Director Kitao Sakurai's Street Fighter is gearing up for its release on October 16, Friday. Ahead of the release, the makers of the film held a world premiere for it at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. Some of the first response for the film has been positive from the audience. The film stars Noah Centineo, Andrew Koji, Jason Momoa, 50 Cent, Roman Reigns, and Vidyut Jammwal, among others.
In the early reactions to the film, the audience is commending its stunt sequences and humour, as well as the 1990s nostalgia factor it offers. Many of them consider it a film that stays faithful to the video games it is based on.
According to Felix Ang, a video game enthusiast, "The movie really captures the spirit of the games, with tons of fun references for fans. The soundtrack is awesome, and the 2D animation was a real highlight." Ang also called it "a fun experience for Street Fighter fans."
On the other hand, standup comic and comic book aficionado Chris Killian shared, "Street Fighter is like Bloodsport on horse steroids, featuring some delightfully over-the-top, explosive action. It's also funny in a way that both homages the ridiculousness of 80s action movies while poking fun at the toxic machismo those same movies helped inspire." Killian added, "Even the flashbacks sprinkled throughout feature some of the most beautiful SF animation you'll ever see. I can't imagine anyone making a more faithful, bombastic Street Fighter film. For what it aims to be, I think it’s damn near perfect."
There are also some negative reactions to the film, though, with a minority criticising its storytelling and narrative.
It now remains to be seen how the general public, who has not had access to the premiere, will respond to the film.