The 2021 Mortal Kombat reboot is the #1 movie streaming on HBO Max.
By Charlene Badasie
| Published
Mortal Kombat has fought its way into the top ten on the U.S. HBO Max streaming charts. The data is recorded by Flixpatrol, a site that tracks viewing data across multiple platforms worldwide. Based on the popular video game franchise created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, the 2021 movie is now streaming on HBO Max and serves as a reboot of the film series following the critical and commercial failure of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation in 1997.
Directed by Simon McQuoid from a screenplay by Greg Russo and Dave Callaham, Mortal Kombat follows a mixed martial arts fighter named Cole Young. Dealing with a failed career, he is unaware of his hidden lineage or why he is being hunted by an assassin known as Sub-Zero. Concerned for his family’s safety, he seeks out Sonya Blade.
After speaking with a Special Forces Major named Jax, who bears the same dragon marking Cole had since birth. His journey leads him to the temple of Elder God Lord Raiden. As protector of Earthrealm, he offers sanctuary to those bearing the dragon mark. To stand with Earth’s protectors against the Outworld enemies, Cole trains with Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and Kano as they prepare for battle.
After an intense battle, Shang Tsung vows to return with an army for the next fight. As a result, Raiden declares his intention to train new warriors for the next tournament, tasking his current champions with their recruitment. Cole leaves for Los Angeles to find Hollywood martial arts movie star Johnny Cage, setting up the story for the Mortal Kombat sequel.
The Cast Of Mortal Kombat 2021
The film stars Lewis Tan as Cole Young alongside Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Josh Lawson as Kano, Mehcad Brooks as Jackson “Jax” Briggs, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, and Max Huang as Kung Lao. Other popular characters from the Mortal Kombat video game are also featured. This includes Tadanobu Asano as Raiden, Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion, and Joe Taslim as Bi-Han/Sub-Zero.
The cast also showcased the talents of Sisi Stringer as Mileena, Chin Han as Shang Tsung, Matilda Kimber as Emily Young, Laura Brent as Allison Young, Mel Jarnson as Nitara, Nathan Jones as Reiko, and Daniel Nelson as Kabal. Damon Herriman and Angus Sampson lend their voices to Mortal Kombat bad guys Kabal and Goro, respectively.
Response To Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat was a hit with fans, grossing $84.4 million worldwide. Critics had mixed feelings about the film, which currently holds a 54% rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
The site’s general consensus says the film is mainly for fans of the source material, but is flawed. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the movie a B+ average on a scale from A to F.
Why Everyone’s Streaming Mortal Kombat Now
The renewed interest in Mortal Kombat is being fueled by the release of Mortal Kombat II, which arrives in theaters this weekend. Directed once again by Simon McQuoid, the sequel finally centers the franchise around the actual Mortal Kombat tournament while introducing fan favorite Johnny Cage, played by Karl Urban.
The new film expands the roster significantly with the addition of Kitana, Jade, Shao Kahn, and Noob Saibot, while trailers have emphasized larger-scale fights, more recognizable game mythology, and far more elaborate fatalities. Early reactions suggest the sequel leans harder into the over-the-top tone and tournament structure that fans wanted from the 2021 reboot, positioning it as a much bigger, more crowd-pleasing adaptation of the games.
