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Mortal Kombat (2021)
(Warner Bros. Pictures/New Line Cinema)
By Lucas Allen
If you’ve been ever into fighting games, “Mortal Kombat” was your bread and butter, combining combo moves with bloody finishing moves known as fatalities that became the norm since the game’s popularity in the early 90s. Not only has the arcade game spawned sequels and spin-offs, but also made it to the big screen twice with 1995’s bloodless PG-13-rated film and its 1997 ill-fated sequel, “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.”
At the turn of the 2020s, we finally have a new “Mortal Kombat,” pushing the R-rating this time to higher levels that fans will no doubt enjoy. And as far as video game movies are concerned, this one at least pays more respect to the game’s legacy than what came before.
Born with a special dragon birthmark, MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan) is recruited by Special Forces led by Sgt. Jax (Mehcad Brooks) and Lt. Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) to help him find the source of the symbol. They learn that for centuries, fighters from both Earthrealm and Outworld take part in an annual tournament called Mortal Kombat that decides the fate of the universe. However, they’re soon attacked by the malevolent Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim) sent by Outworld’s emperor Shang Tsung (Chin Han) to locate and destroy Earthrealm’s champions.
Soon enough, our heroes, along with criminal Kano (Josh Lawson) find themselves in an ancient temple belonging to Elder God Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano). Together with masters Liu Kang (Ludi Lin) and Kung Lao (Max Huang), Raiden will train the new combatants to find their inner power that gives them the strength especially Cole whose family lineage goes back to the all-powerful ancient warrior named Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada). But they must work fast because the evil Shang Tsung and his mighty warriors Sub-Zero, Mileena (Sisi Stringer), Kabal (Daniel Nelson), Reiko (Nathan Jones), and Nitara (Mel Jarnson) will do anything to win and take over Earthrealm.
Like any of the games, the movie has two things going for it, violent fights and exposition dumping. With the latter, the script does a lot of world building to get the audiences interested in this universe. After a while, you’ll gain a good understanding of these characters and certain plot details, but you just want to see these people fight and not expository a lot about technique. At a quick pace of under two hours, the movie could’ve used less dialogue and more high-flying kicks and punches.
Fortunately, the fight scenes is what makes the movie come alive. There’s some great choreography on display that are reminiscent of the classic Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan films of the 70s and 80s that the games were originally inspired from. For the fans, they won’t be disappointed by the signature gory finishes with limbs split apart and pools of blood spraying everywhere. But sometimes, the editing gets weird when it cuts away from the most graphic moment of any fight as if the filmmakers couldn’t decide if they’re going for an R or PG-13. This kind of small error needs to be rectified in a later patch, meaning Blu-Ray.
All the actors do their job enough to service the script, but there are some standouts. Taslim nails the dark nature of Sub-Zero, while also he makes swifter moves that are as impressive as this film’s special effects. In his limited scenes, Sanada brings to one of the game’s most memorable characters with emotion and raw fierceness. But it’s Lawson who steals the whole film with his sardonic humor plus his Australian swagger.
The new “Mortal Kombat” can be seen as a fine start to what seems to be a five movie saga at least according to recent news. Though it suffers the hurdles of a world-building story, the characters and the fight scenes save it from being average and mediocre. It’s not bad in any way, so bring the quarters and enter the world of “Mortal Kombat.”
THE MOVIE’S RATING: R (for strong bloody violence and language throughout, and some crude references)
THE CRITIC’S RATING:3 Stars (Out of Four)
