Unlike most video game movies, especially early attempts, the 1995 Mortal Kombat film is not terrible. If you’re interested in seeing just how not terrible it is, you can watch it tonight alongside the live-tweeting Mortal Kombat 11 team.
At 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET, the Mortal Kombat 11 official Twitter account will begin watching and tweeting along to the original movie. You can use the hashtag #MortalKombatWatchParty if you start the movie at the same time, either through your personal copy or via Netflix.
The original Mortal Kombat film featured some truly inspired casting. Christopher Lambert starred as Raiden, while Bridgette Wilson of Billy Madison fame played Sonya Blade. Series co-creator Ed Boon performed the voice of Scorpion himself, as no one could match those gravely pipes.
The first Mortal Kombat movie seemed to understand the appeal of the games, which was not solely gore. Instead, the filmmakers kept levity and cheese intact for campy fun that still holds up today.
Subsequent films couldn’t match the original’s quality. GameSpot sister site Metacritic lists Mortal Kombat: Annihilation at a pitiful 11/100 average review score, with the editing and narrative coherence both common criticisms. Other fighting franchises have suffered a similar fate when trying to adapt to film, including Street Fighter and Dead or Alive.
A new Mortal Kombat movie is scheduled to release in early 2021 and will not be connected to the other films. Production began last September.
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