‘Street Fighter’ Starts at 2.9 Stars on Letterboxd as Paramount Holds Back Full Reviews

‘Street Fighter’ is just a day away from theaters, and anticipation is mixed with nerves. Kitao Sakurai’s live-action take on Capcom’s fighting game series, produced by Legendary and distributed by Paramount, opens on October 16 in IMAX and RealD 3D.

The film has a lot riding on it. Set in 1993, the story follows estranged Street Fighters Ryu and Ken Masters as they’re pulled back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li recruits them for the next World Warrior tournament. The 125-minute film features a large cast of fan-favorite characters.

The first public scores are now coming in. According to Global Box Office, ‘Street Fighter’ debuted with an average rating of 2.9 out of 5 on Letterboxd, a lukewarm start for the video game adaptation.

What stands out is the timing. As of Thursday morning, the full critics’ review embargo still hadn’t lifted, leaving moviegoers with little to go on before opening day. The late embargo follows a pattern seen with another recent release. Universal took a similar approach with ‘Other Mommy’ last week, holding back U.S. press screenings until the last minute.

That film, starring Jessica Chastain and directed by Rob Savage, landed with a 17% Rotten Tomatoes score and a “D+” CinemaScore. Even so, it opened at No. 1 with $27.8 million, showing that late embargoes don’t always hurt opening weekend.

STREET FIGHTER debuts with only 2.9 out of 5 stars on Letterboxd. It’s Thursday morning and reviews embargo has not been lifted, following the same strategy Universal used for the terribly received OTHER MOMMY last week. https://t.co/sPqjuUX7qz

— Global Box Office (@GlobalBoxOffice) October 15, 2026

For ‘Street Fighter’, general press screenings were reportedly scheduled for late Wednesday afternoon, which left only about a day between reviews and release. Studios often use that strategy when they’re unsure how critics will react.

Social media reactions after the October 13 premiere were generally positive but far from glowing. Critics praised the fight choreography, the 2D animated flashbacks, the soundtrack, and the performances of Andrew Koji as Ryu and Noah Centineo as Ken. Roman Reigns’ Akuma was singled out as a standout.

The early reactions also raised clear concerns. Some critics pointed to a messy third act, inconsistent tone, juvenile humor, and weak dialogue. Others said the ending was abrupt and felt like setup for a sequel.

Several characters reportedly don’t get enough to do. Some viewers felt Chun-Li, Cammy, M. Bison and Guile were underused or mishandled, and a few said the film felt like only half a story.

PERFECT! Watch the New Trailer for Street Fighter, hitting theaters everywhere October 16. https://t.co/jAAPf1k9jf

— Street Fighter Movie (@Street_Fighter) September 1, 2026

The ensemble is one of the film’s biggest selling points. Koji and Centineo lead as Ryu and Ken, with Callina Liang as Chun-Li, Jason Momoa as Blanka, and David Dastmalchian as M. Bison. WWE stars Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns play Guile and Akuma, and 50 Cent appears as Balrog. Fans will see the full cast on the big screen when the film opens.

Tracking has gradually lowered expectations. Box Office Pro once projected a $30 million to $40 million opening, but more recent forecasts suggest something closer to $22 million to $35 million, depending on the source.

The faces behind your favorite fighters. 🎮 Meet the cast of #StreetFighterMovie on the big screen THIS FRIDAY! Get tickets now. https://t.co/r9obdOCssF https://t.co/zJaantJNLw

— Street Fighter Movie (@Street_Fighter) October 15, 2026

Comparisons are mixed. ‘Masters of the Universe’ opened to about $29 million, while ‘Mortal Kombat II’ opened to $38.5 million earlier this year. ‘Street Fighter’ also faces competition from ‘Whalefall’ and ‘Sense and Sensibility’, while ‘Other Mommy’ enters its 2nd weekend.

The 1994 ‘Street Fighter’ film earned nearly $100 million globally, while 2009’s ‘Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li’ earned only $12.76 million. Paramount is hoping millennial nostalgia and the star-filled cast can help the new film land somewhere much closer to the first result. With an average Letterboxd score and full reviews still on hold, word of mouth this weekend will be especially important.

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