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Pardon my tardiness as work and now vacation is getting in the way of delivering the finest in action cinema entertainment, but I am trying to catch up (a losing battle BTW) and today we are checking out a brand-new clip from Paramount Pictures’ upcoming martial arts action video game adaptation Street Fighter. Mortal Kombat II hit theaters earlier this year and failed to kick its way to box office gold so I have little faith that Paramount’s latest attempt at a reboot of this fighting game franchise will do any better, but who knows.
The recent trailer for Street Fighter did show off some pulverizing martial arts damage but the jury is still out and now we have a new clip showcasing two of the film’s ensemble cast in Ryu (Andrew Koji) centering the ring with ferocious man beast Blanka (an unrecognizable Jason Momoa). Check out the CGI infused battle below!
Set in 1993, estranged Street Fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) are thrown back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li (Callina Liang) recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament: a brutal clash of fists, fate, and fury. But behind this battle royale lies a deadly conspiracy that forces them to face off against each other and the demons of their past. And if they don’t, it’s GAME OVER!
Kitao Sakurai helms the ambitious project with an all-star ensemble led by Noah Centineo as Ken Masters, Andrew Koji as Ryu, Callina Liang as Chun-Li, Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoai as Akuma, David Dastmalchian as M. Bison, Cody Rhodes as Guile, Andrew Schulz as Dan Hibiki, Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim, Eric André as Don Sauvage with Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson as Balrog, and Jason Momoa as Blanka. Orville Peck as Vega, Olivier Richters as Zangief, Hirooki Goto as E. Honda, Rayna Vallandingham as Juli, Alexander Volkanovski as Joe, Kyle Mooney as Marvin, and Mel Jarnson as Cammy round out the supporting cast.
My initial Trailer Tactical Reaction to the trailer read, “delivers spot on chemistry between Koji and Centineo which is essential to the Street Fighter lore. Throw in video game and Anime accurate look, style and vibe compounded with gravity defying fight choreography that mixes extreme with visceral and this one looks to finally bring the energetic fun of the IP that fans have been waiting for. Plus, Sakurai looks to have understood the assignment for this in spades, so fingers crossed the entire product keeps the thrills alive that this trailer does and delivers on the promise. With Mortal Kombat also hitting next month, hardcore gamers will be feasting heavily this year.”
Clip reaction to the above scene of Ryu taking on Blanka looks ultra-cool and just like the trailer, seems to focus on surefire video game authentic aesthetics. While some may scoff at the overuse of special effects during the martial arts action sequences, this looks tried and true to the video game and there is a glimpse of some rousing and extreme action design executed by a cast that is quite capable of serving up over the top and extreme martial arts action on a visually striking scale. We shall see when the movie hits!
The beast is unleashed. Check out Jason Momoa as Blanka vs. Andrew Koji as Ryu in Street Fighter, hitting theaters October 16!
