When people find something they love, they devour it and cannot wait for the next version/iteration of whatever it is. Be it the iPhone, a Porsche 911, or opening day for MLB, fans will show up in droves for the new hotness. In this case we’d like to highlight a trifecta of pop culture fans who should rejoice in similar fashion. This year we get the big screen adaptation of Street Fighter that is sure to please video game aficionados, cinephiles and film score fans.
In this stylistically hybridized film, the punches on screen would lack something if they weren’t propelled by nostalgia and a rocking soundtrack which makes you feel like you are riding a wave of synths and hard edged guitars. The game is known the world over because of some wildly popular characters who go by just one name (Ken, Ryu, Blanka, etc.) but we want to call attention to two more whose sonic success punches the pulse-pounding passion right through your speakers: Zach & Leo.
The two got their start years ago as assistants to composers like Christophe Beck. Along they way, they realized their styles suited each other very, very well. They have a way of injecting fun and heart into their projects with one key distinction. Their themes are earned. It doesn’t always happen so poetically, but when it does, the music is more than a component of the production. It becomes the heart and soul of the characters and the narrative.
Anyway, we cordially invite you to the party. Where is it? Right over there, at your local cineplex. On behalf of Mr. Robinson and Mr. Birenberg, welcome to Zach and Leo’s House of Flying Fists! Now, FIGHT!!
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 hits theaters everywhere October 16.
