Street Fighter

The film opens with Ken and Ryu competing in a fighting tournament, where Ryu taps into a mysterious dark power to become champion. Unfortunately, shortly afterward, their master is killed, sending the two fighters down very different paths.

Ryu goes into seclusion, while Ken becomes something of a joke, trading his fighting discipline for fame, promotions, money, and partying. Meanwhile, M. Bison seeks to harness the same dark power that gave Ryu his championship.

Let me be very clear: this movie is nostalgia bait. And for the most part, it delivers!

For those of us who grew up sitting in our living rooms playing “Street Fighter” on the Sega Genesis, using these characters ad nauseam, this movie scratches that nostalgic itch.

Let’s start with the acting. It’s camp. Based on what we know of the Sega lore and the characters themselves, I think the actors understood exactly what kind of movie they were making. They weren’t taking themselves too seriously, and quite frankly, neither should we.

Aesthetically, I thought they did a wonderful job matching the characters to their video game counterparts. All of them! The costumes, appearances, and overall presentations really captured what I remembered from the games, and I appreciated that effort.

But I have to give special recognition to the yogi named Dhalsim (Vidyut Jammwal). His portrayal was peak! Of all the characters, I thought he was the most faithful to the lore.

The plot is disjointed. There’s really no other way to describe it.

At times, it’s like watching a comic book trying to be an anime. And I want to make that distinction because I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing! What I genuinely loved was how they spliced animation into the live-action sequences. I thought that was a fun creative choice, and it worked for the kind of movie they were trying to make.

Now, I’ll give this movie some grace because I grew up with these characters. I was genuinely looking forward to seeing it, and for the most part, I wasn’t disappointed.

There is a plot here! There really is. They just need to get it out without making everything feel so disjointed.

Objectionable Content

There is quite a bit of swearing throughout the movie: J*sus Chr*st, G*d d*mn, I swear to G*d, Oh my G*d, “Praise Lord Bison, praise Him,” F-words, D*ck, T*tty, B*tch, B*st*rd, Sh*t, A**, D*mn, H*ll, and numerous insults.

There is also plenty of violence and frequent blood. Men are tortured while bound to a machine (short). A woman’s hand is burned as she cries out in pain, with a view of the wound (repeatedly shown throughout the film), and a woman’s skin and clothing is burned in a fireplace.

Much of the violence is exaggerated and almost cartoonish in nature, which makes sense considering the source material. Still, it’s worth mentioning, especially for parents who might assume that because this is based on a video game they grew up playing, it’s automatically appropriate for younger audiences.

There are some scantily clad characters, which is based on their costumes from the game. The lead female lead frequently wears revealing outfits, including a scene in her scanty underwear showing most her buttocks. A nude woman enters a shower, showing her bare back to the top of her hips (frontal details obscured in steam). When his towel is yanked off during a fight, a man’s buttocks is shown in close-up for a few seconds. There is upper male nudity throughout the film.

There are crude Gay jokes, sexual comments and innuendos about male arousal from watching a woman fight and comments about oral sex. When a woman enters his cell, the man licks and kisses her boots.

There is also alcohol drinking to drunkenness. Teens smoke (brief).

There is some demonic occult imagery and fighting powers coming from supernatural conjuring and unexplained sources.

Biblical Connection

Surprisingly, this movie actually had one! At the heart of the story is the temptation to embrace darkness for the sake of power, and I think there’s a very real Christian message in that. We’re all born with a sinful nature. We have this desire to do wrong, and sometimes the appeal of that sin can seem incredibly powerful. It promises us something, whether that’s control, pleasure, freedom, or satisfaction.

Sin feels like freedom until you try to stop.

I think that’s such an important distinction, especially for us as Christians. The more we give in to our sinful nature, the easier it becomes to justify our actions. What initially feels empowering can eventually become something we’re completely dependent on. The very thing we thought was giving us freedom becomes the thing controlling us.

Ultimately, appealing to our sinful nature will lead to our downfall. That’s why we need Jesus Christ. We cannot rely on ourselves to overcome temptation or the darkness we face. We need to depend on Him to help us through those moments and all aspects of our lives.

Conclusion

I enjoyed parts of this movie. Is it perfect? No. The plot is disjointed, and I wanted considerably more time with some of my favorite characters. But the nostalgia worked for me.

The acting is campy in the best way; the characters look like the characters I remember playing, and there is clearly an effort to stay true to the game’s aesthetic.

If you’re unfamiliar with the games, expecting a serious, cohesive martial arts movie, or concerned about the swearing and objectionable content, use your discernment.

• Violence: Very Heavy
• Drugs/Alcohol: Very Heavy
• Profane language: Heavy
• Vulgar/Crude language: Heavy
• Nudity: Moderately Heavy
• Sex: Moderate
• Occult: Moderate
• Wokeism: Mild

Be wise, every follower of Christ should avoid spiritual darkness and seek spiritual light

Learn about DISCERNMENT, wisdom in making personal entertainment decisions

Every time you buy a movie ticket or buy or rent a video you are in effect casting a vote telling Hollywood, “I’ll pay for that. That’s what I want.” Read our article

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.