When I was younger, I played a lot of video games on a PC and the original PlayStation console. One of the games that I grew fond of was Mortal Kombat. I remember playing with my brothers and trying to memorize all the moves so that I could take down my opponent. The fatalities were the cherry on top for finishing the enemy.
When I heard that a Mortal Kombat movie remake was being made, all my nostalgic feelings came flooding in like a bloodbath.
Like any die-hard fan of the franchise, I had expectations of what I wanted to see happen. Questions rose: Will it be better than the original? Will there be callbacks to the source material that started the phenomenon? Which fan favorite character will appear? “Will we get to hear the iconic theme song play in the background?
Upon watching the movie on HBO Max, a lot of my expectations were met and then some. I was immediately pulled in, especially with Scorpion’s quotable line, “Get over here!”
*Warning: Minor spoilers ahead.
The movie reintroduces characters from the ‘95 and ‘97 film versions, namely Liu Kang, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Raidan, Sonya Blade, Kano, Goro, Reptile, Jax, Kabal, and Shang Tsung.
The new characters that were introduced from the game were; Kung Lau, Mileena, Nitara, and Reiko.
There is an array of memorable signature moves and fatalities that are utilized in fight scenes that will make a true gamer squeal with joy.
On top of the arena of characters mentioned earlier, there are references to others who have yet to make a physical appearance in the future franchise. We had; Quan Chi, Smoke, Skarlet, Nightwolf, Kotal Kahn, Sheeva, Kintaro, Kitana, Bo’ Rai Cho, and even Johnny Cage.
Though the main theme of this movie is solely about honoring your ancestors and family, it is not a family film. It is rated R for mild language, gratuitous violence, and blood and gore.
Overall, I give this film a 5 out of 5 stars for a flawless victory. I can’t wait to see the sequel to this movie. I just hope they bring other characters like; Baraka, Ermac, Erron Black, Kenshi, Mokap, Meat… or even DC and Horror Slasher characters.
(Einfeldt is a self-proclaimed movie buff with a degree in film studies to back up that claim. He enjoys watching movies with a critical eye and is happy to share his views with all who will listen.)
