When it comes to video game based movies, it's exceptionally rare for Hollywood to churn out ones that can be considered satisfactory to being overall decent. The few exceptions that have emerged are the original 1995 Mortal Kombat, 2006's Silent Hill, 2018's Tomb Raider, Sonic The Hedgehog, and Detective Pikachu. While none of those films were perfect video game movie adaptations by any means, they garnered a warmer than expected response with their ultimate qualities standing out in a genre that's mostly known for poor live-action adaptations of popular based games. With the newest Mortal Kombat reboot, expectations are high for it to deliver a rejuvination for the franchise that's worthy of the legacy of the classic video game series. The last time that audiences saw a Mortal Kombat film back in theaters was 24 years prior with 1997's Mortal Kombat: Annihilation with that films poor reception putting the franchise in development hell for over two decades. Fast-forward to 2021, audiences finally get to witness a new Mortal Kombat film on the big screen that's more violent and bloody in the style of the games than the original films were. Although the newest film serves as being a serious upgrade over those films in regards to its depiction of the games violence and fatalities, its victory is not completely flawless. The newest Mortal Kombat gives the hardcore fans of the game much of what they've been wanting to see on film, but the overall experience is one that's decent but ultimately not a great one. Whereas the 2021 reboot marks itself as being a strong improvement over the original film in certain areas, others has the 1995 movie still standing as being superior when it comes to both the acting and chemistry of the main cast despite it being senseless fun with cheesy dialogue.
Based on the popular 1992 video game, the newest Mortal Kombat reboot centers around MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan) seeking out Earth's greatest champions in an effort to stand against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes tournament involving warriors from both realms in a battle for the universe. The plot for the 2021 reboot stays true to the main storyline of the games, while incorporating many of the familiar iconic characters into the mix. One of the key elements of the Paul Anderson's 1995 original Mortal Kombat film that made it effective in terms of being a faithful adaptation of the games, was the fact that it established a main hero at the center of its story with Robin Shou's Liu Kang. From that films opening sequence until the end credits, audiences found themselves connecting with and rooting for that character because they understood his plight with him wanting to avenge his brothers death at the hands of soul-eating sorcerer Shang Tsung. The opening sequence of the 2021 reboot starts off effectively with getting audiences hooked by showing the wiping out of Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpions family at the hands of Sub-Zero. Whereas that scene proves effective in establishing Sub Zero as being the films prominent villain in addition to making the audience feel sympathy for the formers character, the film takes what's both an unexpected as well as questionable turn in introducing an entirely new character to the Mortal Kombat universe with the introduction of Cole Young and making him the main focus of the story. By making this switch, audiences lose the immediate connection they had for Scorpions character with them being forced to connect with a descendant of his family who comes across as being less interesting of a character. The key difference between the storylines of the 1995 film and the 2021 version is with the character of Liu Kang in the original Mortal Kombat, audiences were invested in his character arc from the start because the film never switched the main leads. The character of Cole Young has an outlining that could've potentially make him into a strong main character, except the script doesn't do a very good job of making his character feel less cliched and generic. Where Mortal Kombat thrives as both a film and story is the combination of all the different variety of characters from the games being brought together on the big screen in a larger-than-life fashion. The film carries a tone to it that feels respectful to the source material, as well as being nostalgic with all the Easter eggs and references to the games being put on the screen. The films fight sequences along with the fatalities shown, cast a significant upgrade over the previous films and will please fans of the games. Although far from being perfect and in some ways losing to its original 1995 predecessor in key aspects of storytelling, the newest Mortal Kombat establishes itself as being a fairly entertaining and serviceable reboot that's appropriately violent as well as nostalgic for those who've played any type of Mortal Kombat video game. Though as a film that fans were forced to wait nearly 25 years to see on the big screen, the newest reboot can't shake off the feeling that its somewhat of a letdown in a sense.
Outside of the films impressive fight sequences and packing of excessive amounts of gore, the cast for Mortal Kombat is appealing and stands as being one of the films greatest strengths. While the acting isn't anything incredible to write home about and is about what one would expect from a film based on a fighting game, the performances for the most part manage to range anywhere from being passable to decent efforts. Out of the films ensemble, the best performances come from Lewis Tan as Cole Young, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Supergirl's Mechad Brooks as Jax, and Josh Lawson in a scene-stealing performance as Kano. Besides the lackluster writing for the character of Young, Lewis Tan makes the most of his part and creates a main character who at the very least is a sympathetic figure in the story despite his presence in the film being a far cry from Robin Shou's as Liu Kang in the original 95 film. Both McNamee and Brooks feel perfectly casted in their roles as Sonya and Special Forces Major Jax with the two working well off each other, along with adding some depth to their characters. Lawson however, dominates every scene with his performance and nearly walks away with the film. His constant moments of sarcasm, wittiness, and pop culture references will leave audiences in stitches. Other effective performances from the supporting cast despite a lack of character depth are Tadanobu Asano as the God Of Thunder Lord Raiden, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Chin Han as villain Shang Tsung, Max Huang as King Lao, and Sisi Stringer in a minimal yet scene-stealing moment as Mileena. Though they play their roles well with what their given, Asano and Lin's performances as Raiden and Kang pale in comparison to the performances delivered by both Christopher Lambert and Robin Shou in the original Mortal Kombat film with their reduction in story arcs being profoundly underwhelming. Some of the more understated performances in the film go to Joe Taslim as Bi-Han/Sub-Zero along with Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion. Though the latter receives a shorter amount of screentime compared to his counterpart, both his performance as well as his character leave a huge impression with audiences with them wondering why he wasn't placed as being the central character of the story. In terms of acting, the overall cast of Mortal Kombat deliver performances that add believability to the story, even if some of the characters feel shorthanded in regards to their development. Audiences do find themselves liking many of the characters in this story and feel the energy and enthusiasm that the cast brings to the film. Despite Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Mechad Brooks, and Josh Lawson appearing to work well together and share some solid chemistry, it doesn't top the amount that the original Mortal Kombat film shared between Robin Shou, Bridgette Wilson, and Linden Ashby shared on screen that made them so engaging to watch as a team. Although not all of the key characters in the film receive their proper amount of development, everyone makes their best attempt to leave an impact on the screen with their roles. As far as the acting in video game movies go, Mortal Kombat isn't perfect but it gets the job done with it ultimately making the film more fun and entertaining to watch.
Directed by Simon McQuoid who picks up the franchise reigns from previous filmmakers Paul W.S Anderson and John R. Leonetti, he gives the film a tone that feels appropriately more violent and gorier than the previous film adaptations of the popular game. With the reboot, McQuoid doesn't shy away from the gratuitous nature of the games and gives audiences want they want in regards to stacking up the fatalities. Whereas the previous two Mortal Kombat films boasted respective PG-13 ratings, the latest effort bears a hard R with extremely gruesome scenes including an intense sequence involving a fight in an abandoned warehouse where a main character experiences their arms being frozen and ultimately ripped off. While such a moment would be a shockingly brutal one for regular audiences, fans of the video game would understand the context of showing such a gruesome moment and appreciate the filmmakers boldness in showing it. The films fight scenes are well-shot and choreographed with stunning cinematography that also captures bloody moments such as the audience witnessing characters heads splattering after an intense hand to hand combat sequence, along with a woman being shown to be cut in half by a saw with both blood and matter being shown. The sequences in which people become encased in ice by Sub-Zero are stunning to watch, and ranks as being among the films strongest moments visually. On a visual front, McQuoid doesn't disappoint and brings his A game in presenting the games mystical universe on the big screen with him showing human fighters and magical beings fighting against each other using both weapons and special powers with the other person being defeated in the most gruesome ways. The editing gives the film a rapid pace that keeps the story moving at a brisk pace, which never let's up until the very end. The film wastes no time in both introducing as well as establishing key characters, though the film begins to feel rushed near the films third act with its climactic battle feeling underwhelming in comparison to the originals end battle between Liu Kang and Shang Tsung. Another area of the film that ultimately lets down is the films soundtrack by George S. Clinton which despite being serviceable, fails to pack both the high energy and powerful punch that the original Mortal Kombat soundtrack delivered with its unforgettable 90's theme. In terms of the films overall look, McQuoid gives the film the right atmosphere with the audience feeling as if they're being transported to Out world. Whereas Paul W.S Anderson had restraint in showcasing the gory details of the tournament due to the originals restrictive PG-13 rating, McQuoid does the opposite and goes all in with presenting a vision of the world of Mortal Kombat that's more true to the version that fans knew from playing the video games. On a visual front, the film delivers with both the costume and set designs being noteworthy additions to the film. When it comes to the films physical appearance and graphic imagery, Simon McQuoid proves to be a filmmaker who effectively rises to the occasion with him giving the story the appropriate attention to detail that the material requires. However, when it comes to juggling the numerous amount of characters in the story, along with properly spacing out and staging the fights, Paul W.S Anderson proves to be more skillful with his old school version of Mortal Kombat.
Despite the films minor faults regarding its technical elements, the movies greatest flaws like within its scriptwriting. The screenplay by Greg Russo and Dave Callaham from a story written by Oren Uziel and Russo, often feels as if it has much going on in terms of wanting to establish numerous character arcs that its running time often denies it the opportunity to do such. Part of this issue can be attributed to the fact that the filmmakers chose to create an entirely new character who never appeared in the games to be the main focus of the story with the invention of Cole Young. The writing team behind the new Mortal Kombat go to extreme lengths to make this character the face of the new franchise with fans questioning the need for his character when there's so many other great characters already established in the games, that they can make into the main hero/heroine. The character of Cole Young is given a strong backstory to make his character appealing to fans, as well as being worthy of the Mortal Kombat mythology with him being revealed to be not just an orphan but a descendant of Scorpion. Though one can see the reasoning behind the creation of Young's character given that his character fits a more modern setting compared to the former, his character can't help shake the fact that he feels forced with both cliched and tired character tropes such as his character being a once great MMA fighter who fell off, but conveniently gets his skills back and becomes a strong warrior in Mortal Kombat. Such a subplot has been done to death in the past, that it doesn't work very well in making Young appear to be a strong character. Not to mention that his presence takes away from other side characters that would've been a more fitting choice for the main lead such as an an expanded role for Scorpions character, Sonya or Jax taking the lead together or even utilizing Liu Kang again as the films central character. The presence of the latter in the newest reboot feels underwhelming in comparison to the strong dominance that Liu Kang's character had on the plot for both previous Mortal Kombat movies. The newest Liu Kang is reduced to a side character role with the outline of his character being likable, but him lacking the depth and character elaboration that Robin Shou's character had in the 90's films. The same criticism can be directed towards that of Shang Tsung with both the actors performance and character lacking the charisma, the manipulative side, the cunningness, and the presence of Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa's Tsung. The dialogue also appears to be both a hit-and-miss effort with much of the films best moments of dialogue coming from the character of Kano, who arguably serves as being the films comedic relief despite his character being twisted in nature. When the script introduces characters and attempts to explore the origins behind some of the fan favorites, the film works at its strongest. The scripts biggest problem is its struggle in developing all of the central characters introduced with the end result proving to be a mixed bag. The story also doesn't quite feel as straight-forward nor as focused as Paul W.S Anderson's film. The screenplay introduces interesting concepts such as key characters not having their special abilities at first with them receiving their powers later on in the story or non chosen fighters who don't bare the dragon symbol becoming apart of the tournament after proving themselves to be victorious in battle. Those subplots such as the one involving Sonya Blade are interesting, but feel underdeveloped in addition to being problematic in a sense that the one central character who isn't allowed to participate in the tournament being a female. The newest Mortal Kombat works in reestablishing the universe along with reintroducing all of the series key players in addition to newer faces that hadn't been introduced in prior films, but not everyone gets the proper screentime and development that are required in making the audience connect with them. Hopefully the sequel manages to rectify these issues while continuing to build upon the fairly solid foundation already established here.
For every mistake or detail of the game that the 1995 Mortal Kombat film either makes or gets wrong, the 2021 reboot notably corrects. Though by doing so, it leaves several glaring issues involving both plot and character development that were ultimately handled better in the original movie. Although Paul W.S Anderson's film wasn't a groundbreaking work of art by any stretch of imagination and contained faults of its own, the one thing that can't be denied about it is how it gets those who watch it invested in both its story and characters. Audiences found themselves hooked from the start and were siding with Liu Kang from the beginning cause of the visual being shown of his brother being murdered at the hands of Shang Tsung. That opening sequence properly establishes its main character from the start and never attempts to trade him with anyone else for the lead, while introducing the other side characters. The newest Mortal Kombat misses a sizable opportunity to build upon the character arc of Scorpion with the films brilliant opening establishing his character arc, and instead trades his lead for the development of Cole Young's character. Fans of the game can only imagine what the storyline would've looked like had the films plot been a Scorpion vs. Sub-Zero story with both being equal in terms of being the pictures hero and villain. Mortal Kombat 2021 isn't a terrible film by any means nor a failure as it works as being a fairly decent reimagining of the video game movie franchise, it's just not as good as it could've been especially considering that fans had to wait nearly 25 years to see this universe again on the big screen. There's enough of the games brutality and nostalgia to entertain as well as please fans for the time being, but one sincerely hopes that the sequels continue to branch out and explore these characters more in depth. Love or hate the original 1995 Mortal Kombat, that film despite all its cheesiness and imperfections, possessed heart at the core of it. Audiences cared about Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, and Raiden while despising Shang Tsung as a villain and fearing Goro with the latters role being reduced to a minimal cameo in the reboot with him being easier to defeat. Even though the original film might not have carried the gory aspects of the game, it still managed to be a faithful adaptation of it and ultimately worked. Mortal Kombat 2021 carries the look and feel of the game, but the overall experience despite being entertaining overall, still feels as if its trying to locate its soul. It isn't a perfect Mortal Kombat film nor does it exceed the first on screen attempt, but as a new attempt at bringing the video game to the big screen in a form that's more faithful to the games as well as a better representation of the main characters in regards to their ethnic background, it serves as being an honorable effort.
Final Verdict: Fans of the Mortal Kombat game will find things to appreciate and love about the newest reboot, while also directing criticism to certain aspects of its execution.
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