Mortal Kombat (2021)
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A washed-up martial arts fighter must join a group of warriors to defend Earthrealm against malevolent forces from Outworld.
The story
Mortal Kombat is a martial arts dark fantasy film based on the video-game series. The story follows Cole Young, a washed-up mixed martial arts fighter who discovers he is among a group of fighters chosen to defend Earthrealm against malevolent forces from Outworld in the eponymous Mortal Kombat tournament. The tournament is a desperate defense against the conquest of Earthrealm by the realm of Outworld, which has already won nine previous rounds. Cole must learn to harness his inner power and join forces with other warriors, including the god Raiden, to prevent the final conquest of their world.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1617, Hanzo Hasashi is betrayed and killed by the Lin Kuei, and his soul is condemned to the Netherrealm. By 2021, Outworld has won nine of ten 'Mortal Kombat' tournaments. A prophecy suggests the 'blood of Hanzo Hasashi' will unite a new generation of champions to stop Outworld's victory. Shang Tsung sends warriors to eliminate these champions, identified by a dragon mark. When Cole Young is attacked by Sub-Zero, he is rescued by Special Forces and taken to Raiden's temple. There, he and others like Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and Jax Briggs train to unlock their 'arcana'. During a siege by Shang Tsung's forces, Cole awakens his power, gaining armor and tonfas to defeat the warrior Goro. In the Void, Cole uses a blood-stained kunai to summon the vengeful specter Scorpion, who helps him defeat Sub-Zero and rescue his family. Following the victory, Raiden prepares to train new warriors, and Cole sets off to find the martial arts film star Johnny Cage.
- First release year
- 2021
- Runtime (minutes)
- 110
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Simon McQuoid
- Writers
- Greg Russo · screenplay; David Callaham · screenplay; Oren Uziel · story; Greg Russo · story
- Genres
- martial arts; dark fantasy
- Themes
- Destiny; Sacrifice; Legacy
- Tone and mood
- Dark; Action-packed
- Setting
- A mystical realm-hopping conflict spanning Earthrealm, Outworld, and the Void, beginning in 1617 Japan and continuing in 2021.
- Premise and plot tags
- Martial Arts; Fantasy; Tournament; Reboot
- Source material / true-story basis
- video-game series
- Franchise connections
- Mortal Kombat
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances, production values, action sequences, and faithfulness to the source material, but criticized its screenplay and exposition.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 44 · scale: 100 · review count: 43; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film was a major success for HBO Max, becoming its most successful film launch to date.; The film's first trailer became the most-watched red-band trailer until the release of The Suicide Squad's first trailer.; The character of Johnny Cage was excluded because he was considered a 'giant personality' that would unbalance the film.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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