Yahoo Movies Mortal Kombat called "gleefully violent" in first reviews
Mortal Kombat has been hailed as "gleefully violent" and "a joy to watch for fans" in the first reviews of the new martial arts movie.
Based on the popular video game franchise of the same name, Mortal Kombat stars Lewis Tan as Cole Young, a former MMA fighter who is unaware of his true heritage or what the dragon mark on his body really means.
After Cole and his family are attacked, he begins to train to stand alongside Earth's greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld as they battle for the fate of the universe.
Related: Mortal Kombat classic characters get Funko POP!s for new movie
The movie, which also stars former Home and Away actress Jessica McNamee and Superstore actor Josh Lawson, has already been released in a few countries, including Russia and South Korea, and with its US release approaching, the first critical reviews of the film have begun to arrive.
Although opinions on the film's characters and dialogue have been a little mixed, one thing has united the critics in agreement so far: the fight scenes more than live up to expectations.
Check out some of Mortal Kombat's early reviews below:
Critical Hit Entertainment
"Given that the Mortal Kombat games' original calling card was their ludicrous violence, it's kind of shocking that it's taken this long for a live-action adaptation to finally start pouring buckets of R-rated crimson on everything. And the filmmakers here definitely don't shirk away, giving us a handful of gruesomely satisfying fatalities (aka ultimately gory finishers) straight from the games..."
Fortress
"The fatalities are just as gruesome as you'd expect... 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. You can see it's a group of martial artists performing their own fights on the screen and not just quick hack-slash edits or CG doubles."
Geek Culture
"As a movie based on the popular video game, Mortal Kombat effectively brings the game's world onto the silver screen with a lot of care and attention to detail. The characterisation and portrayal of the beloved fighters are close enough to their game counterparts, with outfits and fighting styles being almost identical to the game. The visuals, sound effects, gore and action are exactly what fans have been looking for since the original 1995 film and more."
IGN India
"If you're a Mortal Kombat fan, you'll have a blast since you'll fill in the gaps with your pre-existing knowledge of the series and just revel in the violence. But 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."
South China Morning Post
"[A] gleefully violent video game adaptation... Nuanced character drama this most certainly isn't; instead, this is boxers with ninja blood and green berets with robot arms pummelling invisible lizards and bat-winged demon babes to a bloody pulp. When they're not fighting, characters bicker and spout pseudo-spiritual idioms until it's time to square off again. Mortal Kombat is not for the discerning palate, but for those in the know - get over here!"
Mortal Kombat is due for release in the US on April 23 in cinemas and on HBO Max. Its UK release date has not yet been confirmed.
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