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RATE THIS MOVIE
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The 90's were a weird period. It seems that, after the Berlin Wall's Fall, the society get into a time of high uncertainty, which is not over, that affected culture and people. A lot of bad music, movies and series were developed and today, by looking at them, we laugh to tears. Mortal Kombat is one of them. I don't know how they accomplished the task to make it so bad. Maybe the director Paul W. Anderson, not to be confused with the more talented Wes Anderson, wasn't fit for feat, like most of his works, or it was just about the script. This what I'm going to do today. I'll try to understand how someone could fail so badly at adapting a videogame praised by everyone.
PLOT
"Three unknowing martial artists are summoned to a mysterious island to compete in a tournament whose outcome will decide the fate of the world" or "Some weirdos kick each other in the ass".
SCRIPT
It doesn't make sense. First, the characters stink and are there just to remind who's watching that they're in the game. Their introduction is so clunky and unfinished that I don't remember much of them. Just some cheesy lines. The battles are similar to the game but they don't work here. Sometimes it seems like a bucket list: every change of background means that someone will brawl. The villain plan is weak and convoluted to the point that he seems lost in his own narrative. The protagonist has just one poorly executed motivation: avenging his brother. The protagonist doesn't talk about it to his supposed allies, because of plot. None of the other characters has a real motivation to be at the tournament, maybe they thought that it was a resort to relax, I don't know. There's also a dead character who comes back after being killed, without any reasonanble reason. If you want to enjoy you have to take your brain and toss it in a bin. After that you'll be able to be charmed by this trashcan.
Script: 2/10
ACTING
Everyone seems to know exactly the kind of movie they're in, especially Christopher Lambert, the one who plays Raiden. It's an over the top acting which falls in the realm of cheesyness. This is what makes this movie so good it's bad.
Acting: 4/10
PHOTOGRAPHY
A colourful movie which is faithful to the game's feels. Some shoots are legit but overall it's nothing incredible. Nonetheless you are able to understand that's a 1990's movie, because all the mediocre movies of the period were shot this way.
Photography: 5/10
EDITING
This is off the chart. Sudden cuts which bring you from a place to another with no explanation. Slow Motion is meager, fortunately. Usually this movies pander the slow motioner's desire to the limit of comedy. The cuts are made with a dynamic turn, the kind of thing you could find in a 90's series like Malcolm in the Middle. Here is tedious. I want to give zero but there's nothing belowe one here. Sub zero is impossible.
Editing: 1/10
SPECIAL EFFECTS
The cgi is crappy and it didn't hold up. But I've seen worst. The animatronic character of Goro is a diamond in the rough. Considering the budget, it's a mixed production. I hoped that they would spend more in practical effects rather than vfx. I've seen worse, anyway, and I think that it should be appreciated for it's merits.
Special Effects: 4/10
SOUNDTRACK
Perfect for the movie, so nostalgic. The kind of soundtrack you can expect from a movie about a street brawl's videogame. The game used to have the same tune, which makes it special. A bit obnoxious and out of context sometimes but it's good. The point is that is there're only a few tracks in the soundtrack, due to a low budget. I say that because, except the main theme, the other tracks are just specks, irrilevant.
Soundtrack: 5/10
COSTUMES
AMost of them are faitful to the game but some doesn't compare. I liked Scorpio, Sub-Zero and Goro's costumes, they're good looking in their simpleness. It's weird, I'm praising it more than I thought I would've done.
Costumes: 6/10
CONCLUSION
Script: 2/10
Acting: 4/10
Photography: 5/10
Editing: 1/10
Special Effects: 4/10
Soundtrack: 5/10
Costumes: 6/10
AVERAGE: 3,85
It's an entertaining movie to turn off the brain, but it's not perfect. It has some memorable scene and a memorable theme. Just get in it knowning the dynamics of the game and you'll appreciate it. Videogame's movies are resurging recently and this flick is the reason why we have them, because it paved the way for movies like Resident Evil, Doom, Detective Pikachù and Street Fighter.
RATE THIS REVIEW
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Director: Paul Anderson
Screenplay: Kevin Droney
Cast: Linden Ashby, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Robin Shou, Bridgette Wilson, Talisa Soto, Christopher Lambert
Soundtrack: George S. Clinton
Cinematography: John R. Leonetti
Running Time: 101 minutes
Budget: $18 million
