Mortal Kombat (1995)

"...the best of the fights have a visceral tension one can almost taste.  Leonard Klady, Variety
"Non-stop action...amazing art direction and special effects...  The Hollywood Reporter

Editor's Note Three warriors, Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage and Lui Kang, battle the servants of the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung to determine the fate of the world. Based on the popular video game.

	Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
	Christopher Lambert
	Linden Ashby
	Talisa Soto
	Ha Nguyen - Costume Designer
	Paul Anderson - Director
	John R. Leonetti - Director of Photography
	Martin Hunter - Editor
	Robert Engelman - Executive Producer
	George S. Clinton - Musical Score
	Jonathan Scott Carlson - Production Designer
	Kevin Droney - Screenplay

This film adaptation of the wildly popular video game comes complete with dazzling special effects and plenty of martial arts action. The plot revolves around a tournament that pits evil against good. The sinister team, led by the vile sorcerer Shang Tsung, includes the ice-wielding Sub-Zero, the serpent-like Reptile, and the gigantic, four-armed, muscle-bound mutant Goro. The good guys are led by Lord Rayden, who uses electricity as a weapon. His pupils include martial arts expert Liu Kang, vain movie star and karate expert Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade, a task-force commando who KNOWS how to kick some butt. Adding to the tension is the fact that whichever team wins 10 Kombat tournaments in a row will rule the Earth. And Shang Tsung's demonic team has won the last nine. USA Today
"...Mortal maniacs will get a kick out of watching Kombatants like Sub-Zero..." 08/21/1995 p.3D

Variety
"...An arsenal of special-effects teams unleash some dazzling, fun eye-poppers, while the best of the fights have a visceral tension one can almost taste..." 08/21/1995

Los Angeles Times
"...[MORTAL KOMBAT] arrives on the big screen with terrific, high-energy panache. A martial arts action-adventure with wondrous special effects and witty production design..." 08/21/1995 p.F3

Chicago Sun-Times
"...MORTAL KOMBAT is entertaining in a testosterone-pumped way....A champion martial artist, Shou is showcased in the some of the film's most exciting fight sequences..." 08/21/1995 p.29

BoxOffice Magazine 0 of 10
The popular Mortal Kombat is based not on a work of literature or even an old TV show, but on an arcade game and an animated video. So it's not surprising to find that this teen- and male-targeted flick is an utterly fantastic vehicle for splashy special effects and broadly painted cartoon characters. Mortal Kombat is kind of like an amalgamation of a Bruce Lee martial arts film, a medieval adventure movie and a kitschy, doomsday science fiction work. A metaphysical examination of the human condition it is not. Aided by a throbbing techno-rock soundtrack, the film exudes an undeniable energy. By injecting moments of wry if uncomplicated humor, director Paul Anderson shows a commendable willingness to poke fun at the film's over-the-top premise and predilections. Still, in terms of storytelling and character development, the darkly stylish Mortal Kombat is far too predictable to recommend to anyone not predisposed to this type of propulsive but vacant entertainment. - Jon Matsumoto

Variety 0 of 10
Slickly stylish, [Mortal Kombat] tops its sources of inspiration with lush, crisp production values and exotic Thailand locales. An arsenal of special effects teams unleash some dazzling, fun eye-poppers, while the best of the fights have a visceral tension one can almost taste. Unlike other video-arcade screen translations, including Street Fighter and Double Dragon, Mortal Kombat establishes itself as a bigscreen entity. It appears to have the pluck and wit that franchises are made of. - Leonard Klady