‘Street Fighter’ Film Fails to Deliver Knockout Punch, Secures Modest Box Office Debut

The latest weekend at the North American box office saw a flurry of new releases, with the action film “Street Fighter” punching its way to the top spot. The Paramount Pictures movie, based on the iconic Capcom video game series, generated an impressive $13 million from 3,575 theaters on Friday, with projections aiming for a $31 million haul by Sunday. Directed by Kitao Sakurai and starring Noah Centineo and Andrew Koji as estranged fighters, this marks the third live-action adaptation of the IP. Its predecessors include the 1994 film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, a box office hit with over $100 million, and the 2009 misfire “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li,” which earned a mere $12.8 million against a $50 million budget.

While “Street Fighter” debuted strongly financially, its critical reception points to a film with a deeply divided structure. The movie’s initial half is described as delightfully cartoonish and enjoyable, particularly its 2D animated introduction and subsequent flashbacks, crafted by Titmouse Inc., which beautifully set the stage for the narrative. These fiery, anime-inspired segments introduce video game mainstays Ken (Noah Centineo) and Ryu (Andrew Koji), American and Japanese best friends who train under sensei Gouken (Don Lee). The backstory reveals Ryu's victory in the 1987 World Warrior tournament, which brought him to the brink of dark, all-consuming powers associated with Gouken’s demonic brother, Akuma (pro wrestler Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa’i).

Upon transitioning to live-action, the film adopts a less serious, consistently funny tone, employing stylized MTV-esque clips to detail Ken’s reckless stardom and Ryu’s self-imposed exile after Gouken’s demise. Six years later, the duo is approached by secret Interpol agent Chun-Li (Callina Liang) to participate in a revived World Warrior tournament orchestrated by Lord M. Bison (David Dastmalchian), who seeks to harness “Psycho Power.” The film leans into its ludicrous ideas with appropriately silly scenes where action serves as the primary mode of communication, much like professional wrestling, a fitting comparison given the cast includes multiple pro wrestlers. A compelling tension emerges between Ken, eager for the tournament win, and Ryu, cautious of ulterior motives, as they encounter other fighters at M. Bison’s gilded hotel.

However, the film’s quality reportedly plummets around the halfway mark, once the central tournament begins. The second half is plagued by disastrous scattering, confounding ADR, and a total lack of a coherent conclusion. The narrative becomes increasingly split between the tournament and M. Bison’s unraveling conspiracy, leading to disjointed dialogue, often obscured by poor camera angles or a thundering sound mix. The movie also introduces vital story elements through flashbacks well over an hour in, such as Ken and Ryu’s secret energy abilities, while simultaneously cutting away from heightened action for awkward, seemingly improvised comedy that seldom lands. The film features a roster of antagonists including the boxer Balrog (rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson), the green-skinned lightning monster Blanka (Jason Momoa), and the claw-wielding Vega (masked country musician Orville Peck), alongside heroes like American G.I. Guile (wrestler Cody Rhodes) and mystic fighter Dhalsim (Indian martial artist Vidyut Jammwal).

The critical review further highlights significant structural and thematic flaws. Despite featuring two main antagonists in M. Bison and Akuma, neither seems aware of the other’s presence or intentions, resulting in a fragmented plot where characters tumble toward inevitable conclusions that never materialize. The film’s attempts at fan service, including homages to “Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie,” often result in awkward, unresolved scenes, such as Chun-Li’s shower sequence which, unlike its animated counterpart, serves no narrative purpose and contributes to the film’s “uncomfortable retrograde” portrayal of women. Ultimately, the film is described as being “at war with itself,” with its initial emotional maturity and narrative focus on strained brotherhood dissolving into unconnected action and comedy snippets, suggesting that the captivating anime version ought to have been the main event.

Beyond “Street Fighter,” the A24-produced Elizabeth Holmes documentary, “You Can See Everything,” secured second place, grossing $5.54 million from 855 North American theaters on Friday. It is projected to reach $12.45 million by Sunday, surpassing initial estimates and poised to outpace Amazon MGM’s “Melania,” which previously held the biggest opening for a non-music or concert doc in over a decade with $7.1 million. The buzzy documentary, co-created by comedian Nathan Fielder and filmmaker Lance Oppenheim, offers an “unhinged look” at the Theranos founder a month before her 11-year prison sentence.

Focus Features’ “Sense and Sensibility” came in third, pulling in $3.3 million on Friday from 2,545 North American theaters, aiming for a $6.7 million opening weekend. This Georgia Oakley-directed remake of Jane Austen’s classic stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles as sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, navigating love, loss, and financial instability. The 1995 adaptation starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet remains the most notable big-screen version.

Disney’s survival thriller “Whalefall” landed in the No. 4 spot, earning $3 million from 2,065 locations on Friday, with an estimated $7 million by Sunday. Directed by Brian Duffield, the film follows a scuba diver (Austin Abrams) who finds himself swallowed by a sperm whale with only an hour of oxygen left to escape.

Rounding out the top five was Universal’s supernatural horror film “Other Mommy,” which grossed $2.5 million on Friday and is expected to add another $7.85 million by Sunday, bringing its cumulative gross to $44.35 million. Based on Josh Malerman’s 2024 novel “Incidents Around the House,” the film stars Chastain as Ursula, a mother whose home is haunted by a paranormal entity that takes on her identical appearance.