Is 'Mortal Kombat' Any Good? Here's What The Reviews Are Saying
29 years after "Mortal Kombat" first thrilled gamers and shocked parents and legislators, the motion picture adaptation is coming out today simultaneously in theaters and HBO Max. The main gist is that there's a tournament where colorful fighters duel to the death (just like in the game). Opinions have been deeply divided. Here's what the reviewers are saying:
It's Arguably Better Than The 1995 Movie
This "Mortal Kombat" is more broadly watchable than the 1995 version ever was, but it's hard to shake the dull sensation that video game movies are now playing us.
"Mortal Kombat" gets the R-rated reboot its fans feel the property deserves, which entails being as graphic as the game was when it comes time for the pugilists to eliminate their opponents, whether that means ripping out their hearts or buzz-sawing them in twain with a razor-sharp hat.
[Variety]
You Didn't Have To Play The Game To Enjoy It, But It Helps
Will you get more of "Mortal Kombat's" Easter eggs and references if you've played the games? Yes. Do you need to have played them to understand the movie? No. For all its lore and its extensive cast, the story of "Mortal Kombat" is pretty simple. There's a tournament, people fight in it, and many of them die in spectacular fashion. You might not grasp every catchphrase or signature move if you're a newcomer to the franchise, but because the story is being rebooted, experience with the video games isn't necessary.
Even if you're not a fan of the game or a player of the game, I think you'll like this one, too.
The Movie Works Best If You're A Hardcore Fan
"Mortal Kombat" is like the movie version of the "pointing Leonardo DiCaprio" meme. For 110 minutes, I found myself scouring every frame and every action sequence for nods back to the source. It's not a normal way to watch a movie, but this one puts out the vibe that it's an expectation, even a demand. Sometimes you get a movie that's for the fans. This one is really just for the fans.
[Mashable]
The new Mortal Kombat seems to go to great pains to honor the decades of Mortal Kombat games with all kinds of references to the source material. And I'm not talking about having someone yell "Fatality!" or something like that (although they do that too). I'm talking about specific Fatalities from the game being translated, blood, guts, and all, to the big screen. Even some of the characters' movements are transferred exactly.
Some Fans Will Be Satisfied With The Action Sequences
There are absolutely some gnarly fatalities that will no doubt make fans smile with macabre glee.
[IGN]
110 minutes of fast-faced, blood-soaked fun.
But For Others There's Perhaps Not Enough Gore
There is gore, yes. But, I dare say, there isn't enough.
This is supposed to be a world of fighters with bizarre outfits and combat abilities, but a lot of the time, the viewer will just find themselves staring at a screen that's mostly rocks.
[AV Club]
The Movie Ends Almost Too Soon
"Mortal Kombat" leaves you wanting more because there is just so much to explore, so many characters that we could see, that it is disappointing that it's over so quickly.
And It Spends Too Much Time Explaining Things
Why so much screen time was wasted talking about a tournament at all is left unclear.
One might reasonably surmise longtime fans of "Mortal Kombat" would have a better time playing the latest version of the game than watching this origins story.
For all of the time that this reboot devotes to establishing its universe, the only thing that it can promise for prospective future installments is the introduction of more characters familiar to fans. In spite of its occasionally engaging displays of gnarly brutality, this Mortal Kombat too often feels like an adaptation of a player select screen.
TL;DR
Playing "Mortal Kombat" is brutal and bloody, but it's also a lot of fun — the movie is missing out on much of the latter.
Watch The Trailer
