Dog’s Movie House: “Mortal Kombat” Mostly Effective Update Of The Original!

“Mortal Kombat” revolves around the story of Cole Young (Lewis Tan) an MMA fighter who has fallen far enough to be forced to throw fights for money. He has a family to support and will do anything for them. He also has a dragon mark on his chest that has been there since birth. In the film’s prologue, we see the rivalry between Hanzo Hasashi (Hiroyuki Sanada) and Bi-Han (Joe Taslim). Bi-Han is a Cryomancer (he controls ice) who is known as Sub-Zero. We soon find that Cole is a long lost descendant of Hasashi, who in death makes a deal with the powers that be to become the powerful specter known as Scorpion. Cole is being hunted by Sub-Zero in the present because his mark presents him as a champion for the Earth Realm in an ancient tournament called Mortal Kombat.

After barely escaping Sub-Zero with the help of a couple of Special Forces operatives, including one Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Cole makes his way to the temple of the God Of Thunder, Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), the protector of Earth, and it is there where Cole trains with other champions such as Liu Kang (Ludi Lin) and his cousin Kung Lao (Max Huang). Also along for the ride is Kano (“Mortal Kombat’s” comedic MVP Josh Lawson) a criminal who runs his mouth and has a mark of his own. Cole and Kano have to find their Arcana, a hidden talent that augments their fighting skills, in order to compete in the tournament. The Arcana is based on the individual experiences and wills of the individual. Unfortunately, the evil overlord of Outworld, Shang Tsung (Chin Han), is sabotaging the tourney by setting his assassins loose on Earth before the competition even begins. It’s up to Cole and the others to stop them.

Interestingly enough, “Mortal Kombat” really doesn’t delve into the tournament like the original film, instead serving as something of a prequel. Not that there aren’t enough fights to keep fans of the game and the 1995 movie entertained. Director Simon McQuaid shows a sure hand in the action sequences, which is impressive considering this is his feature directorial debut. McQuaid and his scenarists use the twenty-five plus years of advances in production values and special effects to great effect here, showcasing some wonderfully off the wall powers and gorgeous backdrops that make fans of the game feel like they are actually experiencing it.

As far as the story goes, the ideas here are more interesting than in the 1995 film, but like it’s predecessor, “Mortal Kombat” doesn’t quite do enough with the characters. In fact, the most interesting story is the one that opens the film in feudal Japan: the rivalry between Scorpion and Sub-Zero. Sanada and Taslim are first rate actors and cinematic martial artists and their time onscreen together is the highlight of the film. I’d watch a “Mortal Kombat” spin-off movie just to see how these two got to hate each other so damn much. The rest of the story is the standard hero’s journey that we’ve seen a hundred times before. Lewis Tan has some real potential, but the script (by Greg Russo and Dave Callaham) is too mired in cliches for Cole to be much more than a cookie-cutter hero. Down on his luck but destined for greatness, will Cole find his inner strength in time for him to fulfill his destiny? (What do you think?)

Of the actors, Taslim fares best as Sub-Zero. Not only is he a gifted martial artist (watch “The Raid: Redemption” or “The Night Comes For Us” if you don’t believe me) but he does a fantastic job radiating cold (sorry about the unintentional pun) menace with simply a glance or a glare. He also manages, with just facial expressions alone, to give the viewer a little peak at something deeper, although it’s never overtly expressed. Again, I want that Sub-Zero movie as soon as possible. Lawson is also great as Kano, the motormouth criminal who you alternately love and hate, sometimes at the same time. He takes a mediocre screenplay and infuses his character with an energy that makes it seem like he’s almost in another movie.

Many of the villains in “Mortal Kombat” are one-note, particularly Shang Tsung, who is not helped by Chin Han’s somewhat bland performance. The one guy that did impress me was Daniel Nelson who plays the helmeted Kabal. In just a few minutes of screen time, Nelson manages to supercharge a second-string villain into something special. His interplay with Lawson’s Kano is another highlight of the film.

But wait a minute. . . you don’t really care about the performances, the script or even the overall story, right? If you’re a Mortal Kombat fan, you came to see the violence and the . . . FATALITIES! In this respect, “Mortal Kombat” really delivers the R-Rated goods that honor the game. From the opening scene with Hanzo and Sub-Zero this film pours on the blood and creative kills almost like it’s a horror movie. (And I mean that in a good way.) From Jax popping someone’s head off like a grape to seeing a flying demoness sawed in half by a razor-tipped h at, “Mortal Kombat” is chock full of the grue and gore game fans have been waiting for. The fights themselves are choreographed well enough but nothing extraordinary. They’re mostly there to set up the exciting finishes each character demonstrates to finish their opponent.

So overall, “Mortal Kombat” is a good start and a better than average video game adaptation. The shortcomings can be fixed in future installments and the action and gore is good enough to ensure that this film has a high rewatchability factor as long as you don’t mind turning your brain off. I still have soft spot in my heart for Anderson’s film, but this is an overall improvement and could really lay the groundwork for some fantastic action and storytelling in future films. 3 1/2 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

“Mortal Kombat” is now in theaters and streaming on HBO Max.

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