Mortal Kombat (2021) Spoiler-Filled Review/Rant: Fatality...

 

I've been trying to avoid watching or talking about this movie for so long ever since it came out earlier this year. While I'm not one that grew up on "Mortal Kombat," I'm a big enough fan to know that the blood and gore is just one of the many great things the games offered. Even thought the original film back in 1995 didn't have the blood, it did excel on the game's world-building, characters, and style, proving to be a pretty entertaining and well-handled adaptation. So, when a reboot got finally green-lighted during the resurgence of the games, it seems like we were about to get a fantastic film on its own right. But as more and more information about the people behind and on screen are revealed, the more I got hesitant to watch it. While it was a flop at the box office, it did great on streaming to potentially continue the franchise. This is disappointing as I can't imagine how anyone would be looking forward to a follow-up based on how shitty this movie gets.

Positives: 

• Some of the side characters in the film. Kano, Jax, Kabal, Sub-Zero, and Scorpion are probably the best characters in regards to their personality and acting. Their character development is hindered by the screenplay, but the actors do their best in wanting you to have more screen-time with them.
• The cinematography by Germain McMicking. We will talk about the direction later, but McMicking does try to inject a sense of style and scale in the film when it acts like a "Mortal Kombat" movie. The dialogue scenes and staging feels very amateur and basic, but I chalk that more up to the director than the camera operator.
• The make-up and special effects. This is perhaps the only thing the film truly excels in. The blood and gore is well done and graphic thanks to the use of practical props and make-up. The CGI is also pretty solid and rendered given the film's low budget. There is some bad green-screen used throughout the film, but considering how restricted said budget was, it's impressive that the CGI looks as good as it is.
• Some of the action. Much like "Shang-Chi", the film overdelivers in the first act as the fights between Bi-Han and Hanzo, the mini encounter between Jax and Sub-Zero, and the fight with Reptile are solid sequences that isn't as hampered by the editing and choreography compared to the other fights we do get.

Negatives:

• The story. There's so much that's wrong with the story that it's hard on where to start. There's so many problems I have to break them down in their own paragraphs. For one, the plot is all about the villains trying to kill the heroes before the tournament could begin. This is a "Mortal Kombat" movie where Mortal Kombat doesn't even occur whatsoever. So, that's pretty dumb on its own regard. But the film forces the idea that if you want to see the tournament and more recognizable characters from the games, you should support the movie with its sequel-bait ending. That's even more scummy than the "Sonic" movie, because at least they finished their own adventure they set-up to begin with!
• The world-building and lore. If you were expecting world-building on the level of "Lord of the Rings," this isn't it. The opening sequence doesn't explain the conflict between the Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu at all, leaving only die-hard fans to know the context. After the title appears, the film offers the most sorry, piss-poor attempt at a paragraph to set up the universe the film takes place in. There's no narration or flashbacks explaining Outworld and Earthrealm and elements such as the Elder Gods are barely mentioned. Again, the writing expects that the film is only for fans and that they can fill in the dots themselves, but that's not how you write a movie that introduces casual moviegoers to your franchise. The script reeks of "show, don't tell" exposition that explains everyone's backstory and it feels so cheap. I understand that the budget of the film isn't particularly high, but maybe some animatics or just putting effort is enough?
• The numerous plot-holes surrounding the narrative and characters. This is too big of an issue that I won't bother go into depth with, but all I will say is that nearly any aspect of the film whether it's a specific story moment, character, or fight scene has some leaps of logic or reasoning for the sake of writing.
• The dragon tattoos and arcana. Apparently, this movie for the fans needs a logical explanation for why their favourite characters can do their special moves. The arcana is a bullshit attempt at making everyone unique and special because they have a special tattoo that makes them destined to fight in the tournament and achieve a special power. There's a lot wrong with arcana, but I will only go over two aspects of it. For one, it makes the characters who don't utilize on special abilities in the games feel less special. Instead of Sonya or Kano using technology to shoot lasers, now it's just their power to shoot it out. The second thing is that the powers are just so inconsistent. Some characters don't appear to have arcana at all such as Reiko and Natara, while the powers that others do get are so oddly specific that it's just bad writing. Why is Kano's power to shoot a laser from one eye? In the games, it's because of the cyborg eye, but here it doesn't make sense. Why is Jax's power to get bigger metal arms? That's pretty petty and dehumanizing for Jax that his power is just enhancing his arms? What if Jax never lost his arms in the first place? Why is Cole's power to have literal plot armour and tonfas? Why is it not one of the other?
• The tone. The issue isn't that the tone is bad on paper. After all, it is good to have a balance of seriousness and light-hearted fun by poking fun at the source material. However, it doesn't work when only one or two of your side characters is able to address the absurdity. If the main lead was someone with personality like Johnny Cage or something, it would be the perfect way to have this tonal balance, much like in the original film. But because we are stuck with Cole as the no-nonsense protagonist, the tone just feels mishandled and it probably should have stuck being more like the games, which take themselves more seriously given the stakes.
• Cole Young. This guy is alone to derail the movie on his own just by existing. For one, Lewis Tan can't act for his own good as a leading man. Two, his personality is so bland you swear that he was just a cardboard box. Three, his role in the story is so forced by giving him overpowered abilities, being a decedent of Scorpion, and being able to kill both Goro and Sub-Zero after getting his ass beat throughout the entire film. Lastly, it feels so corporate that the studio wanted Cole as the main lead just because they didn't want a "white male lead" like the original film. Ok, if you don't want Johnny Cage, that's fine. But if you want a diverse protagonist, why not include Jax, Sonya, or Liu Kang? Why would you pick the most American half-Asian you could get as your diverse lead?
• The side characters. Quick lightning round for this one. Cole's family is forgettable and should have been killed off to motivate Cole much like Hanzo. Raiden is bland and uncaring for his combatants, Sonya is mad because she's the only woman in the group and one that had no role in the tournament at first, Shang Tsung is just a generic evil man that lacks the charisma of Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Liu Kang doesn't feel as important as he should be, Kung Lao doesn't feel as cocky or entitled in the games, Mileena has no personality at all, Reiko and Nitara just yell and shriek a lot, Reptile is a literal reptile, and Goro is just a obstacle rather than the Outworld champion of Mortal Kombat. Not only is their characterization all over the place, but their acting is very sub-par to say the least.
• The choice to kill off iconic characters. I know that people must die in Mortal Kombat, but the amount of beloved characters that get killed before the tournament even began is absurd. The worst part about all of these deaths is that it basically makes sure that any of their interesting development found in the games are now null and void. Reptile being the last of his race is not mentioned, Kung Lao being the descendent of the Great Kung Lao who was killed by Goro has him die not living up to his legacy, Prince Goro is killed by a newbie fighter all thanks to plot armour, Kabal is killed before he can redeem himself like in the games, and then there's Mileena. One of the most beloved characters of the community so much so that the fans successfully campaigned for her to be included in MK11 is killed before the film can explain her backstory, her aspirations, and her connections to Kitana, Shao Khan, and the Tarkartans. I understand that changes were to be expected and not everything will be adapted properly, but the last you can do is do something special with these characters instead of wasting their potential by killing everyone off. On top of everything that I have explained, the film alludes to the idea that they could potentially be back, mainly as revenants. So, what's the point of killing them off if you're going to use them in the sequels anyway?
• The directing by Simon McQuoid. Imagine offering a film adaptation of one of the most iconic video game franchises to a man who has only directed a bunch of commercials and a single short film in his whole career on top of adapting a screenplay from a writer who has this be his first work adapted to screen. That was the huge red flag that made me worried about the film as a whole. I don't want to be too harsh on McQuoid since I get that this opportunity would be tempting not to pass to add on his resume and that he was approached primarily to not spend much on him due to being inexperienced. However, I simply can't defend his direction and lack of style whatsoever. Whenever the film isn't in fight mode, the movie looks like a cheap commercial or fan-film. There's no ambition in adding style, flair or even vivid colours in the film. The movie doesn't feel like "Mortal Kombat" at all because of how inadequate it looks. The original film managed to feel and look unique in its aesthetic, style, and filmmaking. This just feels like a sloppy first attempt. It doesn't help when the other way McQuiod can portray Outworld is by filming the Australian desert. Like, why does he got to be so cheap and lazy?
• The music by Benjamin Wallfisch. While I liked his work in other films, this has got to be his weakest score to date simply because it feels so generic. The music from the games are atmospheric, epic, gothic, and simply awesome to listen to during gameplay. The music here is so forgettable that I forgot I'm watching a "Mortal Kombat" movie because of it. Now, there is a neat rendition of "Techno Syndrome" from the original film and it's pretty good, but that doesn't make Wallfisch's score good or even average if your music is generic stuff and the only good piece is a remix of a popular track twenty-six years ago!
• The action and editing. While the first act does have some nice fight sequences, the same can't be said for the others. While the effects and kills are nice to look at, the editing by Dan Lebental and Scott Grey is so choppy and quick that it practically signals the viewer that there's something wrong with the fight that they are trying to hide. The staging is messy, the choreography is awkward to the point that it doesn't feel like life or death stakes are occurring, the injuries and flow of the combat is inconsistent because no matter how brutal a hit seems, the fighter doesn't seem to act like he's close to death, and the worst thing is that these fights are plagued by conveniences. Like, aside from Hanzo and Reptile, all the people that die feel like they died because of a deus ex machina. It's by no means the worst action I've seen or action that is boring to watch, but considering that the film's primary goal is to excite you with the action, it's very bad to see that the action is as sloppy as its screenplay.

"Mortal Kombat" serves as a solid contender for the worst movie I've watched in 2021 and realistically should be considered one of the worst movies of this year. While some side characters are enjoyable, the camerawork by McMicking is solid in attempting to add flair and style, the gore effects and CGI characters are executed perfectly, and a couple action sequences prove exciting and well-handled, that's all the film scrapes to offer. In return, you have to endure a terrible story that just sets up future sequels, no world-building or lore set-up, countless plot holes, arcana nonsense, a mismatched tone that doesn't fit in this particular film, Cole Young's bland attempt at being a relatable protagonist, mishandled characters paired with rough acting, character deaths that are unnecessary and insulting to the fans, Wallfisch's lazy score, horrible editing by Lebental and Grey, the majority of action sequences that are poorly staged, choreographed, and written to feel kinetic and genuine in the flow and execution, and McQuoid's first-time directing packaging the film in a cheap, unpolished package that informs the viewer how cheap and uncaring the studio was to this project. As a film for the die-hard fans, it's insulting and cringe to watch in its treatment to the source material. As a film for those who know absolutely nothing about the franchise, it's a terrible first impression due to its awful story-telling, pacing, and minimalistic approach to world-building and characterization. The only people that this movie is able to please are the edge-lords who only like Mortal Kombat for the blood and gore. Yes, the blood and gore is awesome to look at, but there are so many better films to watch that have ultra-violence. It's far better to play the games if you really care about bloody spectacle.

Verdict: 3/10. An insulting adaptation that fails to target casual and die-hard fans alike. Watch the original 1995 film if you want a better portrayal of the source material minus the blood and guts.