Directed by Simon McQuoid and produced by James Wan, Mortal Kombat is the 2021 adaptation of the violent video game series of the same name. The plot follows MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan), who is unaware of his unique heritage—or why a sorcerer from Outworld named Shang Tsung (Chin Han) has sent his best warrior and assassin, Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim), an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt Cole down. Fearing for his family’s safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) at the direction of Jax (Mehcad Brookes), a Special Forces Major who bears the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with.
Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), a Thunder God and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), Kung Lao (Max Huang), and rogue mercenary Kano (Josh Lawson), as he prepares to stand with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes tournament for the universe. On Cole’s journey, he begins to learn more of his heritage and why Sub-Zero wants to kill him, which leads him into crossing paths with the mysterious revenant Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada) who has a personal score to settle with Sub-Zero.
The Mortal Kombat game franchise is arguably one of the biggest and most successful video game franchises to date, known for its iconic violence, unique characters, and complex story. The games were adapted only twice to the big screen with the first installment being released in 1995 and its sequel in 1997. The first film was a flawed adaptation that was restricted but it earned itself a cult following that had a major impact on pop culture. The second film was a critical and commercial failure that put future theatrical adaptations of Mortal Kombat on ice and spelled a curse on all video game adaptations that would come along in the following years.
Here we are 24 years later and we now have a new adaptation of the famously violent game with an incredibly diverse cast, incredible talent helming the film, modern technology to bring the film to life and, most importantly, a hard R-rating. While there were certainly some obvious changes made in this remake, this was film looked and felt like the Mortal Kombat adaptation that many fans, including myself, have been eagerly waiting years for.
It seemed to have everything we could ever want, promising a mostly faithful adaptation to the game while also being a more competent film that tackles the complex story and characters a bit more seriously, as well as offering lots of fun in the process.
So how did the film turn out? Personally, I can honestly say that this was the best adaptation of Mortal Kombat that we have had. It has some issues but they didn’t hugely affect how I felt about the film. It is a really fun film that serves as good video game adaptation and an entertaining martial arts action film with a great cast of characters. It has a nice balance of drama, humor, and of course bloody action that is crafted to be as perfect and flawless as possible. From start to finish you are always at the edge of your seat and this film does not pull any punches whatsoever delivering an absolute blast.
Starting with the characters, most of them were awesome and the filmmakers did a great job with the casting. Obviously, there are two sides: the heroes of Earthrealm and villains of Outworld but first I want to discuss the two characters I was eagerly looking forward to for so long: Sub-Zero and Scorpion.
Sub-Zero was an absolute force of nature in this film. He was absolutely brutal and malicious in every way possible and his skills with hand-to-hand combat and ice powers were perfect. He lives up to the reputation of being one of the deadliest assassins of the Mortal Kombat universe and Joe Taslim was just absolutely amazing in the role, really making a presence in the film. To me, he is Sub-Zero as far as I’m concerned and no one can say otherwise, he really was a terrifying villain and certainly the best out of all the antagonists this film has.
Opposite of him we have Hanzo Hasashi aka Scorpion, who seeks revenge against Sub-Zero for the death of his family and clan which is shown in the incredible but brutal opening of the film. Now Scorpion as a character was really important for me since he is my favorite character in the franchise and he has one of the strongest storylines among all the characters. So I had a lot of expectations for how the character would be adapted in this film. He was fucking perfect. He was everything I hoped for.
Hiroyuki Sanada was truly the best choice for this character, delivering a strong performance full of great emotion and rage embodying everything the character is known for. The deadly ninja from hell got to truly shine in this film displaying all his deadly skills, wielding his famous kunai with absolute grace and brutality, and even beautifully delivering that one line we all know so much “GET OVER HERE!!!”
But perhaps the most impressive thing is that Hiroyuki Sanada did all his own stunts and fight scenes despite being 59 years old when this film was being made. 59 years old and yet he was able to accomplish so many incredible sequences as if he was a younger man. I love how they adapted this character and made him stand out.
Their rivalry is one of the driving forces in this story, starting with a very strong opening and leading to the inevitable confrontation in the final act, and I couldn’t be happier as a fan who has wanted to see these two go head to head on the big screen and have their history be brought to life properly. Part of me does wish this was more of the main focus of the film, similar to the animated adaptation Scorpion’s Revenge, but that could be mainly just me since I absolutely loved these two characters and they were the best in the whole film.
Also, I really appreciate the fact that they nailed the heritage of both characters from the source material. having Scorpion be Japanese and Sub-Zero be Chinese. If you’re watching this film for these two then you are going to be very satisfied like I am.
Now let’s discuss team Earthrealm, consisting of Cole Young, Sonya Blade, Jax, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Raiden, and Kano.
Cole Young, played by Lewis Tan, is an original character that in a way has a bit of a lead role similar to Liu Kang’s role in the 1995 adaptation. This character also in a way serves as a gateway character for the audience to be introduced to the world of Mortal Kombat and its characters as well serve as sort of the classic hero that goes on the hero’s journey. That’s not a bad thing though since this isn’t just a film for fans of the game but also for general audiences who don’t know about the games or story.
Cole Young actually ends up being a good character who is given a great performance by Lewis Tan and really shows to be an awesome fighter as well. Seeing how his character grows and rise to the occasion in an old fashion way was something I was totally fine with. He also has a very interesting connection to a certain character but to go into more detail would be giving away too much. All I’m going to say is that certain theories people have had about his character may not turn out to be the way you think. Is he as iconic as all the other characters? No, but he was still a good character that I ended up liking.
Sonya is just as awesome as you would expect being the ultimate badass we know and love. This was certainly an easier character to nail down, but even then Jessica McNamee delivered a solid performance and really shows herself to be one hell of physical force. You definitely do not want to mess with this woman.
Jax was also an easy character to nail down but was also given a really solid performance. Mehcad Brookes embodies the character’s traits and physical form. And probably the best thing about his character that I appreciated greatly was how he wasn’t treated as a stereotype compared to the adaptation in Mortal Kombat Annihilation that was the definition of a walking talking stereotype. Jax here felt like an actual character and I applaud Mehcad Brookes and the filmmakers for that. Also, his metal arms were awesome to see and they really do bring the pain when needed. It kind of made me wish he had more of a lead role similar to the 1995 adaptation. I also like what they did with his fire abilities and how it is integrated with his character. He heals with fire and protects those he loves with fire.
His Shaolin brother Kung Lao was also good in this and was pretty much a mirror of his counterpart from the games. His fighting style and abilities are ripped straight from the most recent Mortal Kombat installment as his personality. He retains the cocky nature the character has been known for in most of the games but they do also give him a more focused and skilled warrior vibe that I was totally on board for. If they had ended up leaning more towards the cocky attitude too much I think a lot of people would have been easily annoyed by him. Also, Max Huang was awesome in the role and nails down the character.
Raiden was one of the other big characters I was really hoping would have a great adaptation. In the previous adaptations, this was one of the many characters that had the worst onscreen treatment, from horrid miscasting to just being written as the most useless character in existence. It seems the third time really was the charm because Raiden in this film was awesome. Tadanobu Asano was a fantastic choice, giving the character a strong sense of power and the authority a true Thunder God should bring. He was a character that really gets established as someone who is a master tactician, which is a trait the character had in the games too, but it felt much more expanded here.
And unlike in the 1995 adaptation where he was all just sparkles and nothing else this Raiden brings in the real thunder and lightning in visually satisfying scenes that had me grinning the entire time.
Kano was absolutely fucking hilarious and really stole the spotlight in this film. You can tell how much fun Josh Lawson was having in the role of this vicious Australian mercenary, he totally embraces all the traits of the character from the games, while also adding his own spin on it. While he certainly starts out differently, compared to what he was like in the games, he still is the Kano that fans know and on top of it all, he actually provides some of the best humor in the entire film. He really stood out for me which I wasn’t expecting but he ended up being one of my favorite characters in the film.
On team Outworld we have Shang Tsung, Mileena (Sisi Stringer), Reptile, Reiko (Nathan Jones), Kabal (Damon Herriman), Nitara (Mel Jarnson), Goro (Angus Sampson), and Sub-Zero. With the exception of Sub-Zero, most of the Outworld characters weren’t the best developed compared to the Earthrealmers.
One of the main issues that all the previous Mortal Kombat adaptations, and even some of the games, have had is that some characters always end up getting a severe lack of development in the narrative. In a franchise with such a large roster of characters, each with their own distinct personalities and backstories, this is certainly a problem that is unavoidable, especially when it comes to all the adaptations of Mortal Kombat.
Mortal Kombat 1995 had that issue, as well as having a really poor screenplay, but made up for it in other ways. Annihilation had the issue as well but took it to new heights by shoving in so many underdeveloped characters that appear and disappear as soon as they come onscreen, along with many many other hilarious horrors that the film has.
When it comes to this film it does end up having the same issue, but the difference is it mainly surrounds the Outworld fighters. Most of the Earthrealm fighters are done well and developed enough in this film, which I was satisfied with even though there were times where I wanted more. Every character does get a good moment on screen especially the main cast and I was engaged all the way through but I would have wished to see more development for the fighters of Outworld, especially when they give good performances as I mentioned before.
Shang Tsung was one of the many characters that I had expectations for, given that we had a new actor helming the role. Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa made the role iconic so I was interested to see how Chin Han’s portrayal of one of the most major villains in Mortal Kombat will be like. He didn’t have much of the charisma and intensity of Tagawa’s performance but I think Chin Han did a good job being menacing. I wish he had much more presence like his 1995 counterpart although his notable soul-stealing ability is definitely updated in the best way possible.
Mileena, Reptile, Nitara, and Reiko all looked fantastic and their action was great, but they mainly served as minions that I wish could have been more.
One of the most interesting surprises from the fighters of Outworld though was Kabal, who is played physically by Daniel Nelson but voiced by Damon Herriman. I didn’t expect him to stand out as much compared to everyone else but he was really great in this. His looks and abilities were totally on point and the voice by Damon Herriman, as well as the personality he gives to the character, was perfect.
Goro looked pretty damn good despite being a CGI character and he had more impressive action and intimidation compared to the 1995 adaptation. Just wish he was given a bit more character.
Now something people should know is that characters do end up dying in this film in very brutal ways. This film commits to its kills and R-rated fatalities so of course there is going to be a high body count involving major faces. Obviously, I won’t say who dies but I will say that the filmmakers have definitely left the door open for dead characters to come back in future installments (if any) similar to the games. The Mortal Kombat universe is a realm of many possibilities that I hope can be explored even more.
While not perfect and definitely needed more tuning, the narrative is better compared to the previous adaptations and was still entertaining. It is a more focused narrative with a better pace that gives what fans want while not being boring. I feel it succeeds in being a much more competent film that people can take a bit more seriously.
That being said it does have some self-awareness and isn’t afraid of just having fun while introducing us to this world and its characters, which I was totally fine with. There are cheesy lines from the games that are used in this film but they all work in the context they are used in, and the way they are delivered by each actor is brilliant. Plus we can’t forget that this is a film based on a game that has ridiculous over-the-top violence, which it certainly delivers on that front too.
It felt like this was definitely made with care for fans as well as how the characters are handled treating parts of the source material respectively but also going about things their own way having their own tale to tell. The story does very subtly expand on the mythos and lore of the world of Mortal Kombat, allowing franchise potential without forcing in so much to the point where the film would get bloated.
I will say this though; despite the pacing keeping the film hugely entertaining, I would have wanted the film to maybe have some moments to breathe and allow characters to have slower moments, similar to the narrative in the most recent games of the series and even some parts of the 1995 adaptation. This doesn’t really ruin my experience but I can definitely see people being critical of this element of the film.
But I think the main thing people probably care about the most is of course the hilariously absurd violent action. And boy did they seriously knock it out of the park, not only for how amazing it is from a visual standpoint but how carefully and beautifully crafted it is. All the cast involved dedicated themselves to making the fighting feel fluid, real, and brutal, through masterful choreography that put their bodies on the line.
The fighting styles for each character pay tribute to each character in the game but they also match the fighting styles with different cultures that match the characters. The details that go into the fighting are just as amazing as the fights themselves. Some fights, like one Jax has with Reiko, feature semi-slow combat for dramatic effect with the side shots to almost make it feel like you’re watching the cinematics from the games, as well as giving physical realism to the characters given that both are heavyweights that aren’t as acrobatic or fast as the other fighters. It’s an interesting style choice that is used throughout the film and changed up to match their respective fighters.
These fights are filmed extremely well thanks to great cinematography and of course, it’s just as bloody and gory as you would expect, with every hit being made on a character actually having an impact, unlike the bloodless 1995 adaptation. There’s also a lot of visual flair every fight has due to the abilities of certain characters, featuring both awesome CGI and practical effects at full display in some of these fights, despite the film having a rather restricted budget.
I will mention this though; certain fights I felt had way too many cuts at times which I feel kind of hampered them, even when the way they are filmed is solid. Thankfully this does get balanced out with much better-edited action that doesn’t feel too choppy. I just wish all the fights weren’t edited as much.
The arenas and locations the fights happen in are also amazing with most of them being practical sets with such incredible detail that make everything feel authentic, as well as looking visually stunning for viewers to be absorbed into.
And yes we do get a lot of great fights between different characters but I think my absolute favorite and probably everyone else’s favorite fight is the grand Scorpion vs Sub-Zero featured in the third act. For years I’ve wanted to see this iconic rivalry debut on the big screen and it really lived up to the hype with just how perfectly executed it was.
Serious praise towards the filmmakers and especially Hiroyuki Sanada and Joe Taslim for making the dream fight of the century become a reality.
And of course, we finally get the iconic fatalities, which are the unique and hilariously over-the-top finishing moves that every character has in the games. There are some awesome fan-favorite fatalities this film has that will definitely please fans of the games, while for normal audiences it will probably shock the shit out of them. If you have a weak stomach towards certain amounts of violence this film pushes a lot of boundaries that you may not be ready for, so fair warning to all.
There are endless amounts of shots that were just oozing perfection, whether they be environmental shots, fight shots, or character shots. There is CGI used when it’s needed and it looks great for the most part, but it is surprising to see how there was much more practical work involved in the film. It was a welcome surprise that I feel keeps you engaged with everything that’s going on in the film and never bored me in the slightest.
And then we have the music by Benjamin Wallfisch. This guy never ceases to amaze me with a lot of his work and he delivered another fantastic score with this film. “I Am Scorpion” is my favorite track of the film and is something I would listen to on repeat. And as a bonus, he gives his own rendition of the Mortal Kombat theme in the score and in the credits, which is absolute fire on so many levels.
Despite its missteps, I had a really great time with Mortal Kombat. It gave me a lot that I wanted and I had a great time. When it comes to how people may react to this film I can see it getting love or hate depending on what you were wanting from this film. In a way, I can see it getting a similar or even better cult following than the 90s adaptation. And with that following, it could allow the filmmakers to continue the story they started here and greatly improve upon any of the weaker elements they had, and therefore garner more love and attention.
This film lays the groundwork for a potential franchise that I really hope can happen, because I was left wanting more and the film definitely leaves things open for a sequel. Mortal Kombat is a series I believe can work as a film franchise. It may have its bumps in the road, but at the same time there is also great potential shown that shouldn’t be wasted. I’m going to give Mortal Kombat 2021 a B+.
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