7 Reasons the Street Fighter Movie Might Be A Great Adaptation

The new Street Fighter movie has been all over the news as one of the year’s most anticipated adaptations of a video game starts to ramp up in marketing terms. The new trailer does suggest this film might not follow the same path as Hollywood’s previous attempts to make this beloved franchise work on the big screen.

Street Fighter games are about combat, and over the top characters with insane skills tearing each other apart. It is difficult to imagine a franchise like that working on the big screen. But, as Mortal Kombat has proven lately, games in the vein of Street Fighter can be turned into big screen successes. Despite previous failures, there are reasons to believe that this adaptation might get it right this time.

7 The Director

Experience With Ludicrous Games

It is very difficult to find a director who has any sort of experience that shows they might be right for a film like Street Fighter. The franchise is such a specific hodge-podge of different styles and genres. However, Kitao Sakurai does somehow have experience in exactly the sort of thing that we, as Street Fighter fans, can take some real comfort in.

Sakurai has previously directed one film, named Bad Trip. That was a prank-filled comedy film featuring his frequent collaborator Eric Andre, who will appear in the Street Fighter film as Don Sauvage. However, he also directed a lot of the Twisted Metal TV adaptation featuring Anthony Mackie, which was hugely successful and well-received. Twisted Metal, being a franchise with similar chaotic energy and lack of story to Street Fighter, is as promising a case of getting the right director on-board that this new film could hope for.

6 The Main Cast

Not Jumping To Hollywood’s Elite

While some fans might want to see bigger stars being sought out for the Street Fighter film, I personally like that younger, rising stars have been chosen for the main cast. The likes of Andrew Koji and Noah Centineo are known quantities without being the biggest Hollywood stars around. This shows that the casting has been based on who’s right for each role, rather than who were the biggest stars they could manage to get.

Callina Liang is even further afield, having only appeared in a handful of film and TV projects so far. Her casting as Chun-Li has to be down to being perfect for the role, otherwise it would seem a strange choice. We can only hope the casting directors know what they’re doing with this trio, they’ve certainly made bold choices regarding the rest of the cast. Having seen Liang in Presence and Bad Genius though, I can confidently say I’m excited for her, and the rest of this main cast, to be given a shot on such a big stage.

5 The Ensemble

WWE Stars Are A Great Idea

The rest of the cast is just as fascinating as the top-billed ones, albeit in a different way. The decision process here seems to be getting the right look in many cases. That’s a challenge for Street Fighters characters, who tend to look a bit unrealistic to say the least. However, the casting directors have again proven their mettle by going as far afield as WWE, the perfect crossover between having the look of a fighter and the chops of an over-the-top actor. Roman Reigns as Akuma and Cody Rhodes as Guile both seem to be genius bits of casting, which again don’t require going to the top of the Hollywood success ladder.

However, 50 Cent and Jason Momoa are also impressive parts of the ensemble cast. Taking on the roles of Blanka and Balrog, these two prove the Street Fighter film is willing to go where it must, and pay what they must, to find the real talent that will bring these larger-than-life characters to live-action.

4 The Color

Standing Apart From Modern Hollywood

There’s a common complaint which has been going around film fans, and which I’ve personally noticed and been irritated by in recent years. The lack of color in cinema is becoming a real issue. The fear of being seen as looking tacky by being too colorful is a real shame, and something that will hopefully change again soon. The pleased crowd reactions to films like Superman, which wasn’t afraid to include far more of a palette, shows that the popularity of color will come back.

Video game adaptations need color, it is bound to make a world feel more like the one us fans love. I’d be furious to see a Street Fighter adaptation looking bland and attempting to go grittier or more realistic than it should be. But I was thrilled by the trailer, showing plenty of color, particularly in the characters, which brings me to another important point.

3 The Costume Accuracy

The Usual Number One Fan Complaint

I don’t know about anyone else, but a video game or comic book adaptation that thinks it’s “too cool” or “attempting to modernize” characters by getting rid of the costumes and looks we know and love infuriates me. Previous attempts at Street Fighter films have been guilty of this, so it is really good beyond anything else to see faithful character looks being translated across.

Nobody wants fans online saying they should have been cast simply because they do a good cosplay for a character. The acting abilities and fit for the role goes beyond just the look, but there’s no reason not to get that part right. But from Guile’s hair to Cammy’s costume, it does seem like the new Street Fighter film is going all-in on remaining faithful.

2 The Setting

1993 Fits Perfectly

Instead of making another modern-day version of a video game world, the Street Fighter movie chose to set this new film back in 1993. Not only is this smart, because colorful costumes and over-the-top characters feel a little bit more like they belong back in the 90s, but it also presents an extra opportunity for grown Street Fighter fans to feel the nostalgia.

1993 is the year when Super Street Fighter II was released. This was a memorable and beloved part of the franchise, at a time when its popularity was peaking. Street Fighter was popular enough around then to get a film adaptation in the 90s, when it was much rarer for a game to make that leap. Bringing fans literally back to the 90s is representative of how they’re seeking to take older gamers back to their childhood. Though I’m not old enough to remember that earliest heyday of Street Fighter, the chaotic energy of the early 90s appeals to me as well.

1 The Tone

Action & Comedy Blended

Street Fighter is insane and dramatic, at its very core. Therefore, it would have felt wrong to make a film adaptation that takes itself too seriously. That’s been a common problem with the biggest video game adaptation failures in Hollywood history. For a game that takes itself seriously in tone, feel free to get as dark and dramatic as you want. But as a Street Fighter fan, I know inherently that some levity and comedy are required for a big screen take.

Fortunately, the film has been labeled as an action-comedy, and the trailer shows that this is accurate. Cammy teasing Chun-Li, Guile making people uncomfortable, and Ken failing to land a strike on Ryu. All of these moments from the trailer had me giggling gleefully as I realized they might have the tone necessary to make Street Fighter work on the big screen.