Mortal Kombat is a 2021 action thriller that tells the story of washed up MMA fighter Cole Young as he seeks out Earth's greatest champions in order to stand against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe, and is based on the popular videogame franchise from the 90’s. It is directed by Simon McQuoid, and written by Greg Russo, Dave Callaham, and Oren Uziel. Writing credits also go to Ed Boon and John Tobias, the creators of the videogame.

I was born in 1984 (yes, I know I’m old), so to say that Mortal Kombat was a big part of my childhood would be an understatement. I’m a 90’s kid through and through, and damn proud of it too. My friends and I would spend hours mastering the finishing moves at the arcade, and when the cut scene was triggered, we just watched in pure awe. It was a truly magical time.

The dream was always to have the movie version of the game and in 1995, that became a reality. And to be honest, I really liked it. I mean the soundtrack got me all kinds of fired up, and still does to this day. But it was far from perfect. I mean first of all, it was rated PG-13 (yawnnnnnnnn). So for years now we have been itching for a R-rated movie that could truly embody what Mortal Kombat is, and well, that day has come.

THE GOOD

If you’ve heard it once you’ve heard it 1000 times, video film adaptations are trash more often than not for one reason or another. Either they stray from the tried and true formula for ratings reasons or just try to get cute and things quickly fall apart. But rest assured, that didn’t happen here.

First and foremost, Mortal Kombat is for the fans. End of story. And you know what, that’s how it should be. It is a simple recipe for success, if you are making a movie based on a video game franchise why wouldn’t you prioritize the people who made that videogame so successful in the first place? I mean it seems obvious. Is it an enjoyable movie for someone who has no idea about or ever even played the games? Sure it is. But more than anything else, this is a nostalgic origin story that builds up to the perfect setup for a sequel. Also as expected, the R-rating was absolutely key here. You just can’t put together a competent Mortal Kombat movie without the elements that made the games so great which is brutal over the top violence. I mean, it was the 90’s what can you do.

As one of the aforementioned fans, I really enjoyed this movie. It gave me everything I was hoping for and then some. From Kano’s one-liners to the raw power of Jax’s robotic arms causing a bit more than a permanent migraine, this is just pure fun. The writers ensure the characters feel authentic to the games from their trademark mannerisms, right down to their impulse control issues. I knew who each character was right away which brought on a nice comforting rush of nostalgia.

I thought the casting choices were all pretty great. Lewis Tan, who takes on the lead role of Cole Young, is a pretty unknown actor which is a good thing in this case. You won’t have any predisposed notions of him playing any other roles, and I personally thought he did a really nice job here. The same goes for Jessica McNamee, who plays the role of Sonya Blade. It was also fitting that both actors are similar to me in age so they would have grown up with these games as well.

For those of you who watched HBO’s True Blood, Mehcad Brooks who plays Jax is easily one of the more recognizable characters and was perfect for the role. Love him or hate him, Australian actor Josh Lawson makes the biggest impact with a fantastic portrayal as the mouthy loose cannon, Kano. The humor he brings to the film is fantastic and provides a nice balance to the mandatory blood and gore. I also have to give a shoutout to Mileena played by Sisi Stringer, I loved what they did with her character. I wouldn’t mess with her.

The choreography and stunt work was top notch, making each fight scene feel as intimate and brutal as the last. I really liked how the environments played such a big part in some of the bigger fights, just like they do in the games. We jumped from one fight to the next without losing the feel of a progressing storyline which I thought was a nice touch. Oh and Sub-Zero vs Scorpion, that is EVERYTHING. I also have to say I was impressed with the fact that this is the directorial debut for Australia native Simon McQuoid. I think he did a nice job with it.

THE BAD

It’s not perfect, and for someone who grew up playing the games and has a very clear memory of the original 1995 film, a few things could’ve been included that weren’t but much of that is also personal preference. For example, I always think about the crazy fight in the woods between Scorpion and Johnny Cage. I just thought that was such a cool and iconic setting that felt like the games. But it’s hard to critique a movie that builds itself as an origin story, while still improving on the original in such a big way. Maybe we will get a taste of that in the sequel? Time will tell. Usually when they try rebuilding a franchise from the ground up like this, they are thinking at least 3 movies ahead as far as storyline.

There were times when I thought the film didn’t feel quite as gritty as I would have liked, but then I stop and remember that this is a movie based on a video game franchise from the 90’s about humans with “super abilities” fighting beings from another realm, and that sort of puts things in perspective. Or someone gets their head chopped off, that usually does the trick too. The acting is also mediocre at times, but not enough to be a real issue, plus most of the cast are unknowns.

Some people seem to have an issue with the story arc addition of Cole Young, who essentially becomes the centerpiece of the film. Mostly because he was not part of the videogames and was inserted for plot purposes, and I get that. But at the same time, I think the writers needed a jumping off point if they were going to build a fresh new franchise and I didn’t really have an issue with his character in general. He sort of had a Never Back Down vibe to him.

THE VERDICT

Catering to it’s fanbase with every catch phrase and signature finishing move, Mortal Kombat is a hefty dose of 90’s nostalgia and what should be a shiny new resurgence for the franchise. The joy I felt watching this movie is exactly why I love going to the theater, just good old fashioned unapologetic enjoyment. Full disclosure, as soon as I got home I hit the bench press in the basement pretty hard. I mean let’s be honest, you never know when you might get the call from Raiden. They also set things up perfectly for another movie, I just hope that comes to fruition unlike the recent Power Rangers reboot. Yes, I am still bitter. Assuming things go as planned, I can’t wait to see who they cast for the sequel.