German filmmaker Uwe Boll, known for his polarizing video game adaptations, has seemingly found a reason to feel vindicated by the recent critical reception of the new Street Fighter movie. Boll shared a Variety review of the film on social media, accompanied by the declaration, "Don't ever bash my movies again," suggesting that his own previous works might not be as bad as commonly perceived.
Variety's review described the Street Fighter movie as "enjoyable" initially, but noted a decline in quality midway through. This assessment is considerably more favorable than what many critics have offered for Boll's filmography. For instance, his adaptation of Alone in the Dark holds a 1% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. GameSpot's review of Street Fighter characterized it as "entertaining for some silly, mindless fun, but also a very messy movie" with tonal inconsistencies. The film currently holds a Metacritic score of 45, indicating mixed or average reviews.
In contrast, Boll's directorial efforts in video game adaptations such as House of the Dead, BloodRayne, Alone in the Dark, Postal, and In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, have Metacritic scores of 15, 18, 9, 22, and 15, respectively. These scores represent a significant disparity when compared to the current reception of the new Street Fighter movie.
Earlier this year, Boll had announced plans for an unofficial video game movie titled Castle of the Dead, initially conceived as an unauthorized sequel to House of the Dead. However, he later canceled the project without further explanation.
As of this report, box office returns for the new Street Fighter movie are tracking slightly below those of Mortal Kombat 2, though the film still has its full opening weekend to accrue further earnings. Audiences will ultimately be the arbiters of whether Uwe Boll's retrospective assertion holds any weight.