I don’t know about everyone else, but I must admit that I was incredibly wary of a movie based on, of all things, a video game. Like, I can’t even imagine Donkey Kong: The Movie. (Actually, that would scare me.)

But thankfully, arcade entertainment has come a long way, and Mortal Kombat is a fabulous example of technology in action. And it doesn’t disappoint (not that audiences could possibly have high expectations in the first place); in fact, I now have more faith in the upcoming Street Fighter, though I probably shouldn’t.

MK is heavily based on the game, with some interesting plot twists and explanations for certain parts of the video excursion. It centers on a sort of Bloodsport-esque premise: an annual tournament of the best warriors, both human and immortal, battling it out for possession of Earth. It’s down to the wire because mortals have lost nine matches in a row.

All of the characters from both MK and MK2 (the games) make appearances, but the main ones are Shang Tsung, the evil immortal who takes possession of defeated warriors’ souls (that explains why, in the game, his character can switch from one fighter to the next), Raiden, another immortal, but a good one, played expertly by Christopher Lambert, sportin’ some fab long gray hair and a crack-up sense of humor, and three human fighters who must overcome their own fears to save the planet from certain destruction.

Liu Kang must get over the guilt from his brother’s death; pretty boy Johnny Cage, a movie star who is considered a fake martial arts expert, must get past what the media says about him, and Sonja has to get off of this ruthless revenge kick.

Despite the gothic, dark sets and amazing scenery, the directors manage to squeeze in a few wisecracks, mostly from Cage. Sonja seems just a little too token, and she’s not nearly as bad-ass as the men, but at least we women have a representative, no? And Kang! Woo hoo! About time an Asian-American gets the lead role and the white guy comes second.

Watch for amazing costumes (you’ll swear Reptile, Sub-Zero and Scorpion are alive and jump-kickin’), fight scenes that take more choreography than the Lee Harvey Oswald prison transfer (not my idea) and breathtaking special effects.

Some of the creatures, like Goro, a four-armed giant; a screeching beak-on-a-cable that came out of Scorpion’s hand; and a dragon that bears a striking resemblance to a velociraptor, will make you wonder how they heck the makers of the movie brought them to life. Ahh, the wonders of computers.

Century III Theatres 7:10 & 9:10