It turns out that Street Fighter is becoming a different sort of landmark in the video game adaptations' renaissance streak in recent years. While most have proven that complex digital worlds can successfully translate into prestige television and blockbuster cinema, the new Kitao Sakurai movie is not shaping up to be an RT critic favorite.

The recent success of Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil serves has served as a testimonial to the renaissance claim. However, as Paramount Pictures's Street Fighter reboot hits theaters, it appears the curse of the arcade fighting game adaptation has struck once again.

As review embargoes lift, the film has been greeted by a harsh reception and a dismal early critical score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Paramount Pictures' high-profile video game adaptation Street Fighter has officially hit theaters, but it is facing a bruising battle with critics. The movie debuted with a dismal 28% on Rotten Tomatoes, with 25 reviews on Thursday. However, a few hours later, the movie has clocked in 36 reviews, and the score has somewhat improved, going all the way to 42%, but it is still not impressive enough.

Directed by Kitao Sakurai, the reboot leans heavily into a chaotic, high-energy blend of action and camp. While early reviews have praised select elements - most notably the film's gorgeous 2D-animated flashback sequences and occasional high-octane fight choreography - critics have largely aimed at a messy script, thin character development, and an overstuffed plot that struggles to balance its ensemble cast.

Reviewers have drawn mixed comparisons, with some embracing the movie's unhinged, B-movie absurdity, while others found it to be an incoherent and unengaging translation of Capcom's iconic fighting franchise. As preview screenings roll out ahead of its proper box-office opening, it remains to be seen whether word-of-mouth and fan enthusiasm can help the brawler overcome its rocky critical reception.

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While the positives seem to be very few and far between, two of them, however, are the WWE stars in the ensemble cast.

Despite Street Fighter's low critical score, both WWE stars, Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns, have earned positive notices for their work, with Rhodes standing out in particular. Co-star Andrew Schulz recently shared that the "American Nightmare" performed so strongly on set that producers actually expanded his screen time during production.

In the film, Rhodes stars as Guile alongside Reigns, who portrays Akuma. The ensemble cast also features Andrew Koji as Ryu, Noah Centineo as Ken, Callina Liang as Chun-Li, and Jason Momoa as Blanka.

This rocky critical reception continues a challenging historical trend for the franchise, as previous cinematic adaptations released in 1994 and 2009 were also met with overwhelmingly negative 20% Rotten Tomatoes scores. Industry observers note, however, that the initial score remains fluid and is expected to fluctuate as additional reviews arrive following the movie's theatrical release.

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What do you think the audience's response to the film will be when it releases tomorrow? Do let us know in the comments.