s festivities, including his Brain Buster on Dan Hibiki and his Piledriver, Atomic Suplex, and Final Atomic Buster against Ken. And that whole confrontation spills into an alley after Guile’s Flash Kick sends Vega crashing through a wall, leaving a giant hole behind.
But I wanted to see Zangief compete in the actual tournament!
Even Ken’s fight with Balrog gets interrupted before it really has a chance to begin. We see Ken make his entrance, but before Balrog even makes his entrance and the fight gets underway, the movie cuts away to Chun-Li’s arrival. When we finally return to the match, they’re already in round two!
At least we get Ken versus Dhalsim, although that fight is pretty short.
And then there’s poor Joe, who somehow manages to become the World Warrior Tournament champion without fighting a SINGLE MATCH!
I’m not kidding!
In the opening round, Joe advances because Ryu “forfeits.” Except Ryu didn’t forfeit anything! He’d been taken prisoner after saving Ken from being crushed by a dumpster during their alley fight with Zangief.
Then Joe advances through the second round because Vega also “forfeits.” Except Vega is too busy being Bison’s right-hand man and getting his ass kicked by Chun-Li!
And finally, in the championship round, Ken “forfeits” too! Except Ken hasn’t voluntarily forfeited anything either! He’s been captured and is being held prisoner by Bison while the dictator attempts to drain Ryu of his powers.
So let me get this straight. Joe advances through THREE ROUNDS of the World Warrior Tournament without throwing a single punch and somehow becomes the champion?!
WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL?!
And the ultimate irony? After winning the entire tournament without fighting anyone, Joe gets killed by Akuma with ONE PUNCH!
You can’t make this stuff up!
It’s hilarious in its own ridiculous way, but it also perfectly illustrates my biggest frustration with the movie. We have an entire tournament full of iconic Street Fighter characters, and the guy who wins the damn thing doesn’t even have to fight!
This is where the movie really could have benefited from another 20 or 30 minutes. Not more exposition. Not more complicated storytelling.
MORE FIGHTS!
Give me the full tournament experience!
The Fights We Actually Got Were Pretty Damn Good
Now, as much as I’ve complained about the missing tournament action, I absolutely have to give credit to the fights that DID make it into the movie.
Two in particular stand out as my favorites: Ryu versus Blanka in the jail and Ryu versus Akuma at the end.
And I’ll admit right up front that I might be a little biased toward Blanka because he was always my favorite character to play in the video games.
But holy hell, did they do him justice!
First, let’s talk about his introduction, because THIS is how you introduce a terrifying new threat!
We first meet Blanka in a pitch-black prison cell, where he’s holding another prisoner up by a chain wrapped around the poor bastard’s neck. Then Blanka unleashes his Electric Thunder, electrocuting the prisoner while the flashes of electricity provide the only illumination in the room.
We get these brief, horrifying glimpses of Blanka, while the victim’s skeleton becomes visible through his skin, just like those wonderfully ridiculous electrocution effects from the video games!
It was equal parts hilarious and terrifying. And I LOVED it!
Now compare THAT introduction to M. Bison’s ridiculous tantrum and that absurd, orgasmic expression while killing his scientist.
Both scenes involve a supposedly dangerous character killing someone, but one manages to be genuinely intimidating while embracing the outrageous humor of Street Fighter. The other just comes across as a goofy performance that completely undermines the character.
That’s the difference between camp that works and camp that doesn’t.
But back to Blanka! What made his fight with Ryu so entertaining was actually Ryu’s reluctance to fight him. Because Ryu spends so much of the encounter trying NOT to fight, Blanka gets to unleash practically his entire arsenal of signature moves.
And I mean practically EVERYTHING!
Right out of the gate, we get one of my personal favorites, Blanka’s Ground Shave Rolling Attack! Then there’s his Backstep Roll, Alpha Counter, Jungle Slam, Wild Shoot, Amazon River Run, and more!
Hell, we might actually see more of Blanka’s signature moves than we do from any other character in the entire movie.
Does he connect with all of them? Nope! He misses plenty. But that’s not the point!
I’m sitting there watching a character I spent countless hours playing in the arcades actually perform the moves I remember from the games, and I’m loving every second of it.
And when Ryu finally unleashes his Hadouken, creating an opportunity for Blanka to escape, how does our favorite green electric maniac make his exit?
With another Rolling Attack, of course!
PERFECT!
My other favorite fight comes at the very end when Ryu faces Akuma. And what makes this confrontation so satisfying isn’t just the fighting itself. It’s the history between these characters.
Remember, Akuma murdered Ryu and Ken’s master right in front of them when they were younger!
That gives the final confrontation some genuine emotional weight. This isn’t just another opponent or some random final boss showing up to challenge the tournament winner. This is the man who killed their master. The man responsible for a tragedy that shaped both of their lives.
There’s history here. There’s trauma. And there’s a very personal reason for Ryu to want to kick this bastard’s ass!
So when Akuma shows up after the tournament and kills poor Joe with a single punch, we already understand just how dangerous he is.
Roman Reigns brings exactly the kind of physical presence and menace the character needs. Unlike my complaints about Bison, Akuma actually LOOKS and FEELS like a threat.
And when Ryu ultimately embraces the Satsui no Hadō, tapping into his darker power to defeat Akuma, it makes the confrontation all the more satisfying. It’s not simply about winning a fight. It’s about confronting the man who killed his master and finally overcoming something that’s haunted him for years.
Between that climactic battle and Blanka’s ridiculously entertaining showcase of signature moves, I honestly can’t decide which fight I enjoyed more.
And that’s what makes all those missing tournament fights so frustrating! When the filmmakers actually give these characters room to fight, they’re clearly capable of delivering the goods.
I just wanted MORE!
Cody Rhodes Absolutely Steals the Show!
Now let’s talk about what this movie gets right, because there’s a hell of a lot to love.
The casting, outside of Bison, is phenomenal.
Cody Rhodes as Guile? Absolute perfection!
He plays Guile as this ultra-macho, completely serious, larger-than-life ’90s military badass. But that’s exactly what makes him so damn funny. His comic timing, physical presence, and commitment to the character are fantastic.
He doesn’t play Guile like a comedian making fun of the character. He plays him completely straight, which somehow makes practically everything he does even funnier. He’s hilarious without making Guile feel like a joke.
I just wish we’d gotten more of him!
Andrew Schulz also deserves a ton of credit for his portrayal of Dan Hibiki. The guy is hilarious in practically every scene he’s in, perfectly embracing the ridiculousness of the character.
And how the hell could I forget Eric André as tournament announcer Don Sauvage?! EVERYTHING that man did was hilarious!
André was perfectly suited to the movie’s ridiculous, over-the-top sense of humor. He embraced the absurdity of the World Warrior Tournament, and practically every time he opened his mouth, I was laughing my ass off.
Between Cody Rhodes, Andrew Schulz, and Eric André, this movie delivered some genuinely hilarious performances.
And that’s what makes Dastmalchian’s Bison so frustrating. The filmmakers clearly knew how to make outrageous, larger-than-life characters funny without completely undermining what makes those characters work.
Unfortunately, Bison was the exception.
Roman Reigns also deserves a ton of credit for his portrayal of Akuma. He brings the kind of physical presence and intensity that makes the character immediately intimidating, and his climactic showdown with Ryu is one of the movie’s highlights.
And honestly, I enjoyed virtually everyone else in the cast. They understood the assignment and seemed to be having a blast bringing these characters to life.
The film is packed with references, recognizable fighting moves, outrageous personalities, and the kind of goofy charm that made those old arcade games so memorable. Everyone seemed to understand exactly what kind of movie they were making.
Well, almost everyone.
The Music, Nostalgia, and a Few Timeline Problems
I absolutely loved the soundtrack. The movie embraces its ’90s setting with a fantastic selection of music that perfectly complements its ridiculous, energetic atmosphere.
Although somebody might want to double-check their calendar.
During one of the earlier flashback sequences, we’re in 1986 or 1987, and Ryu is listening to “What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes.
Great song!
One little problem: it didn’t come out until 1993.
Oops! LOL.
But whatever. This isn’t exactly the kind of movie where I’m going to demand historical accuracy. The music works, the nostalgia hits, and the whole thing feels like a celebration of an era when arcade fighting games were practically a way of life.
From the costumes and signature moves to the familiar sound effects and ridiculous personalities, there’s clearly a tremendous amount of affection for the source material on display. And as someone who spent countless hours playing these games back in the day, I appreciated the hell out of that.
The Ending: Bring On the Sequel!
I’ve seen some complaints about the ending, but personally, I was perfectly fine with it.
We get the conclusion of the tournament, Akuma shows up and absolutely destroys Joe with one punch, and Ryu eventually defeats him by tapping into his darker power. And again, knowing that Akuma killed Ryu and Ken’s master makes that final confrontation considerably more meaningful than your typical fighting game boss battle.
Bison manages to escape with Akuma in tow, intending to steal his power, leaving the door wide open for another adventure.
And I loved the final scene with Guile and Dhalsim picking up the hitchhiking Chun-Li, Dan Hibiki, Ken, and Ryu as they ride off into the sunset. It was a fun way to bring these characters together while making it pretty obvious that their story isn’t finished.
Then there’s the animated post-credits scene teasing Sagat joining forces with Bison.
HELL YES!
That’s exactly the kind of sequel setup I wanted!
I didn’t need another 20 or 30 minutes to explain the plot or wrap up every single storyline. The story worked just fine for me. I wanted that extra time spent showing us the tournament fights we missed!
And after seeing what these filmmakers accomplished with the characters they got right, I genuinely hope we get a sequel. Because there’s so much potential here.
Two Screenings, Two Very Different Experiences
I actually saw Street Fighter twice on the same day.
My first viewing was the earliest showing I could find in Las Vegas, at an AMC theater in North Las Vegas. I enjoyed the movie, but I walked out feeling slightly disappointed because of the issues I’ve already mentioned.
Later that evening, I attended the sold-out Street Fighter: Bonus Round Fan Event in IMAX at AMC Town Square.
And HOLY HELL, what a difference!
The theater was packed with enthusiastic fans. People were laughing out loud, cheering, clapping, and having an absolute blast. There were Guile popcorn bucket hats everywhere!
We also received a collectible poster and pins, along with approximately seven minutes of special behind-the-scenes footage and trivia before the movie. And seeing the film fill that massive IMAX screen was fantastic.
Here’s the interesting thing: my opinions about the movie itself didn’t really change. I still thought Bison was terribly miscast. I still wanted more tournament fights. I still found the animated transitions a little jarring.
But the communal experience made the entire evening so much more enjoyable.
Sometimes seeing a movie with the right audience makes all the difference, and Street Fighter is absolutely one of those movies. There’s something special about sitting in a theater full of people who grew up loving the same characters you did, laughing at the same ridiculous moments, cheering for the same signature moves, and just enjoying the hell out of themselves.
Hell, everyone even applauded when the movie ended!
That experience reminded me why I love going to the movies in the first place.
Final Thoughts
In my review of Mortal Kombat II, which I gave an 80%, I described it as “a messy, cheesy, violent, ridiculous, and completely aware of what kind of movie it is” ride.
Well, that description could just as easily apply to Street Fighter.
And you know what? I enjoyed Street Fighter even more.
Is it perfect? Hell no.
David Dastmalchian’s M. Bison was a huge disappointment. Some of the animated transitions were jarring, and the missing tournament fights were a frustrating waste of opportunities.
But the casting is otherwise phenomenal, the music is fantastic, the action we actually get is entertaining as hell, and the movie embraces the ridiculous nature of its source material instead of being embarrassed by it.
Cody Rhodes, Andrew Schulz, and Eric André are absolutely hilarious. Roman Reigns makes for an imposing Akuma, the Blanka fight is a fantastic showcase of the character’s iconic moves, and there’s enough nostalgia here to make an old-school Street Fighter fan smile from ear to ear.
Most importantly, I had FUN. Especially during that second screening in IMAX, surrounded by a packed theater full of fans who were having just as much fun as I was.
If you’re a fan of the games, I absolutely recommend seeing this one in a theater, preferably IMAX, and ideally with a crowd of fellow Street Fighter fans.
I’m already considering a THIRD viewing in ScreenX!
And after that Sagat tease, I genuinely hope we get another movie. Just give us more tournament fights next time!
ROUND TWO? BRING IT ON!
Danny’s score: 85%, “Most Excellent.” Read his scorecard on Criticless.
About the writer
Danny “The Dork Knight” Ballard is a Las Vegas-based professional wrestling enthusiast, content creator, and movie and television reviewer. A child of the ’80s and teenager of the ’90s, he’s an unapologetic nerd who brings decades of fandom, nostalgia, irreverent humor, and unfiltered opinions to everything he covers.
As the host of Dork Side of the Ring, Danny shares his passion for professional wrestling, movies, television, and pop culture. Whether he’s making wrestling predictions, breaking down the latest matches and storylines, reviewing a blockbuster, revisiting a cult classic, or recording an immediate out-of-the-theater reaction, he’s never afraid to speak his mind.
Danny believes entertainment should be fun, opinions should be honest, and there’s nothing wrong with stirring up a little controversy along the way.
Find Danny on YouTube, Criticless and X.
