Test Your Might
Mortal Kombat the 2021 Reboot
by Kathia Woods
Mortal Kombat was a popular game that was released in 1992. The original film followed in 1995. Having said this, when the announcement came that Warner's Brothers was making a new Mortal Kombat, the fanbase immediately stirred into a frenzy.
This 2021 version is a bit more sophisticated and has some new names attached to it but don't worry; it still has those epic fight scenes that made the game so fun. In Mortal Kombat 2021, the story is centered on Cole Young (Lewis Tan). He must find his center to obtain his powers to take his rightful place amongst the champions.
Like the previous incarnation, we get the back story on how the tournament came to be and who the players are.
The film opens with Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada) in Japan living with his family. His old nemesis Subzero (Joe Taslim) finds him there to destroy the last of the Han clan. The fight between the two warriors is like a beautiful, powerful dance. The precision and expertise between these two fighters are intense and exciting; this lets the viewers know that they are in for a thrilling ride. The movie then fast forwards to introduce Coly Young, a washed-up MMA fighter hustling to make a dollar to provide for his family. He isn't quite aware that his quiet family is about to be turned upside down. Lewis Tran is a perfect fit for the role due to his mixed martial arts background.
The same can be said of (Ludi Lin) as Liu Kang and (Max Huang) as Kung Lao. Unfortunately,(Mecad Brooks), as Jax, wasn't given much to do. (Jessica McNamee) did a decent turn as Sonia Blade.
Where there are heroes, there must be adversaries. In comes (Josh Lawson)as Kano, who is a cocky mercenary that isn't loyal to anyone but himself. Leading the dark side is Japanese actor (Tadanobu Asano) was impressively intimidating as Raiden, but he deserved a better wig.
The weakest part of the movie was the story. The primary focus of this film is the fighting. However, it still needs a developed story so that the viewer who isn't familiar with the video game can understand the various participants' roles. The introduction of Cole wasn't the issue as much as the lack of character development. The screenwriters, which consisted of Greg Russo and Dave Callaham didn't thoroughly flush him out. It took a minute to understand his story arc. Tan did all he could but deserved more dept. He's more than just a fighter; he can act.
The editing also needed to be more fluid in the scenes where the characters were moving through different realms. You have these amazing martial artists, but you're disturbing the fluidity of the action with these short chops.
At the heart, this version of Mortal Kombat embodies all the original characteristics but with better visuals. The thing that fans are looking for in this franchise is the fights between the warriors, and I have to say that Warner's brothers did not disappoint. The credit must be given to the fantastic stunt coordinators for making these fight scenes so dynamic. Mortal Kombat screams escapism, and in the end, the fanbase is getting what they want, which is the integrity of the game with great fighting. Hopefully, if there is a part two, the story will match up the action.
Mortal Kombat hits theaters and HBO Max this Friday April 24th