Dundead: Mortal Kombat (1995)

In 1995, the Mortal Kombat film easily laid claim (or should that be Klaim) to the title of the greatest video game adaptation of all time. 

Mixing irresistible 90s fantasy vibes, impressive martial arts choreography, campy acting, special effects that veer thrillingly from innovative (four-armed demon warrior Goro!) to gloriously ropey (we love the charm of these early forays into CGI), and one of the absolute best, most perfectly-fitting theme tunes ever, Mortal Kombat was perfect Friday night video rental entertainment. Now, we're delighted to bring that experience to the big screen for one-night only.

Robin Shou plays our lovable hero, the gloriously coiffured Liu Kang, out to avenge his brother’s death at the hands of the villainous Shang Tsung (the brilliantly evil Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa). The Highlander himself, Christopher Lambert, brings extra off-kilter energy as thunder god Raiden (cultural sensitivities are not this film’s strong point), an aloof trickster with a bizarre sense of comedy timing. The plot is delightfully paper-thin and is really just an excuse for Liu Kang, along with a motley assortment of combatants from around the globe, to be summoned to the otherworldly fighting tournament of Mortal Kombat, where they duly kick seven shades out of each other. 

While modern audiences have tended to see all of this through a heavy filter of irony, it’s also hard not to just get swept up in the gee-whiz of it all. No scenery goes left unchewed, no opportunity to backflip unexploited, and no needle is undropped. 

Mortal Kombat perfectly captures the over-the-top tone of the games and knows exactly what kind of movie it is. Now . . . FIGHT!