Critics Came for ‘Street Fighter’ Swinging, but Fans Are Proving They Missed the Point
Video game movies have always had to fight with one hand tied behind their back, and the new ‘Street Fighter’ movie is the latest to step into the ring against a tough crowd. The franchise’s track record on screen hasn’t helped, with the 1994 Jean-Claude Van Damme film sitting at 20% on Rotten Tomatoes and 2009’s ‘Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li’ stuck at just 3%.
That history made Kitao Sakurai’s reboot a genuine gamble. Set in 1993, the film follows estranged fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo), who are pulled back into combat when Chun-Li (Callina Liang) recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament. Paramount released it in theaters on October 16.
Now the verdicts are in, and they couldn’t be further apart. As DiscussingFilm shared, ‘Street Fighter’ currently holds a 45% Tomatometer score from 64 reviews, while its audience score sits at a glowing 82% from more than 250 verified ratings.
It’s a gap that is getting harder to ignore. Forbes noted that early fan reviews opened up a 38-point split between critics and audiences, a sign that the people who actually bought tickets are walking out with a very different experience. One viral reply under the DiscussingFilm post summed up the mood, joking that critics expected a prestige drama and got upset when people started punching each other.
‘STREET FIGHTER’ is now at 45% on Rotten Tomatoes with the audience score at 82% Now playing in theaters. https://t.co/x0SjYGlKCO
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 16, 2026
That joke lands because it points to something real. Much of the criticism targets exactly what fans signed up for, with The Hollywood Reporter’s Frank Scheck among the top critics handing it a rotten score, while one reviewer complained the script makes the movie feel cheesy. But this is a franchise that Forbes itself describes as comedic and campy at its core, so expecting anything else feels like grading a Hadouken on its subtlety.
Even the critics who panned it often admitted it was fun. The Rotten Tomatoes roundup headlined the reviews as noisy nonsense made with affection for fans, and Slashfilm called it a highly watchable movie. TheWrap’s William Bibbiani went further, praising Sakurai’s infectious enthusiasm for making such a goofy action movie.
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 mixed-but-misread picture shows up on Metacritic too. The film has a 45 there, but 14 of its 22 reviews are classified as mixed rather than negative, which hardly sounds like the knockout some headlines suggested.
There’s plenty for fans to love. The anime-style flashbacks animated by Titmouse are the element critics praise most, with several reviews calling them the film’s best moments, and some reviewers enjoyed how faithfully it recreates the ‘Street Fighter II’ era.
The leads are another win. Koji and Centineo were singled out for the most praise in early reactions, and one review highlighted the pair’s impeccable chemistry.
To be fair, the film isn’t flawless. Common complaints include an abrupt ending that leans too heavily on sequel setup, and a crowded roster that leaves little room to develop anyone beyond Ryu and Ken. Still, those are notes for a sequel, not reasons to write the whole thing off.
This FRIDAY!!! Get tickets to see #StreetFighterMovie at the biggest screen possible at @AMCTheatres!🍿 https://t.co/r9obdOCssF https://t.co/ZQJ9WkoZTp
— Street Fighter Movie (@Street_Fighter) October 13, 2026
Critics also had little time to sit with the film, as press screenings were only held Wednesday afternoon before the Friday opening. Audiences, meanwhile, are getting their chance this weekend.
The early outlook is solid. The film was tracking toward a $25 to $35 million domestic debut and close to $70 million worldwide on an $82 million budget, with its PG-13 rating expected to draw a broader crowd than the recent ‘Mortal Kombat’ films. If those numbers hold, ‘Street Fighter’ won’t need critics’ approval to keep fighting, because the fans it was made for have already picked their winner.
Do you think critics were too harsh on Street Fighter compared to fans?
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