When gauging the quality of a film, it is crucial to foremostly consider if it fulfilled its intentions.
Not every film is aiming to be high art, and the 2021 reboot of Mortal Kombat, an adaptation of the popular and graphically violent 1990s video game franchise, certainly fits that bill. From the opening frames, it is staggeringly clear that debuting director Simon McQuaid and team wish to prioritize gory action sequences over foundational character beats (we are almost immediately catapulted into a physical altercation in 17th century Japan). Warner Brother’s other recent popcorn feature Godzilla vs. Kong was able to optimize its fights by deliberately streamlining the plot and characters, supplementing them with interesting tonal and stylistic flourishes. However, this film never attains that ideal construction balance.
Mortal Kombat is a frequently incomprehensible misfire with paper-thin storytelling. The overly elaborate story follows MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan) as he joins forces with Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) to seek out Earth’s mystical champions and challenge the enemies of the Outworld in a battle for the universe. Also involved are Earth champions like Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), Jax (Mehcad Brooks), and Liu Kang (Ludi Lin) as they prepare for the Mortal Kombat tournament against those insidious beings; a legacy rivalry between warriors Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada) and Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim) is in this chaotic mix as well.
This plot is almost entirely too convoluted and incoherent to fully serve its aims of mindless, bone-crunching fun. McQuaid and the script thrust through dense, perplexing exposition that feels incongruent with the intended structure. There are entire portions of the film that left me adrift in confusion because of the lack of depth or even adequate explanation; broad story beats or concepts would manifest without necessary specificity in storytelling and, moreover, transition to other areas before being fully expounded. The characters themselves are stock at best and simply punching bags at worst (I gravitate to the latter); there are attempts to add more dimension that profoundly fall flat (the only backstory we receive for Cole is that he has a family we are told he loves, never really shown).
These pedestrian choices yield a film that is excruciatingly lifeless and rote. The movie itself is constantly and erratically awaiting an excuse for characters to brawl; there is certainly an efficient way to do that and maximize its effect, but that is not showcased here. The fights, though predominantly well-staged, are extremely vapid, and the straightforward tonal and stylistic approach seem counteractive to something this innately pulpy. Without tangible motivations or compelling characters, the altercations feel bereft of actual stakes, thus making the film itself quite pointless.
In a vacuum, the headlining elements can be entertaining for some. The fights are lucid and skillfully choreographed, though there are uneven uses of CGI and choppy editing, and the franchise’s signature buckets of blood and gore are gleefully unrestrained (this is a warranted R rating). It’s just that they are encased in a bland and insipid tapestry of dull filmmaking; Josh Lawson’s aggressively lively performance as the vile mercenary Kano is a highlight, though, that lends the film a bit more energy. Perhaps search for a YouTube compilation rather than experience blatant filler.
Mortal Kombat is deplorably artless in only the fashion that cynical studio pictures are. Films like this underscore the achievements of artists like Patty Jenkins or Ryan Coogler who imbue their pictures with distinctive artistry from the regal, earnest war epic of Wonder Woman to the vitally modern Shakespearean tragedy of Black Panther. With tone, style, and structure this stripped of ingenuity, even a trademark like the explicit violence is more repulsive than it is justifiable and satisfying.
There is literally not even a Mortal Kombat tournament in this Mortal Kombat but, instead, a meandering plot and unengaging, arguably gratuitous beatings. This truly encapsulates this misguided reboot’s fatality: to not deliver what it is clearly promising.
Grade: D+
Mortal Kombat is now in theaters and streaming on HBO Max through May 23.
Photo Credit / Warner Brothers
