Movie review: Action, humor, fighting make up ‘Mortal Kombat’

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Hiroyuki Sanada in a scene from "Mortal Kombat." (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP) (Uncredited, © 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If you’re an 80s baby, you probably played the Mortal Kombat video game as a teen. Now, the movie is in theaters and on demand, and as much as it is entertaining, it lacks a genre focus.

Action, humor and a lot of fighting make up the movie “Mortal Kombat.”

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It begins centuries ago when Hanzo Hasashi’s family is killed when Bi-Han seeks revenge. Many generations later, Hanzo’s lineage is an MMA fighter and has to battle the same man that killed Hanzo’s family. It’s a great story about retribution, and the movie slowly introduces you to the Mortal Kombat characters.

However, the movie tries way too hard to be funny and serious at the same time. The fighting scenes are great, but too often humor is dropped in at the wrong time, and that takes away from the movie.

Overall, it is entertaining and will feel very nostalgic, despite a flat delivery at times.


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