Mortal Kombat
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Washed-up MMA fighter Cole Young, unaware of his heritage, and hunted by Emperor Shang Tsung's best warrior, Sub-Zero, seeks out and trains with Earth's greatest champions as he prepares to stand against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe.
What critics thought
Critics were largely cold on this video game revival, with the majority finding it a mixed-to-poor experience despite enthusiastic gore and fan-service moments. The central debate was whether gleeful, over-the-top bloodshed could compensate for a weak protagonist in Cole Young, a plot critics called incoherent, and hand-to-hand combat they felt was buried under digital effects. Franchise devotees tended to be more forgiving, while general audiences got a film most reviewers called joyless or disposable.
“Viewers interested in martial-arts action are bound to find the combat-with-a-C to be lackluster in that way that hand-to-hand fighting tends to be when it gets drowned out by digital effects.”
Alonso Duralde·TheWrap
“Director Simon McQuoid understands and honours the film's video game origins, including memorable lines of dialogue and signature fight moves throughout”
James Marsh·South China Morning Post
“Simon McQuoid's new adaptation is a mostly joyless slog that can't even deliver exhilarating fights”
Matt Goldberg·Collider
“The latest screen adaptation of the video game still shows that trying to construct a coherent plot around these characters is a fatal trap”
Ben Kenigsberg·The New York Times
“A silly and dated new attempt to transport the classic fighting game to the big screen is a late-night drunk watch at best”
Benjamin Lee·The Guardian
Genres
Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Cast & Crew
Simon McQuoidDirector
Lewis TanCole Young
Jessica McNameeSonya Blade
Mehcad BrooksJax
Josh LawsonKano
Ludi LinLiu Kang
Max HuangKung Lao
Tadanobu AsanoLord Raiden
Chin HanShang Tsung
Hiroyuki SanadaHanzo Hasashi / Scorpion
Joe TaslimBi-Han / Sub-Zero
Sisi StringerMileena
Daniel NelsonKabal
Benjamin WallfischComposer
Greg RussoWriter
Oren UzielWriter
David CallahamWriter
Germain McMickingCinematographyFrom the studio
Mortal Kombat
Washed-up MMA fighter Cole Young, unaware of his heritage, and hunted by Emperor Shang Tsung's best warrior, Sub-Zero, seeks out and trains with Earth's greatest champions as he prepares to stand against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe.
What critics thought
Critics were largely cold on this video game revival, with the majority finding it a mixed-to-poor experience despite enthusiastic gore and fan-service moments. The central debate was whether gleeful, over-the-top bloodshed could compensate for a weak protagonist in Cole Young, a plot critics called incoherent, and hand-to-hand combat they felt was buried under digital effects. Franchise devotees tended to be more forgiving, while general audiences got a film most reviewers called joyless or disposable.
“Viewers interested in martial-arts action are bound to find the combat-with-a-C to be lackluster in that way that hand-to-hand fighting tends to be when it gets drowned out by digital effects.”
Alonso Duralde·TheWrap
“Director Simon McQuoid understands and honours the film's video game origins, including memorable lines of dialogue and signature fight moves throughout”
James Marsh·South China Morning Post
“Simon McQuoid's new adaptation is a mostly joyless slog that can't even deliver exhilarating fights”
Matt Goldberg·Collider
“The latest screen adaptation of the video game still shows that trying to construct a coherent plot around these characters is a fatal trap”
Ben Kenigsberg·The New York Times
“A silly and dated new attempt to transport the classic fighting game to the big screen is a late-night drunk watch at best”
Benjamin Lee·The Guardian
Genres
Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Cast & Crew
Simon McQuoidDirectorLewis TanCole YoungJessica McNameeSonya BladeMehcad BrooksJaxJosh LawsonKanoLudi LinLiu KangMax HuangKung LaoTadanobu AsanoLord RaidenChin HanShang TsungHiroyuki SanadaHanzo Hasashi / ScorpionJoe TaslimBi-Han / Sub-ZeroSisi StringerMileenaDaniel NelsonKabalBenjamin WallfischComposerGreg RussoWriterOren UzielWriterDavid CallahamWriterGermain McMickingCinematographyFrom the studio
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Rent & Buy