Apr 25, 20214 min read

Mortal Kombat(2021): Better than its Predecessors but Less Fun

Updated: Jan 29, 2023

Reviews by:

@the_owlseyes
@augustkellerwrites

RATE THIS MOVIE

When it was said that a new Mortal Kombat movie was being developed by WarnerBros. the world awaked. After Mortal Kombat: Annhilation the videogame's saga seemed doomed to oblivion. None wanted to risk for an IP which was considered hard to adapt. Twenthyfour year has passed since then and now we got the long desired final, decent form of the brawlers game. Some big name has been attached to it, to elevate the quality of the movie, and a few rising stars of eastern origin gathered together to work on it. Did it work or this is just another underwhelming movie of the series?

PLOT

"MMA fighter Cole Young seeks out Earth's greatest champions in order to stand against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe" or "The same story as '95 spiced with more fantastic things of the Mortal Kombat's lore".

SCRIPT

If are a fan fo the game you'll love it but, if you're watching it as a movie which has to be approached seriously it'll disappoint you. Here has been used the same plot as Mortal Kombat(1995) and it's kinda boring to see it again and again. They tried to flesh out every character but after the movie you'll remember only Scorpio and, maybe, the protagonist. Scorpio is the only one character which has an autoconclusive arch even though it's there for a short time. I think that the rooster should have been streamlined to five or six character, because there're too many heroes and villains. I didn't like the "Chosen One" and "Prophecy" tropes because are overused and deprive the characters of agency and the protagonist doesn't earn the audience respect because he's already in possess of the powers necessary to prevail. The dialogues are enriched by cliches and textbook aforism. The movie's logic implies that if you kill someone with a mark, another boring tropes, you'll get superpowers but it's not clear why and since when this rule has existed. Some events and characters turns are easily predictable to the point of boredom. And its full of exposition.

I give it credit for being a faithful adaptation of the videogame, its characters and trademarks but I can't overlook the fact that he doesn't approach new ideas and storylines, something that is different from the same usual tournament of champions. I think that the Mortal Kombat Universe could work better if it would receive the Marvel treatment, like it's being done with the Monster Universe and Star Wars.

Script: 6/10

ACTING

Sometimes it's acceptable, sometimes is good and sometimes is cringy. Some actors seems to enjoying themselves like Kano's Josh Lawson. Others seems like they're not able to maintain a straight face cause of a cheesy script. Ludi Lin' Lyu Kang is the worst. It's supposed to be the serious one but it came out as a joke due to a weird line delivery. Fortunately a bunch of A-listers, like Tadanobu Asano and Hiroyuki Sanada, lift the quality a bit. I think that's due to a poor direction. In fact the director has only one other movie credited on IMdB and its still in production, which means that this is the first movie in his career, which seems a huge gamble.

Acting: 5/10

PHOTOGRAPHY

The movie is poorly illuminated in some scenes to cover the imperfect cgi. There're a few shots which are good, like the ones in the prologue. The best frames are the one without cgi. Nothing exceptional in the use of colors, only Scorpio and Sub-Zero colors are used for a reason which exceed the visual effects.

Photography: 5/10

EDITING

Slow Motion is used during fight scenes but it would've worked without it. I consider it out of place sometimes. Fight scenes has a few cuts but they're ok, even though some of them are poorly edited. There're no sudden cuts or strange transictions and the movie is smooth and almost fluid.

Editing: 6/10

SPECIAL EFFECTS

The cgi is overused and sometimes it isn't believable. They tried to conceal it through poorly ligthed shots. It's hard to avoid using the VFX in a movie like that but it could've better to start the first movie of the saga with something more grounded. It's sufficient but it's not exceptional.

Special Effects: 6/10

SOUNDTRACK

It isn't original but its a tribute to the game and the '95 movie. Like most movies is more background noise than an actual symphony.

Soundtrack: 5/10

COSTUMES

This is where the movie shines. Every costume is accurate and well crafted. I liked Scorpio and Kabal's one. This is were the producers infused their passion for the game.

Costumes: 8/10

CONCLUSION

Script: 6/10

Acting:5 /10

Photography: 5/10

Editing: 6/10

Special Effects: 6/10

Soundtrack: 5/10

Costumes: 8/10

AVERAGE: 5,85

It's a faithful adaption with a lot of flaws. It could've been better if the story focused on less characters and the story has been more grounded. If you're a game's fan you'll like it a lot, if you're not I advise to skip to avoid almost two hours of shallowness and boredom. I hope that they are going to make a better sequel because I consider it a bit of a let down.

By @the_owlseyes

RATE THIS REVIEW

Mortal Kombat is messy. It aims to be mediocre entertainment but mostly misfires. On the positive, Mortal Kombat has fine action. Battles are choreographed, paced, and shot well enough. Next, the cinematography is sporadically interesting. Much of the movie is ugly but occasional images counterbalance that. Then there is the sound design, which is the best part of Mortal Kombat. The sound heightens magical elements, intense fights, and dramatic moments with realistic and abstract designs. Lastly, the special effects are significant. Some effects are terrible, but the abundance of visual enhancements spices up an otherwise forgettable experience.

On the flipside, the most glaring flaw of Mortal Kombat is its writing. The plot is clunky, the dialogue is cringey, and the characters are generic. Next, the acting is bad. Believable emotions and natural charisma are rare sights here. Lastly, the direction fails to produce a cohesive style or tone. Mortal Kombat clashes with itself, attempting to marry unrealistic visuals with gritty fights and cartoonish production designs with melodramatic beats. In the end, Mortal Kombat is a jumbled patchwork of dull ingredients that don't synergize. It might entertain some viewers, but most will find the production lacking.

Writing: 2/10

Direction: 3/10

Cinematography: 6/10

Acting: 3/10

Editing: 6/10

Sound: 7/10

Score/Soundtrack: 5/10

Production Design: 5/10

Casting: 3/10

Effects: 6/10

Overall Score: 4.6/10

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