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Mortal Kombat

2021

Simon McQuoid

Lewis Tan, Joe Taslim, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson ...

5.1

7,835

Action. Adventure. Fantasy The new fantasy-action Mortal Kombat is the third film inspired by the video game, following 1995’s Mortal Kombat and 1997’s Mortal Kombat Annihilation. Will be directed by first-time filmmaker Simon McQuoid and Produced by James Wan. No details on cast or storyline revealed.

	Media	Author	Review
		Ben Kenigsberg The New York Times	"The latest screen adaptation of the video game shows again that trying to construct a coherent plot around these characters is a fatal trap."
		John DeFore The Hollywood Reporter	"A B-movie that would benefit immensely from some wit in the script and charisma in the cast, it’s not as aggressively hacky as P.W.S.A.’s oeuvre, but it runs into problems he didn’t face in 1995"
		Peter Debruge Variety	"'Mortal Kombat' has always been unique among games in that it could be just as fun to stand over the players’ shoulders and watch (...) That makes the property rather well suited to the big-screen experience"
		Matt Goldberg Collider	"Simon McQuoid’s new adaptation is a mostly joyless slog that can’t even deliver exhilarating fights."
		Brian Lowry CNN	"Nothing will probably dissuade those excited about the film from seeing it (...) For those on the fence, though, 'Mortal Kombat' is hardly worth starting, much less finishing"
		Mitchell Saltzman IGN	"It finds its footing in the second half and delivers a gleefully cheesy and entertaining take on one of gaming’s most historic franchises and a solid starting point for future films."
		Benjamin Lee The Guardian	"It’s all as goofy and as badly acted as one would expect yet there’s a certain schlock appeal in how it’s presented (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"
		Andrew Webster The Verge	"It’s both too much and not enough: there’s an overwhelming amount of information, but the movie doesn’t give you a reason to care about any of it"
		K. Austin Collins Rolling Stone	"The movie’s not quite a fight-scene masterclass, though compared to much else on offer from studio action of the moment, it sometimes feels like one. It’s solid entertainment (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		Christian Holub Entertainment Weekly	"[It] has brutal kills but not much else (...) [It] tries a few different strategies to turn fighting-game material into a compelling narrative, none of which really work because they all bump up against each other"
		Roxana Hadadi Polygon	"[The] go-for-broke violence has always been a core component of 'Mortal Kombat', and this reboot succeeds because McQuoid and his team remember that, and have the self-awareness to acknowledge it"
		Tim Grierson Screendaily	"Bloodier but not better (...) A darker, more adult tone does nothing to distract from the fact that this very juvenile property has little to offer beyond kicking, pummelling and impaling."
		Chris Evangelista SlashFilm	"Everything feels so mournful, so dour; funereal, even (...) It’s one thing to take this material seriously. It’s another to make the movie itself so damn serious."
		Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times	"Brutal fights look almost as painful as the dialogue (...) [The fans] would have a better time playing the latest version of the game than watching this origins story (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 4)"
		Brian Tallerico rogerebert.com	"While the film comes to life in ways that video game flicks often fail to do in its action scenes, it grinds to a halt during a deadly long training/destiny centerpiece that drags the film out to almost 110 minutes (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 4)"
		Johnny Oleksinski New York Post	"The reboot is actually quite well-made by first-time feature director Simon McQuoid. You’ll have a good time and forget about it 30 minutes later (...) It’s just plain, unrepentant fun (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"
		Amon Warmann Empire	"Not quite a flawless victory, but a solid win all the same. Any future follow-ups would do well to give us an actual 'Mortal Kombat' tournament to enjoy (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		James Marsh South China Morning Post	"Simon McQuoid delivers the series’ trademark 'fatalities' in all their gory glory (...) Mortal Kombat is not for the discerning palate, but for those in the know – get over here!"

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