Mortal Kombat is set to release in U.S. theaters and on HBO Max on later this month, but the highly-anticipated video game reboot is already screening in several other countries, and the first wave of reviews are now online.
For the most part, the movie has been positively received, with critics praising the fight choreography, special FX, and dedication to bringing the game's brutal violence and lashings of gore to the big screen. The story and character development have come in for some criticism, but it sounds like MK fans will be very happy with this adaptation.
The South China Morning Post called the movie a "gleefully violent video game adaptation," adding, "Mortal Kombat is not for the discerning palate, but for those in the know - get over here!"
"For every step backward it takes, Mortal Kombat then promptly flying-bicycle kicks its way forward again to the point where I walked out of the cinema not just thoroughly entertained, but actually all-in on the next chapter teased in its closing moments," wrote Critical Hit.
"The fatalities are just as gruesome as you’d expect," says Fortress of Solitude. "But it’s the hand-to-hand combat that stands head and shoulders above everything else here. The amount of work that went into the choreography and stunt work is beyond impressive."
IGN Middle East wasn't quite so enthusiastic: "For the average viewer, there will be little reason to care for the stakes here. Ultimately that’s what 2021’s Mortal Kombat comes down to - a solid video game adaptation full of fan service for the gamers (stay for the sequel tease) and a decent action movie for everyone else."
Finally, Casey's Movie Mania writes: "If Mortal Kombat manages to make enough money to warrant another movie, here’s hoping that whoever ends up in charge of the sequel would improve significantly upon the largely dour reboot."
So far so good, eh? Keep an eye out for more reviews, and check out a new IMAX featurette below.
In “Mortal Kombat,” MMA fighter Cole Young, accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of his heritage—or why Outworld's Emperor Shang Tsung has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero, an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt Cole down. Fearing for his family's safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade at the direction of Jax, a Special Forces Major who bears the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with. Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden, an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark.
Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao and rogue mercenary Kano, as he prepares to stand with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe. But will Cole be pushed hard enough to unlock his arcana—the immense power from within his soul—in time to save not only his family, but to stop Outworld once and for all?
Mortal Kombat is set for a simultaneous release in theaters and on HBO Max on April 23.