Mortal Kombat

 

Mortal Kombat (4/10)
Genre: Action
Director: Simon McQuoid
Cast: Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Joe Taslim, Josh Lawson, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ludi Lin, Max Huang, Mehcad Brooks
Country: USA
Language: English

Outrageously disappointed with the Mortal Kombat reboot, and while I hoped for a new dawn in the Mortal Kombat cinematic franchise, it could very well be the end of it even before the tournament begins. I was eagerly waiting for this movie, and it is painful to witness such a vehement absurdity in the name of the screenplay. The acting ranges from bad to tolerable, the visual effects are ordinary, and last but not least to my utter disappointment - the action is below average. 

Coming back to the screenplay, not only the story is disjointed, the dialogues are equally terrible. The characters are half-baked with no substantial graph, a few of the characters appear just to fill the screen time. The continuity is terrible and even makes you wonder - did someone read the script? The puns reminded me of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. 

The introduction of Cole Young in the Mortal Kombat universe fails to bring any significant interest. A lot of fans are defending the movie stating, 'it is meant for fun and not to be taken so seriously' - but my question is, aren't there other movies that are meant only for fun but equally good and entertaining? My biggest disappointment is the action, and even though there is plenty of violence in the film, sometimes it even feels a little unnecessary. The best action moments in the film is the fight with reptile and Kung Lao's 'flawless victory'. 

The story deals with the conflict between Earthrealm and outworld warriors before the commencement of the Mortal Kombat tournament. 

Simon McQuoid's inexperience as a director is predominantly visible on screen. He fails to bring out the true essence of some of the classic characters on screen. The focus on action neglects the effort to build a cohesive narrative. 

The acting is forgettable, and the lousy one-liners sound silly instead of funny. Only Lewis Tan and Joe Taslim have significant screen time, while the rest of the cast is a little disoriented. Another reason for my excitement is James Wan, who is one of the producers in the film. It is perhaps one of those rare James Wan projects, which is way below expectations. The movie hints at a possible sequel, but that will depend on the overall performance of this movie.

Last year's animated adaptation, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge, is far more superior to its live-action counterpart. After watching the film, I feel that Kevin Tancharoen should have at the helm of the reboot, and those who haven't seen his web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy, I would urge to rather see that instead of Mortal Kombat.