Mortal Kombat (1995)

The big-screen adaptation of Mortal Kombat contains everything that a teenage boy could ever want: martial arts fighting, sexy supervixens, glittery special effects, and eye candy galore. Aficionados of the Rotoscope-rendered video game will relish this comic book movie that stays true to the story line that Kombat Kreators John Tobias and Ed Boone established. Mortal Kombat is perhaps the best video-game adaptation of the '90s (which doesn't say much). While arcade films like Super Mario Brothers, Double Dragon, and Street Fighter all possess little merit, Mortal Kombat is brazenly stylish and delivers its promise of pit fatalities and crowd-pleasing punch-outs. Sensationally loud, indulgent, and over-the-top, director Paul Anderson pulls no punches and captivates his teen adventure with acrobatic karate routines in the vein of Jackie Chan. However, the film still has many flaws -- most notably the canned dialogue and wooden performances from a no-name cast. Still, one can't complain that an adaptation of a relentlessly violent video game is thin on plot and Oscar-worthy performances. The film aims to please with its mix of martial arts and special-effects magic, and was the start of a long-running Mortal Kombat franchise. ~ Adam Goldberg, All Movie Guide