The video game Mortal Kombat is an obsession and has been for decades, so it only fitting that Hollywood revisit the franchise and bring it to the big screen once again. Back in 1995, the first film version of this property banked $122.2 million in America alone. Over two decades later, Tinsel Town has decided it is time to revisit the world of martial arts soaked in ancient history, legends, and lore.
Now, Mortal Kombat 2021 isn’t for everyone. If you love the video game and the world that it creates, then this is the movie for you. It is not one of those video game movies that speak to all audiences, sadly. Going into the screening, I had no preconceived notions of what to expect. There was hope that it would all add up to a fantasy-driven, action-packed two hours of fun. For the most part, it actually accomplished that.
When it comes to plot and character development, it is bare-bones at best. But then again one doesn’t head into a Mortal Kombat movie expecting to be moved for years to come emotionally and socially. It sets out to do what it was meant to accomplish. Rookie director Simon McQuoid and screenwriters Greg Russo and David Callaham (based on a story by Russo and Oren Uziel) take just enough time to introduce us to the mythology of the entire universe and it’s all about good versus evil and bloodlines with destiny.
It starts in 19th century Asia where the greatest of ninja warriors is killed by Sub Zero (Joe Taslim), along with his family, except for his newborn son. One knows immediately that little baby is going to play an enormous part in this story and revenge will be painted all over it. It’s an often-used trope that gets employed here to drive the narrative and do some world building that all adds up to your traditional group must come together and train to defeat a foe that is leagues more talented and vicious than they are collective.
The backstory of our hero Cole Young (Lewis Tan) is that of a fighter whose best days in the ring are behind him. He has a wife and daughter who he treasures more than life itself. When things start occurring that he cannot explain, it is Cole getting drawn into this world where a “mark” means something. Since birth, Cole has had this dragon branding that he has always dismissed as a birthmark. But when he meets others with the same mark, he realizes there is some destiny at work here and it is impossible to ignore. So, he leaves his family behind and joins with this ragtag group with hopes of stopping the ultimate baddie, Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) who killed his ancestor centuries prior.
It is all steamrolling to a confrontation that is centuries in the making. Too bad it doesn’t quite carry the weight of that descriptor. Tan is perfect for the part. He is handsome, has exquisite martial arts skills, and can act the emotional parts that arise on occasion that add layers to this otherwise potentially pedantic video game adaptation.
You know there will be little fights along the way that miraculously end with one or the other side get away somehow. But there will be a final battle where our hero finds his strength and does his best to deaf the epitome of evil. It’s how we get there that is littered with stumbling blocks that make Mortal Kombat a bit convoluted. Now, for fans of the game, this is manna incarnate. There are characters right from the video game and they are embodied by actors who are more than game to bring something two-dimensional and bring it into a three-dimensional world. Some of the standouts include Josh Lawson as Kano, an egotistical Australian whose marking was gotten by killing someone with the marking. He was not born with it and that may just rear its head at some point knocking our boisterous supporting character a few notches.
There’s one thing that should be addressed. It is gory is all get-ups. It is an R-rated blood-splattering orgy of violence. There are decapitations, arms getting cut off, blood spattering, and all sorts of gory glory that come right out of the video game. In this sense, it has earned its rating and is a fitting movie version of the uber-violent video game it’s based on.
Like most action movies, video game adaptation or otherwise), there is always a final confrontation. It’s all in how it is handled that makes or breaks the movie. With Mortal Kombat it is satisfying, even if the entire journey feels like one that we may have taken before and will likely take again.
Grade: C