Mortal Kombat Movies In Order Of Release

Mortal Kombat (1995)

The 1995 Mortal Kombat film, directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, brought the popular video game franchise to the big screen for the first time. The film follows Liu Kang (Robin Shou), Johnny Cage (Linden Ashby), and Sonya Blade (Bridgette Wilson-Sampras) as they compete in the Mortal Kombat tournament to save Earthrealm from the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa). Released on August 18, 1995, Mortal Kombat was a box office success, grossing over \\$122 million worldwide. It received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its fight choreography, special effects, and faithfulness to the source material, but criticism for its acting and plot. Despite this, Mortal Kombat remains a cult classic among fans of the video game franchise and is considered one of the better video game adaptations.

A sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, was released in 1997. However, it was a critical and commercial failure, and plans for a third film were scrapped. The franchise was later revived with the 2021 reboot, simply titled Mortal Kombat, directed by Simon McQuoid.

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)

Released less than three years after the first film, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997) faced the difficult task of following up on a surprise hit. Unfortunately, the sequel was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews and significantly less box office success. Critics and fans alike criticized the film for its convoluted plot, poor special effects, and over-reliance on CGI, which had not aged well even by the standards of the late 1990s. The film's fight choreography, a highlight of the first film, was also considered a step down. Mortal Kombat: Annihilation effectively killed the film franchise for nearly two decades.

Release Order	Title	Director
1	Mortal Kombat	Paul W. S. Anderson
2	Mortal Kombat: Annihilation	John R. Leonetti
3	Mortal Kombat	Simon McQuoid

Mortal Kombat (2021)

The first film adaptation, simply titled "Mortal Kombat," hit screens in 1995. Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, it captured the essence of the games with its energetic fight choreography and faithful character portrayals. The film was a commercial success, becoming a cult classic among fans. Its sequel, "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation," released in 1997, failed to capture the magic of the original. With excessive CGI, a convoluted plot, and poorly received new characters, it was a critical and commercial disappointment.

After a long hiatus, the franchise was rebooted in 2021 with a new "Mortal Kombat." Directed by Simon McQuoid, this iteration aimed for a more mature and violent tone. The film featured impressive visuals, brutal fight sequences, and a diverse cast. While it received mixed reviews, it performed well at the box office, reigniting interest in the franchise on the big screen.