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Star Rating:
This is a review of the Mortal Kombat film that was released in 2021. It’s a film version of the same-named video game franchise. The major plot of the film is that an MMA fighter named Cole Young must team up with other talented fighters to defeat the Outworld fighters, or else the Outworld will conquer Earth.
Before I get into this review, I’ll admit that I haven’t played much Mortal Kombat. I’ve played it a few times in my life, but I’m not really familiar with the plot or characters. Of course, I know some things about it.
The main issue I had with this film was that it didn’t seem to thoroughly explain everything about the lore. It gets right into everything, which isn’t always a bad thing, but if you’re not familiar with the Mortal Kombat games, you’ll be confused for the majority of the film.
While I can’t say whether it’s a good adaptation or not, I think there are some decent aspects that were portrayed well. I enjoyed how the characters would occasionally use some of the famous lines (e.g., Flawless Victory, Fatality). The writers placed those well, in my opinion.
The character designs and outfits aren’t exact, with some being closer than others, but they’re far closer than other adaptations of other material have been. However, I believe it would have been more effective if the costumes had been more colorful.
According to someone who has played the game more than I have, all of the arcana attacks appear to be actual game moves. I also heard the theme song; however, it was slightly altered and not an exact reproduction of the song.
After getting the idea of it being an adaptation out of the way, I did enjoy watching the film. I thought the fight scenes were entertaining, especially near the end. There was never a period where I felt bored or that things were taking too long. The visuals were decent. It was exceptionally bloody and gruesome, which was fitting given the nature of the game.
The Mortal Kombat film isn’t perfect, but it’s fun to watch. There are several elements that could be improved to satisfy both fans of the games and others who are looking for a fun action martial arts film to watch. Yet, in the end, I had a good time watching it. I was invested in the film as a whole, and the brutal fight scenes made me want to turn away while also making me want to watch more cool fighting. It’s not the best film, but I think it’s worth seeing for a fun, action-packed film that doesn’t take itself too seriously or overthink every tiny aspect.
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