The Street Fighter Movie Makes a Mistake Mortal Kombat Already Learned From

The Street Fighter movie has made a grievous error that the Mortal Kombat reboot already learned from. The film, while containing positive elements like beautiful 2D animation and familiar easter eggs, fails to structure itself around the central aspect of a fighting tournament. Street Fighter II is the most famous game in the franchise, and the first installment is considered a well-meaning prototype for a series that didn't solidify until the sequel.

The movie wisely incorporates the first World Warrior tournament and Ryu's victory over Sagat into the animated pre-title sequence, providing backstory for the main characters. However, the main plot kicks off six years later when M. Bison sets up another World Warrior tournament, aiming to lure Ryu into the spotlight to defend his title so Bison can steal Ryu's Hado power.

While many fighters from around the world participate, the tournament itself doesn't take up much screen time. Bison is only mildly interested in the tournament, quickly kidnapping Ryu and whisking him away to his lab to drain Ryu's Hado power. The tournament's other key players, like Chun-Li, are relegated to the sidelines, further reducing the investment in the scenes that do take place during the tournament.

This results in a disjointed viewing experience, where the tournament "begins" in the second act, having already begun, with Guile eliminated off-screen by Vega. The filmmakers should have learned from the mistakes of their fellow fighting franchise, Mortal Kombat. In the 2021 reboot, the tournament was completely omitted, and the movie made unwelcome changes to MK lore, like introducing "Arcana" tattoos that granted champions special powers.

Although Mortal Kombat II wasn't a critical success, it acknowledged the tournament's importance by making it the backbone of the story, featuring fan favorites like Kitana and Johnny Cage.