MORTAL KOMBAAAAAT!

Mortal Kombat had always been an insane fever dream of arterial spray and cheesy Kung Fu flick cliches, but the transition to 3D and the deaththrows of publisher Midway really did not agree with the series. Instead of just doing a reboot and wiping the slate clean, Netherrealm Studios instead decided to use the mangled viscera of the old continuity to create a time travel plot meant to fix past wrongs.

And you wanna know the really crazy part? It actually works. This ninth installment of the series not only reboots away all the too-dumb-to-be-fun stuff, but also manages to turn old school fan service into an entirely new workable story. It’s not high art, but it’s exactly as silly and cheesy and violent and fun as it tries to be. Plus, it features character of the year every year Johnny Cage.