Street Fighter

Translating a video game into a feature film requires more than recreating its characters and signature moves. In Street Fighter, the appeal of the arcade game lies in its colourful fighters, distinctive techniques and the immediacy of one-on-one combat. A film, however, needs to give these characters a reason to occupy the same space beyond the prospect of a fight. The latest adaptation of Capcom’s video-game franchise understands the spectacle better than the storytelling. Directed by Kitao Sakurai, this is the third live-action feature film based on Capcom’s video-game series, which began in 1987 and became a landmark in the fighting-game genre with Street Fighter II in 1991. Sakurai’s film draws on this legacy, though familiarity with the game does not necessarily translate into an interest in the lives of its characters.