The Stream: The storyline is a little corny, pitiful, and drags on a bit

The Big Screen: The brutality and action rivals the video games

The Final Bill: Violent and bloody but also held back by the script and storyline

– S2S: Movie Review
Director: Simon McQuoid
Writers: Greg Russo (screenplay by), Dave Callaham (screenplay by) | 4 more credits »
Stars: Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson | See full cast & crew »
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Rating: R (Very bloody
Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes
Platform: HBO Max and Theaters April 23, 2021

GET OVER HERE! In the land of remakes, reboots and streaming services, Warner Bros couldn’t have picked a better movie to update, Mortal Kombat. You all might remember the game from the 90’s or even the live action thrillers from ’95 and ’97. Well here we go with an update for the CGI ages. Let’s see how this movie turns out for HBO Max and the theater return scene.

For those of you who don’t know this much loved series of games and movies, Warner Bros. describes this movie as MMA fighter, Cole, who is unaware of his heritage-or why Outworld’s Emperor Shang Tsung has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero, to hunt him down. Fearing for his family’s safety, Cole goes in search of some partners in crime who have been marked like him. Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden, an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, for sanctuary. Here, Cole meets some fighters that will help him to fight in a tournament of Earth’s mightiest champions against things that are literally out of this world. But will Cole be able to make the most of himself instead of a punching bag? *eerie air passes by* I know you’re just begging to watch it now.

Let’s just say this. You know what you came to see and this is just a lovely, bloody and brutal mess. Just like the games, the brutality and fatality of this movie will probably never be matched. 2021 CGI and societal ethics have allowed this violent and entertaining action flick to exist. But let’s say I’m not just focus on the blood and gore of it all, the fight sequences are just better than other movies. I can’t say I know much about the technical part of martial arts, but the look and feel of the action is superb. In times where movies are just copying the John Wick model of fighting and guns, it’s nice to have a movie that is more about the different martial arts and styles. Wish we had more like Ong-Bak but maybe we’ll get back to that.

Now to my knowledge of the games, Cole is not a character and I guess that’s cool for this movie to add in a different dimension. Lewis Tan does pretty good job in this flick but really the cast is too big for his britches. This movie is full of star power but it’s full of some really nice character pieces. People like Kano, played by Josh Lawson, and Sonya Blade, played by Jessica McNamee, do a good job, but others are just plain corny or borderline stereotypical – I’m looking at you Kung Lao. Now, if I look at the characters and not the acting then we venture back in to the realm of worth watching again. On top of that, the writing of this movie is extra basic and boring, except for the quick hitting comedy pieces. What’s interesting is the videogames do such a good job of storytelling, yet this movie lets that take a backseat in the basic garbage truck. So, yes, there’s room for improvement in this movie but did we even come to see that? Noooooo, no we didn’t! Another thing that is slightly annoying is the movie feels long and short at the same time. The ending feels rushed while also taking too long. It’s the craziest contrast.

With all of that said, Mortal Kombat is a reboot for the ages. Just like the video games, the movie has come to the present. Mortal Kombat has it’s good and bad just like most movies but if you came to see some disgustingly violent scenes then you’ve come to the right place. For those considering the theater, I recommend just watching on HBO Max. For those of you watching on HBO Max get your bowl of popcorn and FINISH IT!