"Round 1, Fight!"
That shout, familiar to any fighting game fan, echoes through theaters this time around. The Hollywood live-action film 'Street Fighter,' based on Capcom's iconic fighting game, opened in South Korea on the 14th. This is two days earlier than its US release on the 16th. Lotte Entertainment is handling domestic distribution.
The film is co-produced by Legendary Entertainment and Capcom, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Director Kitao Sakurai, who helmed the video game adaptation series 'Twisted Metal' (2023), takes the helm. Martial arts director Jon Valera, who worked on films like 'John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum' (2019), handles the action, heightening anticipation for the fight sequences.
The story is set in 1993, the exact era when Street Fighter II was sweeping through arcades. Ryu and Ken, who trained under the same master and grew up like brothers, go their separate ways following an incident. However, when Chun-Li proposes entering the 'World Warrior Tournament' to determine the world's strongest fighter, the two step back into the ring and confront a conspiracy hidden behind the tournament.
The character lineup is equally impressive. Andrew Koji plays Ryu, Noah Centineo plays Ken Masters, and Callina Liang plays Chun-Li. Blanka is played by 'Aquaman' star Jason Momoa, while Akuma (Gouki) is played by pro wrestling star Roman Reigns. Fans will also see Cody Rhodes as Guile, 50 Cent as Balrog (M. Bison), Orville Peck as Vega (Balrog), and Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim, alongside other familiar faces like Cammy and Zangief.
There is also welcome news for domestic fans. Actor Ma Dong-seok makes a special cameo appearance as the voice of Master Gouken, teacher to Ryu and Ken. In a video released by Lotte Entertainment, Ma Dong-seok shared his greetings, saying, "Please head to the theater to see which of my students learned better."
The film also meticulously respects the lore that fans of the original game care about most. Character designs faithfully reflect the originals, including Ryu's white gi and red headband and Chun-Li's blue outfit. Signature special moves like Ryu's 'Hadouken', Ken's 'Shoryuken', and Chun-Li's 'Lightning Kick' have also been realized in live action. A previously released still showed Ken kicking a car barefoot, recalling the franchise's traditional car-smashing bonus stage.
