In a year packed with video game movie adaptations, Mortal Kombat bears the load of being first, at least until Uncharted comes out this summer and Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City drops in November. However, with the movie premiering internationally before landing in the United States, the first Mortal Kombat reviews are already in.
Mortal Kombat has a lot going for it when compared to other franchises attempting the video game to cinema transition, not the least being a simpler story than what other games bring to the table. After all, in its early beginnings, Mortal Kombat was all about getting a bunch of fighters in the same place to beat each other to death, something that the Mortal Kombat movie seems to have nailed according to its pre-release fight teaser and comments from critics.
In that regard, most reviewers from Asia, Africa, and Europe agree on calling this Mortal Kombat reboot a satisfying film adaptation packed with tons of fans service for die-hard fans, spectacular action sequences and, of course, tons of gore thanks to a healthy dose of bloody fatalities. One big disclaimer for moviegoers and HBO Max subscribers is that this film actually takes place before the Mortal Kombat tournament, rather than the actual event, as pointed by Sergio Pereira from Fortress of Solitude.
On a different note, the inclusion of Cole Young as a newcomer character completely foreign to Mortal Kombat game fans doesn’t seem to have rubbed anyone the wrong way, as most reviewers claim the protagonists fit in just fine with the rest of Earthrealm’s gang. This was echoed by A’bidah Zaid from Geek Culture, who also praised Mortal Kombat’s impeccable costume design, especially for Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Kung Lao.
Yahoo! News Singapore’s Bryan Tan called the film a gory masterpiece that definitely caters more to Mortal Kombat fans than those not too familiar with the series, but overall, there’s almost universal acclaim for the film’s action without any major storytelling flaws that hinder its enjoyment. Mortal Kombat also hints at a potential sequel in its final scenes, so Warner Bros. will be carefully watching how it performs in the coming weeks.
If Mortal Kombat truly delivers an entertaining burst of gore, finely crafted kombat sequences, and another memorable techno theme then the movie is definitely honoring its video game legacy. With shows like The Witcher and Sonic The Hedgehog’s second movie already planned, perhaps the days of lackluster video game adaptations could be gone for good.
Mortal Kombat will be available in theaters and on HBO Max starting April 23, 2021.