‘Mortal Kombat’ Review Roundup: See What the Critics are Saying
Early reviews for the arcade fighting game adaptation Mortal Kombat are in,and going based on what the critics are saying, it’s…not so good. With 85 reviews in the bag on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie currently sits at an 59% positive rating amongst critics with an average score of 5.6/10. Amongst top critics, the film still has a downright lousy 40% rating with an average score of 4.9/10.
Established intellectual property is catnip for the big studios, and Mortal Kombat is no different. That said, the general impression amongst critics is that this, like many other video game-based movies before it, including the 1995 version, is a mostly pointless experience. As always, the big question when adapting video games and their often threadbare stories is what to include in the film and what to change or expand upon. Many reviewers have noted there is plenty of glorious gore, keeping things in line with Mortal Kombat‘s famously violent fatalities. On the other hand, many have noted that for a film based on a fighting game, there isn’t nearly as much fighting as one would expect. Several critics have lamented that large sections of the film are quite dull and devoid of action, which would be a big disappointment to those looking forward to this movie.
As for story and characters, there are none, at least if the critics are to be believed. The film parades many classic characters from the game in front of the screen, but few of them get much in the way of screen time, let alone any sort of character development. The plot has been criticized as thin, unfocused, and downright nonsensical. Video games aren’t known for having good or especially interesting stories, and their film adaptations are notoriously bad in this department as well. That said, one might expect today’s more jaded critics to have somewhat lower expectations after being inundated with awful video game movies over the last few decades, but however low their expectations may be, Mortal Kombat has failed to meet them.
The ill-conceived narrative and thin characters are not helped by the performances either. While there has been some modest praise for Indonesian action-star Joe Taslim and his work as the masked ninja Sub-Zero, much of the main cast has been criticized for a lackluster effort here. That said, there is always hope for the ever versatile Tadanobu Asano whenever he pops up in something.
Mortal Kombat has a large-enough fan base to warrant pumping millions into another film adaptation instead of making something original. Unfortunately, the early reviews are not an auspicious sign for the film. Audiences are likely expecting something quite dumb but with enough action and over the top violence to keep things interesting, so the bad story is likely not of great concern to most. The commitment to recreating some of the games’ famous fatalities is promising, but the real disappointment will be if the film is truly as dull as the critics say. Mortal Kombat will live or die based on the quality and quantity of its action scenes, and the largely underwhelming reviews don’t give much reason for hope. It remains to be seen how audiences will receive the film and if they will embrace is or toss it aside as the critics have. For our own reviews of Mortal Kombat as well as all the other news, updates, and analysis, stay tuned to Under The Wheels.
