Mortal Kombat (2021) – A Brief and Spoiler-Freeish Review Based on First Impressions

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Noah Benjamin Dobson (redeyecyclops on Letterboxd) | Written on 4.27.2021

One of the most difficult things when reviewing a film associated with a franchise, especially one that I am so fond of, is determining whether to critique the film as a fan of that franchise or as an outsider looking in. However, after some careful thinking, it became apparent that both viewpoints were significant as one assured or warned fans of its overall accuracy and how well adapted the material was, and the other told newcomers whether they would be interested in adding another property to their collection of beloved things.

A Mortal Kombat Fan of 17 Years:

This is not a cash grab. This is a movie intentionally made for Mortal Kombat fans, and it is clear as day.

The film is filled with numerous Easter eggs regarding lore and characters, bits of the original MK theme are woven into its soundtrack, and blood, so much blood is spilled. Bodies are torched, spines are visible, heads are crushed. What was sorely lacking in 1995’s Mortal Kombat, is ever present here and used accordingly.

Though, just like its 1995 predecessor, the 2021 movie understands and demonstrates that the most important aspect about the franchise are its characters. From the costumes, dialogue choices, utilization of their abilities, motivations, relationships, fatalities, and so forth, each character’s core elements are integrated into them.

Kung Lao is still criticized and mocked for his reliance of his hat, Scorpion says “Get Over Here,” Sonya hates Kano, the Lin Kui and Shira Ryu are rivals, Shang Tsung continues to scheme, and Raiden yet again explains that the rules of Mortal Kombat prohibit him from interfering with the tournament, or as it has always been translated for the past 29 years, Raiden delivers an excuse as to why he is still useless.

With fifteen kombatants, Mortal Kombat 2021 could have very easily fallen down the same pit as Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, in which many beloved fan characters would become cheap cameos. But, with varying amounts of screen time, they remained memorable, identifiable, and in the very least respected.

But, respect is a relative term and the amount of respect and care given to each character, such as Bi-Han/Sub-Zero, Jax, Nitara, Reptile, Kabal, should be acknowledged that it is proportionate to the amount of respect and care these characters have been receiving for the past 29 years in-game. 3D era fans, especially, will understand what I mean by this.

However, this is not a perfect retelling of the original Mortal Kombat story as new additions and interpretations have been added once again, which range amongst: “good, interesting,” “I’m assuming that was a stylized choice,” “why?,” and “I see someone thought that choice was good.”

Amongst the more positive decisions would be the dragon markings.

When first presented with the dragon markings that would become vital to the story, it initially felt unnecessary and unwanted. However, its utilization in the movie proves otherwise as it helped emphasize the deadly prowess of each kombatant while simultaneously acknowledging that not just anyone can or should enter the Mortal Kombat Tournament.

It also acknowledges another important question that often felt side-lined in previous re-tellings filled with ninjas and assassins: If I can kill you now, why wait until the tournament? Rather than inherently focusing primarily on the tournament, much of the story focuses on surviving before it. This is the part where Bi-Han shines, acting as an aggressive and cold-hearted terminator and is one of the best parts of the movie.

While the dragon markings are a nice additive, the explanation as to why powers are granted can at times feel absolutely unnecessary and more outlandish than its original reason. Though the true elephant in the room is the new kombatant, Cole Young.

Cole Young sits in the middle as to what is debatably good and bad within the things cultivated from creative freedom. Amongst MK protagonists, Cole Young is not as great as Liu Kang, slightly better than Taven, and is faring better than Shujinko in terms of likability and has a much more promising future than the aged martial artist from MK: Deception. While requiring more work in his characterization, Cole’s inclusion does not mitigate the presence of those who came before him. He never feels like he is in the way, and he is never useless, similar to other characters that are supposed to serve as the relatable character i.e. Herman (Rob Schneider) in Judge Dredd.

When finishing the film, Mortal Kombat fans will be satisfied and treated to a film that honors the franchise’s legacy instead of evading it to capture a larger demographic.

A Student of Film:

While some viewing this film will be analyzing it for its level of accuracy to the MK lore and content, others will be newcomers entering the MK realm for the first time and watching this as any other movie. What they will come to witness is an enjoyable feature, but with certain flaws.

As stated before, the characters of the film are given their core elements in both personality and abilities. Yet, despite not being shallow caricatures of themselves, they are not incredibly in-depth and can be seen as more of their archetypes with some fleshed out characteristics. Though a bit cliche, the dialogue still captures their original personalities. I believe with any movie that touches on a familiar character’s storyline, newcomers to this franchise will indeed find themselves wanting to learn more about these kombatants.

The same can be said about the story: simple, not confusing, and overall interesting enough.

The pacing of the story on the other hand, has issues.

The plot structure can be divided as: Prologue, Act 1, Act 2, Act 3 and Conclusion. The speed of the Prologue and Act 2 are slow and steady. Yet, Act 1 feels like it is racing towards Act 2, nearly blending in. And Act 3 is also incredibly quick in wrapping up any emotional aspects. The conclusion is a conclusion and no stone is left unturned. The pacing issues presented are never disruptive to the understanding of the story, but it is all quite noticeable.

The editing is competent with only one jarring transition and two reverse shots involving a sunset/sunrise, which do not align with one another very well. But when mixed in with the fight scenes in which are performed by true martial artists, the sequence of multiple cuts can get in the way of the overall awe of the fight that it potentially had. It’s not the same as Marvel’s use, in which it becomes dizzying, but ideally it has the ability to stray from the need of cut-to-cut action.

The fight choreography is still excellent and the use of their abilities and powers within the fight segments are integrated naturally and are extremely creative, providing multiple fight scenes that are incredibly exceptional.

The CG is also not bad and the sets and cinematography are great, especially with the budget they had, leaving the film as a visually appealing movie with excellent action and characters and a story from a foreign world easy to understand.

The Final Verdict:

As a person whose been a fan of the franchise for 17 years a new mortal Kombat film has been wanted, a new mortal Kombat film was received, and in the end it lived up to my expectations. I still believe it should be an HBO tv series (not web series) to fully and appropriately grasp the immense content Mortal Kombat has. That being said, I am truly looking forward to the next 4 films. Speaking of 4…I give it 4 stars.

And as a college graduate of film and media, it is an enjoyable and rewatchable film, but one that leaves room for improvement. But it still serves as another perfect example that video games can be adapted as good movies. I give it 3 stars.

Thus, averaging both together provides the film with a ranking of 3.5 out of 5 stars or a 7 out of 10.