Tldr: It’s the tournament format and personal rivalries.
At its core, before throne grabs or inventive fatalities, Mortal Kombat has always been about engaging in personal rivalries, and tournaments are fantastic ways to frame them.
1995’s Mortal Kombat understood this, and that’s what makes it a great movie, even 30 years later.
Tldr: It’s the tournament format and personal rivalries.