Mortal Kombat (2021) – Movie Review

22nd April 2021 Written by Peter Walkden

• Mail
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Spotify
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Link

Mortal Kombat (2021) follows Cole (Lewis Tan), an MMA fighter who tries to earn cash by putting on a good show in the ring.  He also fights to make money for his partner and young daughter.  Cole discovers he is a wanted man by enemies from the Outworld and must join others who are also wanted by the Outworld.  Joining the tiny group of heroes, they must fight in a tournament to save the Earth and learn what it takes to become an ultimate fighter.  

This film is based on a well-known video game franchise.  Growing up, I was a massive fan of the Mortal Kombat arcade games, but I am also a fan of the previous films released back in 1995 & 1997.  Yes, I even enjoyed Mortal Kombat: Annihilation only because it is so bad, it is good!  Thankfully, Mortal Kombat (2021) reintroduces the world of Mortal Kombat to its fans in a way that gives it a new life on the big screen.

Thankfully the film works on character introductions and character development from start to finish. The characters that have been chosen to feature in this reboot are all fun and likeable (including the film’s villains).  Performances are great, and I was most surprised by the unintentional scene-stealing Kano (played brilliantly by legendary actor Josh Lawson).  The action in the film is “flawless”.  Each fight on the screen is visually pleasing and very satisfying.  Fights between characters also give the audience moments to be shocked or surprised by the high level of violence, and blood baths, just like many have seen in video games.  At no point did I find the fighting scenes uninteresting or dull, and each fight differs thanks to the solid line up of characters.  

There are some issues with the film, but honestly, I feel these are all incredibly minor nit-picks.  Some of these include quick cuts and edits between scenes.  Granted, some of these cuts would have been done to keep the runtime sharp and snappy, but I could not help feeling that some scenes moved along too quickly.  The film’s music is another questionable element.  While I enjoyed the film’s soundtrack, and it felt fitting, it did not seem as memorable as I had hoped.

Overall, anyone who is a fan of the games, the comics and the films from the ’90s will be most certainly pleased with this film.  Here, we have a fun plot and a solid line up of familiar characters ready to fight and kill.  The action is an excellent blood bath, and at no point did I feel bored or uninterested by any battle on screen.  Any issues I have are minor nit-picks.  Honestly, I enjoyed this film so much I am calling it the best video game adaption I have ever seen.  It delivers just the fun and brainless entertainment I had hoped for.  Flawless Victory!

8.3/10

Mortal Kombat (2021) is Available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray & DVD from July 21st!

Mortal Kombat – “Kombat Evolution” Featurette

PODCASTS FROM WALKDEN ENTERTAINMENT ARE NOW AVAILABLE ON MANY PLATFORMS INCLUDING APPLE ITUNES & SPOTIFY!

Thank You For Visiting!