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In 1992, the first Mortal Kombat video game burst into existence blowing the heads out of everyone with its notorious graphic violence; hearts were ripped from chests, spines were pulled from necks, and losers were burned to ashes. You had to have a certain skill to remember and perform these "fatalities", but since I didn't have *it*, I was satisfied with just standing aside and watch others do the brutal deeds.
This penchant for violence and how a lot of people were happy enough with just watching it would make anybody think that the franchise was tailor-made for a film adaptation, which undoubtedly came in 1995. Despite mixed reviews, the film was a box office hit at the moment spawning a sequel that most critics hold as one of the worst films ever made. Some animated efforts aside, the franchise had remained untouched film-wise... until 2021!
Like the game, Mortal Kombat follows a group of characters that find themselves somehow in the midst of a battle between multiple otherwordly realms, all striving for control of each other through the titular tournament ("the word 'combat' isn't even spelled right.") In the middle of it all is Cole Young (Lewis Tan), a washed up MMA fighter and non-game character that has just realized he is the descendant of a legendary fighter and the subject of a prophecy.
But as is usual with these adaptations, it is all just an excuse to introduce the ensemble of characters that will beat the s-hit out of each other. Aside from Cole, we have Sonya and Jax (Jessica McNamee and Mehcad Brooks), two Special Forces agents investigating the existence of the tournament, and Kano (Josh Lawson), an Australian mercenary they've been interrogating about it and who carries a dragon mark in his body that apparently identifies the tournament fighters.
The truth is that I'm struggling to write these brief synopsis to make it sound coherent, because the film is just shock-full of clumsy character introductions, a weak script, and some mediocre performances. There also seems to be a divide between the two main subplots: that of Cole stumbling upon the Mortal Kombat tournament, and the story of his lineage which introduces to us the popular characters of Scorpion and Sub-Zero (Hiroyuki Sanada and Joe Taslim) while bookending the film.
I found most of the moments between these two characters to be effective and well executed. But once the film has to shift to having characters clumsily utter popular "video game lines" like "FATALITY!" all while they try to find some "hidden power" within them, it just feels awkward and forced. Lawson as Kano was a breath of fresh air among the main performances. His scenery-chewing and fun banter gave his moments on screen a jolt of life.
But the truth is that, much like I just stood aside at the arcade to watch these characters beat the s-hit out of each other, most people that tune into this will be looking for the violence and in that aspect, the film delivers. Much like the video game, hearts are ripped from chests, heads are smashed, characters are cut in half, and losers are burned to ashes. So if that's what you're looking for, maybe this is for you.
Grade:
MORTAL KOMBAT
(2021, McQuoid)
A film with a title that starts with the letters M or N • A film based on a video game
(2021, McQuoid)
A film with a title that starts with the letters M or N • A film based on a video game
"There are not many of us with the marking left, so you must train harder and fast. Because if you fail to discover your inner power, you will never defeat your opponent. They will ravage everything you hold dear. There will be no mercy. You must fight without question."
In 1992, the first Mortal Kombat video game burst into existence blowing the heads out of everyone with its notorious graphic violence; hearts were ripped from chests, spines were pulled from necks, and losers were burned to ashes. You had to have a certain skill to remember and perform these "fatalities", but since I didn't have *it*, I was satisfied with just standing aside and watch others do the brutal deeds.
This penchant for violence and how a lot of people were happy enough with just watching it would make anybody think that the franchise was tailor-made for a film adaptation, which undoubtedly came in 1995. Despite mixed reviews, the film was a box office hit at the moment spawning a sequel that most critics hold as one of the worst films ever made. Some animated efforts aside, the franchise had remained untouched film-wise... until 2021!
Like the game, Mortal Kombat follows a group of characters that find themselves somehow in the midst of a battle between multiple otherwordly realms, all striving for control of each other through the titular tournament ("the word 'combat' isn't even spelled right.") In the middle of it all is Cole Young (Lewis Tan), a washed up MMA fighter and non-game character that has just realized he is the descendant of a legendary fighter and the subject of a prophecy.
But as is usual with these adaptations, it is all just an excuse to introduce the ensemble of characters that will beat the s-hit out of each other. Aside from Cole, we have Sonya and Jax (Jessica McNamee and Mehcad Brooks), two Special Forces agents investigating the existence of the tournament, and Kano (Josh Lawson), an Australian mercenary they've been interrogating about it and who carries a dragon mark in his body that apparently identifies the tournament fighters.
The truth is that I'm struggling to write these brief synopsis to make it sound coherent, because the film is just shock-full of clumsy character introductions, a weak script, and some mediocre performances. There also seems to be a divide between the two main subplots: that of Cole stumbling upon the Mortal Kombat tournament, and the story of his lineage which introduces to us the popular characters of Scorpion and Sub-Zero (Hiroyuki Sanada and Joe Taslim) while bookending the film.
I found most of the moments between these two characters to be effective and well executed. But once the film has to shift to having characters clumsily utter popular "video game lines" like "FATALITY!" all while they try to find some "hidden power" within them, it just feels awkward and forced. Lawson as Kano was a breath of fresh air among the main performances. His scenery-chewing and fun banter gave his moments on screen a jolt of life.
But the truth is that, much like I just stood aside at the arcade to watch these characters beat the s-hit out of each other, most people that tune into this will be looking for the violence and in that aspect, the film delivers. Much like the video game, hearts are ripped from chests, heads are smashed, characters are cut in half, and losers are burned to ashes. So if that's what you're looking for, maybe this is for you.
Grade: