Review of Mortal Kombat (2021) by Kazl — 24 Apr 2021

My biggest issue was the incongruous tone. The opening and the rest of the movie felt entirely different from one another. The actors and their dialogue didn't match the mood - specifically the lighting and music, which weren't really doing them any favors. If the goal is to make a serious moment with a menacing monster, then stop lighting everything up like it's a scene from Mary Poppins. Make it dark... make the scene have some weight, give the character an edge of menace....just so many weird directorial choices that seemed to try and blend things together that it honestly came across as a mid-90s straight-to-tv teen movie.

The fatalities were fun and the fighting wasn't bad, but it definitely could have been filmed better - longer shots would have helped showcase the raw talent of the actors they chose. I've seen arguments that the script shouldn't have to be superb because it's a video game movie, and if people expected a good story then they're looking at the wrong film. I have a problem with that sentiment. Video game movies have been historically bad, but they don't have to be. Sure, the story is "two wizards gather their respective teams and face off for the fate of the world." ... but so is lord of the rings... and if the argument is that it's a fighting movie so there doesn't need to be a deep plot, then showcase the fighting; don't jump cut every 2 seconds. And realistically, for the fights to really shine, they needed far more character development. I know that's hard to do in a 2 hour movie, but that's why they don't need to try and rush through and cram as much as possible into the movie. They should take their time and tell a good, deliberate, focused story. If that means they can only get two or three characters in it, then fine. People will pay to see a good movie with a good story about those characters. Hell, people paid to see a movie where Tom hanks and a volleyball were the only real characters. You don't need to thrust in a dozen people and try to fit everything in at once. The worst part is, they obviously didn't even need to worry about everyone in this movie anyway, since we're not getting a tournament until next movie at the earliest. They could have REALLY spent time building a foundation so we cared, but opted for a shotgun approach.

As well, the "magic" they threw at us. I cant pinpoint why exactly, but wow did that rub me the wrong way. Magic-arm Jax was just such a big head shake from me I almost gave myself whiplash.

All of that notwithstanding, I will say that some of it was okay. I actually really liked Kanos character. I liked Not-Reptile more than I thought I would. I liked how Kung Lao was portrayed, although he went out because of dumb reasons (really, Liu threw a fireball at kano for talking.. can't muster up a little one to save your cousin?) And of course Scorpion and Sub Zero were really on point (the little bit that we saw them - another point of criticism). So yeah, I think the casting as a whole was honestly pretty decent, some things just felt off-putting. And the entire movie felt really rushed.

It was just a strange movie, overall. And not necessarily a pleasant one; it felt like something I'd watch on CW after The Flash or some other DC show. Really kinda disappointed.