Immortal Combat (2026) Review: Mockbuster Brawl With History's Toughest Names

This Immortal Combat review starts with a simple question: can a famous-names-in-a-cage idea carry a low-budget action movie? The Asylum's 2026 release, directed by Monroe Robertson, bets that it can. The results are rough, and critics have not been kind.

Immortal Combat Review: The Story So Far (No Spoilers)

The Immortal Combat plot is easy to explain. A secretive organization pulls legendary fighters out of history and forces them to battle to the death. Among the captives are Joan of Arc, Cleopatra, Genghis Khan, Shaka Zulu and Oda Nobunaga.

The fighters do not simply accept their fate. Listings describe them as quietly plotting against the operation behind their captors' backs. That is as far as I will go, because the film's few surprises are best left alone.

The script comes from Ryan Ebert and Jacob David Smith. One review notes that the film plays as a riff on Mortal Kombat II, with a story that shares little with the game beyond its title.

What Works in Immortal Combat

The hook is the film's best asset. Seeing a French saint, an Egyptian queen and a Mongol conqueror in the same ring is a silly, memorable pitch. For fans of this kind of action movie, that gleeful absurdity is the whole appeal.

The film also keeps a short running time. Sources disagree on the exact figure, but most put it around 88 minutes. A tournament story like this does not need more.

One reviewer called it cheesy action, which is a fair description and not necessarily a complaint if you enjoy B-movies. If you like action movie reviews that lean into the ridiculous, there is some fun to be found in the concept.

Immortal Combat Cast and Performances

The Immortal Combat cast is led by Dominique Swain as Aria. She anchors the story as the human thread among the historical figures.

• Eve Fournier plays Joan of Arc.

• Roxanne G.C. Brooks plays Cleopatra.

• Charlit Dae plays Genghis Khan.

• Samuel Selman plays Shaka Zulu.

• Josiah D. Lee plays Oda Nobunaga.

Sources also list Sasha Di Capri as Attila the Hun, Mila Orion as Boudica and Peter Laboy as Gordon. I found no detailed critical notes on individual performances, so judge the ensemble for yourself. With a cast this large, each fighter likely gets only limited screen time.

Where Immortal Combat Stumbles

The reception is harsh. IMDb shows a score of around 2.2 out of 10 in one listing, and Filmaffinity shows 2.0. A Rotten Tomatoes critic gave it 0.5 out of 5 and called the premise dumb.

A Borrowed Idea

The film's debt to Mortal Kombat is hard to miss, and it does not seem to add much of its own. A tournament of famous fighters is a strong setup, but reviewers suggest the execution does not match the promise.

Thin Reviews, Thin Evidence

Critical coverage is still sparse, with very few published reviews. That means the verdict may shift as more critics weigh in. For now, the early signals are poor.

Is Immortal Combat Worth Watching?

Only if you are a committed fan of cheap, knowingly silly action. For most viewers, Immortal Combat is not worth watching, given the very low audience and critic scores. The premise is fun on paper, but the film appears to waste it.

If you want a stronger game adaptation, try our Street Fighter review for a louder, more polished take on a fighting-game story. If you like your action with a heist twist, A Better Jianghu is a better bet.

You can check the latest scores and cast details on IMDb before you decide.

Who Will Enjoy Immortal Combat

• Fans of The Asylum's mockbuster style who enjoy bad-movie nights.

• Viewers who love the idea of historical figures in a fight tournament and can forgive low production values.

• Friends looking for a laugh-along watch with low expectations.