It was a soft weekend at the box office, but that doesn’t mean some films arrive without some value. “Street Fighter” has a wider appeal and enough shenanigans to warrant a viewing, but “Whalefall” is the better film.

‘Street Fighter’

What makes something a guilty pleasure? Fast food always followed by regret. Reality TV that mutates the documentary narrative. Video games with little story but a whole lotta riling folks up.

“Street Fighter” can only serve as a guilty pleasure in all its trashy goodness. It easily eclipses the 1990s Van Damme adaptation of the Capcom video game, though it still suffers from inconsistent character use, convoluted structure and bonkers attempts at humor or camp that don’t quite land.

Still, this is a true 1990s homage, full of winks, nods and jokes to a degree of zany use often reserved for ‘80s flicks and TV series. Regardless of how sloppy the filmmaking becomes – and rather quickly at that – it’s hard to feel unsatisfied.

“Street Fighter” posits that you can make a good movie without making much sense. That won’t sit well with plenty of folks, but fans of the game and casual moviegoers probably will find plenty to enjoy.

That said, we should discuss some flaws. For example, some characters appear and vanish just as quickly, like plenty of scenes were left on the editing room floor. Also, comedian and podcaster Andrew Schulz, who plays Dan Hibiki, has no business in this movie. Also, Jason Momoa’s performance as green CGI Blanka, who doesn’t like the smell of his own armpits, is an odd choice.

The real standouts are Andrew Koji as Ryu, Noah Centineo as Ken Masters and Callina Liang in her highest-profile part to date as Chun-Li. Let’s throw in Cody Rhodes, who sports a hilarious wig as a very video game-accurate Guile.

That level of video game accuracy is the primary appeal. The story doesn’t need to make sense, because it’s a fighting game. And there is plenty of fighting and promise for even more once someone figures out how to make this experience more cohesive … or twice as batty.

‘Whalefall’

Perhaps the most thrilling trailer this year features a diver desperately trying to escape a sperm whale only to end up inside the massive creature’s belly, uncertain how to escape.

If you watched “Whalefall’s” first teaser and thought it sounds too intense, too claustrophobic, too squishy, that’s partially true. In practice, it’s actually less stressful thanks to some flashbacks that provide the whole picture of exactly why this tragic figure is in his current circumstances.

Helping offset the tummy time terror is the story of Jay (Austin Abrams back in a leading role once more) and his deceased father (Josh Brolin). His death at sea prompts Jay to return to the ocean, which he never planned to do following a falling out with his old man.

We move between Jay’s current dilemma and past dilemmas created by a father who seems to love his son but can’t seem to do much effectively besides diving. Luckily, everything he forced on his son would help Jay navigate this survival story. Frankly, to say more about the story and where it goes spoils too much.

Perhaps “Whalefall’s” biggest problem is many degrees of improbability. Where it goes, how level that belly remains regardless of gravity, how things conclude – you really need to put on your movie lover hat, and leave your internal Neil deGrasse Tyson at home. You might begin to wonder if decompression sickness can occur if you’re spending the next hour taking the story of Jonah too literally.

But if you can commit to the film, savor the thrills, wince when a squid attacks or an internal body part pins Jay, let Joseph Trapanese’s emotional score pull you in and explore the anguish of a complicated family death, this one might prove to be a fulfilling screening.