Paramount’s currently doing their CinemaCon presentation, so we’ll likely follow up on this post at some point in the future. But before we do any of that, we’ve gotta talk about this Street Fighter trailer, because it looks… pretty fun? Seriously, this seems like a great time, even though the nerds will likely find something to be mad about. We’ll be real: Between Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, MK is the most inherently cinematic, and they’ve leaned into it hard ever since the Fatalities became short films in their own way. What Street Fighter has is a fun and hyper-campy aesthetic, and hiring a guy like Kitao Sakurai, who cut his teeth on The Eric Andre Show, feels like the right choice. For God’s sake, they’re setting it in ’93 and leaning in hard to that era’s aesthetic.
Also, now’s when we say that the Van Damme Street Fighter is a legitimately great time at the movies, and if your local arthouse programs it as a midnight, you should throw back some brews and take the whole crew. An all-timer performance from a near-death Raul Julia? Check. Absurd Van Damme monologues? Hell yes. Kylie Minogue? You betcha. It’s a swell watch.
Ready? Set? Watch:
Here’s a synopsis for Street Fighter:
“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!
Helmed by director Kitao Sakurai, ‘Street Fighter’ is set to bring the battle from the arcade to the big screen with Hadoukens, roundhouses, and all your favorite characters.”
Street Fighter will HADOOOUUKEN its way into theaters on October 16.