Mortal Kombat is finally here and it’s incredible. After thirty years, the franchise’s unique and bizarre collection of ninjas, kung fu, interdimensional war and extreme violence has earned it a dedicated fanbase around the world. They’ve all been incredibly hyped for the new film for months, too, with each interview, trailer and clip hinting that the pic would do justice to the fighting game titan.
Now that it’s out, reactions are pouring in on Twitter and it seems folks couldn’t be happier. Here’s just a snapshot of how it’s going down…
#MortalKombat was great. There was a few hilarious one liners and Kano was hilariously arrogant. This definitely deserves a sequel. And I love how they made Sub-Zero feel like a horror villain.
— Tate🛸 (@RidgeRacerTate) April 23, 2021
BRUH WHY THIS #MortalKombat MOVIE MAKING ME LOVE KANO? DUDE IS FUCKING HILARIOUS.
— Amaulik (James) (@Amaulik907) April 23, 2021
https://twitter.com/trickelbank/status/1385531968369033217?s=20
https://twitter.com/SnowTheEnby/status/1385530055321739271?s=20
#MortalKombat if you’re a fan like myself, you’ll love this movie
— Elon Musk is ruining blue bird app (@cod1raven) April 23, 2021
1 word if you love the games you will love this movie it’s fucking “bloody” great #MortalKombat
— Envyッ🏳️⚧️ (@EnvySoNasty) April 23, 2021
I just finished watching Mortal Kombat, It's so great.
I really love Scorpion!! 🦂🔥 as well as Liu Kang.
Everything's perfect . pic.twitter.com/I4ERJlE5O1— Sheyra _ (@SGariguez) April 23, 2021
https://twitter.com/_Smash_Adams/status/1385519673568026625?s=20
Mortal Kombat a good 8.5 maybe 9/10 for me 🤷🏾♂️ I love how they found a way to smoothly introduce powers and backstories and it was dope picking out all the references off characters move list 😂
— ¡ItsSnoHo! (@BlvckSno) April 23, 2021
Fuckin brutal I love it #MortalKombat
— 🦂 (@Suavestradamus) April 23, 2021
This movie was absolutely amazing I could barely hold still and found myself cheering I pray they are working on a second one I would love to see more scorpion but the movie is awesome fatalities learn the language this is Mortal Kombat finally justice after the last two movies
— Mad God (@N3xtPhaseGaming) April 23, 2021
After a positive reception like this from fans and early signs of a very healthy box office take (by pandemic standards), a sequel is probably now inevitable. The film gives some strong teases of where the story could be going next (Shao Khan seems to be a lock), but I really hope they include nut-smashing egomaniac Johnny Cage, who was sorely missed here.
Further information comes straight from screenwriter Greg Russo. Speaking to us earlier this week, he first explained that he didn’t include every fan favorite character because he wants the space to do them properly rather than just “jam stuff in.” He also teased some sequel ideas, saying:
“There’s a lot of places we could explore. I mean, I would love to dig deeper into the Shaolin Monks, I would love to dig deeper into Special Forces, you know? There are characters that we set up in this, that we tease in this without getting into spoilers, that we have plans for. It’s just a matter of putting your ducks in a row, and by that I mean stories, right? I know where we can go, and then try and get that first one right. And if we can get that first one right then we get to have fun and bring in those other things that we just couldn’t fit in.”
But right now, those who worked on the movie can take a well deserved victory lap. They successfully brought iconic characters Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Kano and Liu Kang to the screen, delivered on their promise of showing us some brutal fatalities and preserved the game’s distinct tone. Almost everyone agrees that both Russo and director Simon McQuoid grasped exactly what’s made the property such an enduring success and the future looks bright for fans of Outworld.
Mortal Kombat is now in theaters and available on HBO Max.