Common Sense Media Review
By Charles Cassady Jr.
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Campy video game action movie has incredibly diverse cast.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Street Fighter
What's the Story?
In STREET FIGHTER, high-tech warlord Bison (Raúl Juliá) wreaks havoc in the fictional Southeast Asian city of Shadaloo and holds relief workers hostage for a $20 billion ransom, while forcing a captive scientist to turn a prisoner into a Hulk-like "killing machine." Bison's main opponent is Col. Guile (Jean-Claude Van Damme), stalwart leader of international military forces, who looks for Bison's hidden base. But TV reporter Chun-Li (Ming-Na Wen) finds it first, seeking vengeance for a decades-old grudge.
Is It Any Good?
Though it scored low with critics, this video game movie performed well at the box office and continues to entertain audiences who enjoy campy laughs. Street Fighter lacks in plot surprises, but director Steven E. de Souza (who wrote the first two Die Hard movies) uses a self-mocking sense of humor, with sly jokes strewn throughout the production design (note the clown painting in Bison's bedroom, or barrels stamped with "Capcom"—the video game studio behind the Street Fighter games).
The cast hams it up with relish, especially Juliá's eye-popping caped villain. The beloved actor died suddenly before the film's release; he reportedly took this atypical part mainly because his children were fans of the game, and the movie is dedicated to him.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about video game adaptations like Street Fighter. What are some favorites? What game would make a good movie? Is it more fun to watch if you're a player of the video game or not? Would you rather see a movie based on a simple action-combat game, like Street Fighter II, or a more problem-solving and story-dependent game, like Myst, Outer Wilds, or Disco Elysium?
If you've played the original video game before, what references in the movie did you notice? How are the movie characters similar to or different from the game characters?
What positive traits do the main characters like Chun-li, Guile, and Ryu demonstrate? Do they have flaws? Would you consider them good role models? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 23, 1994
- On DVD or streaming : February 10, 2009
- Cast : Jean-Claude Van Damme , Ming-Na Wen , Raul Julia
- Director : Steven Souza
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Universal Studios Home Entertainment
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Adventures
- Run time : 102 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : non-stop martial arts and action violence
- Last updated : October 21, 2025
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