Mortal Kombat (1995) Cast Then And Now (2023) [28 Years After]

Mortal Kombat is a 1995 American martial arts fantasy action film directed by Paul W. S. Anderson and written by Kevin Droney. Based on the video game franchise of the same name, it is the first installment in the Mortal Kombat film series. Starring Linden Ashby, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Robin Shou, Bridgette Wilson, Talisa Soto, and Christopher Lambert, the film follows a group of heroes who participate in the eponymous Mortal Kombat tournament to protect Earth from being conquered by malevolent forces. Its story primarily adapts the original 1992 game, while also using elements from the game Mortal Kombat II (1993). The film premiered in the United States on August 18, 1995.

It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the martial art sequences, atmosphere, and production values, but criticized the performances, script, and toned-down violence from the games. Despite the mixed critical response, the film was well-received by fans of the series. It was also a commercial success, grossing $122 million on an $20 million budget. Mortal Kombat was followed by a 1997 sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, along with two television series: the animated sequel Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm (1996) and the live-action prequel Mortal Kombat: Conquest (1998–1999). The follow-ups were unable to match the original film’s success, and the series was rebooted with a 2021 film.

Box office

Mortal Kombat opened on August 18, 1995, and was #1 at the box office for the weekend with $23.2 million, nearly eight times the opening amount of the only other new release that weekend, The Baby-Sitters Club. At the time, it was the second-highest August opening after 1993’s The Fugitive. The film enjoyed a three-week stint at number one, grossing $73 million domestically in the United States. It also earned $51.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $124.7 million. The film became the highest-grossing adaptation of a video game, before being surpassed by Pokémon: The First Movie in 1998.