Since the announcement and first teaser trailer hit the internet back in the summer of 2020, countless diehard fans have been waiting in anticipation for the release of the rebooted 1995 beloved fighting franchise video game adaptation Mortal Kombat. Yet now, that the extremely awaited movie is out, many fans are not convinced that the film was a “flawless victory”.
The newly rebooted Mortal Kombat is rated R and was directed by Simon McQuoid, who did his best to respect the legacy of the beloved game series and its characters. The film jumps right into an amazing action-packed opening that sets the stage for the iconic rivalry between fan favorites Sub-Zero & Scorpion. However, soon after that many of the other characters introduced seemed flat, unrefined, and underdeveloped with poor and cheesy dialogue. The exception to that was the infamous Kano, who’s character brought a sense of charismatic energy and comic relief in almost every scene he was in.
Although, it may seem like this was another unsuccessful attempt at executing a video game adaptation, not many can refute the excellent choreography and material arts fighting sequences that took place throughout the entire movie. And of course, you cannot have a Mortal Kombat movie without having some truly gory “fatalities” [finishing moves] that pay homage to the over-the-top violent game franchise. Hard-core fans can appreciate the delivery of the special effects to help enhance they favorite finishing moves from the game.
In addition, to not implementing a clear plot and its characters not having much depth or background, Mortal Kombat just seemed too fast paced and extremely rushed. The Sub-Zero and Scorpion characters were clearly the fan favorites and could have carried the franchise on their rivalry alone. I believe a great opportunity was missed by not utilizing their two strongest characters with more screen time.
In the end Mortal Kombat is a great martial arts action movie, however, if the franchise continues to under develop its characters and plot lines, I doubt there will be a “round two” to fight for this rebooted video game adaptation.