Street Fighter (2026) reviews

The Fuzzy Mushroom take on Street Fighter

By Fuzzy Mushroom · Updated 10 November 2026 · The Pros 48 · The Punters 48 · Spore Score 48 · How we write our takes

Why The Pros and The Punters agree

Street Fighter is a crystal clear case, and not in a good way. The Pros give it 48, The Punters 48, and the Spore Score is 48. When critics and paying audiences land this close together, it usually means the problems are obvious to everyone. Fans of the games had fun spotting their favourite characters, and some critics enjoyed the fights and the jokes, but nearly everyone came away feeling the film never settles on what it wants to be.

What it is

This is the third live-action attempt at Capcom's fighting game series, after the 1994 film with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Raúl Juliá and 2009's Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. Legendary made it, Paramount released it, and Kitao Sakurai, who made the Twisted Metal series, directed. The story starts in 1987, when Ryu (Andrew Koji) wins a tournament using a dark power that draws the attention of the demon Akuma. Six years later, Interpol agent Chun-Li (Callina Liang), who wants revenge on the dictator M. Bison (David Dastmalchian), recruits Ryu, his estranged adoptive brother Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) and a crowd of other fighters for Bison's next tournament.

What it does well

It loves its source material. Costumes, special moves and side characters are lifted straight from the games, and the cast is a fun mix of actors, wrestlers and musicians, from Cody Rhodes as Guile to 50 Cent as Balrog and Jason Momoa. Dastmalchian plays Bison as a camp, chattering villain, and he is clearly having a ball. Some of the fight sequences, especially the bar brawl before the tournament, have real snap, and the animated flashbacks by Titmouse are a smart touch.

Where it goes wrong

The story is a mess. Plotlines are set up and dropped, tones swing from goofy comedy to grim revenge drama in the same scene, and the ending feels less like a conclusion than a trailer for a sequel. The humour is juvenile, and much of it lands with a thud. Liang plays Chun-Li completely straight, which leaves her looking stranded next to Dastmalchian's cartoon villainy. With so many characters to fit in, few of them get more than a cameo.

Who it is for

Devoted Street Fighter fans who want to see Hadoukens on an IMAX screen and will forgive a lot. A group of mates with low expectations. Not anyone looking for a good film first and a game adaptation second.

Context

The Philippou brothers, who made Talk to Me, were originally attached to direct before leaving to make Bring Her Back. They still pop up in a cameo. The film was shot in Australia in late 2025 and opened in the US on 16 October 2026, topping the box office in its first weekend before falling away sharply.

The Fuzzy Mushroom verdict

Not great, with a Spore Score of 48. Affectionate, loud and incoherent. Both camps agree it is a missed opportunity, and so do we. Wait for streaming, and play the game instead.