Mortal Kombat

There are no winners in the latest big-screen version of Mortal Kombat, in which the checkered legacy of video-game adaptations yields another roundhouse kick to the groin.

Devotees of the venerable fighting franchise might get a nostalgic kick from this exercise in style over substance, and they might appreciate a substantial increase in the level of gratuitous gore.

However, this Australian production lacks any meaningful upgrades to the 30-year-old source material while taking itself way too seriously.

The fantasy adventure follows Cole (Lewis Tan), a mixed martial-arts athlete unaware that his heritage links him to a centuries-old feud between rival ninja clans.

A dragon mark on his chest signifies that Cole has been chosen to fulfill a prophecy in which pugilists from Earthrealm rise up to defeat their dominant Overworld adversaries, led by sorcerer Shang Tsung (Chin Han) and masked enforcer Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim).

With the final showdown looming, Cole teams with Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Jax (Mehcad Brooks), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), and others — each possessing special powers — to battle both humans and beasts, motivated by shared honor and vengeance.

Dispensing with any character development pretty quickly, the screenplay is content to rehash narrative tropes and cultural stereotypes. Any moments when the fists aren’t flying — allegiance declarations, training montages, pre-fight posturing, etc. — feel like filler. Even worse for the target demographic, the climactic tournament is treated like an afterthought.

Credit rookie director Simon McQuoid and his collaborators for a dazzling showcase of confrontation choreography, impressive stunt work and swordplay, and seamless visual effects.

Their efforts to amplify the brutality are evident throughout, as the ultraviolent action sequences usually result is blood-red being used as an accent color in the backdrop.

A previous attempt to adapt to cash in with a Mortal Kombat movie franchise in the 1990s was cheesy and cartoonish. The approach here might be different, but its inspiration likewise seems more financial than artistic.

It’s much easier to develop a rooting interest when you’re playing a game instead of watching others compete. So with moviegoers relegated to mere spectators, the stakes are low even when the action — or kombat, in this case — is most intense.

Rated R, 110 minutes.