MORTAL KOMBAT

Cast: Robin Shou, Talisa Sato, James Remar, Sandra Hess, Red Williams, Brian Thompson  Director: John R. Leonetti  Producer: Lawrence Kasanoff  
Screenwriters: Brent V. Friedman, Bryce Zabel

As the title suggests, don’t watch this second installation of Mortal Kombat for its story or its acting. But do watch it if you are into action and special effects because it has plenty of both.

Based on the videogame of the same name, Mortal Kombat is about the war between a band of humans and the evil forces of Outworld, which exists in another dimension. In a tournament organised between the two sides, three human warriors, Liu Kang (Robin Shou), Sonya Blade (Sandra Hess) and a movie star called Johnny Cage, win the prize which is the safety of Earth for a generation. They are helped by Kitana (Talisa Soto), a princess from another dimension.

But once the human warriors return to their own time and space, Shao-Kahn (Brian Thompson), emperor of Outworld, plays dirty and declares war on Earth regardless of the tournament’s outcome, and kidnaps Princess Kitana for good measure.

Most of the film is devoted to how the three human warriors, led by Shao-Kahn’s good brother Rayden (James Remar), battle their way through numerous adventures in various dimensions before emerging victorious.

The special effects are pretty exciting with all sorts of gruesome monsters baring their fangs, from the horrible half human-half animal centaur to a female fighter with four arms. The action is very slick, though it takes place to the sound of an electric guitar-dominated soundtrack that resembles videogame music, but is mercifully not too loud.

Fairly entertaining viewing for action and sfx afficionados.