Stream it on HBO Max.
Movies based on video games, especially tournament fighters, have ranged from pleasantly silly to ridiculously terrible! Even in the age where video games have become more widely recognized as an artform, Hollywood, to this day, fails to capture their essence and appeal on-screen. There have only been a handful of movies based on video games that have been any good, including Street Fighter and Prince of Persia. The former is good because it embraced its own silliness to the benefit of the audience (not to mention the wonderful performance from Raul Julia), and the latter is great because the director took the time to actually play the game, thereby gaining a better understanding of how it could be translated to a film. Virtually every other video game to silver screen adaptation has either missed the point entirely or didn't care enough to put in the effort, resulting in unwatchable piles of garbage like the adaptation of Assassins Creed starring Michael Fassbender and the infamous Bloodrayne movie from director Uwe Boll. You know, the guy who challenged his critics to a boxing match just so he could beat the ever-loving crap out of them? Wonder why he hasn't worked in a while (rhetorical question)?
The Mortal Kombat series is no stranger to unusual cinematic adaptations. Having previously been given the Hollywood treatment back in 1995 with mostly decent results, only to be followed up by a few sequels that were...let's say less than glorious (putting it mildly). However, while flawed, this brand new adaptation is a welcome addition to the family of "good enough" video game adaptations. It may not be exactly what die-hard fans of the franchise are looking for, but it's at least a step in the right direction.
Based on the Mortal Kombat video game series created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, the story follows a down-on-his-luck fighter named Cole (Lewis Tan), who gets by taking last-minute cage fights and odd jobs to support his family. Things take a strange and dangerous turn when some ninja-looking dude named Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim), who can somehow manipulate temperature and create ice weapons, tries to kill Cole and his family, only for them to be saved by a helpful stranger named Jax (Mechad Brooks). It turns out that Cole, along with a handful of other fighters, has been chosen to participate in an ancient tournament called Mortal Kombat: a ritualistic challenge where fighters from all realms (there are multiple universes in this series) face off each other for potential dominance. Each realm has a few selected champions to defend their realm and ward off invasion. However, Cole is not quite the best fighter in his class and does not feel ready to handle such a task. Despite the odds being stacked against him, Cole must find his inner strength and accept the challenge, protecting his home and family.
The movie does a decent job taking the elements of the game series and integrating them into a coherent film. Among the many famous aspects of the original game series, including memorable costume design and profound character development, it is also infamous for being one of the earliest examples of graphic violence in gaming. While it has never bothered me, as it was part of the game's identity and charm (for want of a better word), some audience members might find it a bit distracting and over-the-top. Thankfully, the graphic violence is used appropriately and is never overdone for the sake of being overdone.
The fight scenes are excellent. Competently photographed, fluidly edited, and expertly choreographed, the film boasts some of the best martial arts scenes I've seen in recent memory. Making clever use of the story's supernatural elements and providing thoughtful execution of every fighting style utilized therein. In terms of action, the film delivers flawlessly.
Of course, great action and recognizable elements do not a good movie make. While the good parts are good enough for some decent pre-summer entertainment, the film still suffers from a common problem found in many movies based on tournament fighters: too many characters. Part of the appeal of tournament fighting video games is the roster of memorable and unique characters who offer most of the game's variety and player accessibility. When producing a feature film based on one of these games, there is a tendency to cram in as many original characters as possible to appease the fanbase. This often results in an overcrowded cast, leading to a lack of a central focusing point for the audience. Granted, Cole is a decent protagonist with a compelling enough story and relatable goal, but he often seems to get lost in the shuffle.
This overabundance of characters also creates an issue with the film's pacing. Because the story has to fit in as many characters from the games as possible, there's little in the sense of variety when it comes to pace and presentation. Scenes often seem to blend into each other with little to no sense of variety. Scenes that are clearly meant to have some kind of emotional impact often get whisked away quickly for the next recognizable character or fight scene. I'm not saying that this kind of movie needed to be as emotionally or narratively profound as, say, Lord of the Rings, but if you're going to have so many characters in your movie, then you need to provide enough breathing room for all of them. If you can't do that, then you need to cut some of them out.
Mortal Kombat is not a great movie by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a well-polished and surprisingly decent video game adaptation. It has just enough fun action and rich mythology to be engaging enough for a lazy Sunday viewing, provided you don't mind the graphic violence.
If you're a video game fan, you'll likely have a blast. If you're a passing observer, there's a little fun to be had here. If you're not a video game fan but are looking for something silly to enjoy, I recommend hunting down the original Street Fighter movie instead. That one is a bit more universal, and it will remind you why we loved Raul Julia so much.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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