Early reviews for the Mortal Kombat reboot are up, and it looks like fans can get ready to celebrate a strong adaptation. The film doesn’t release in the U.S. until April 23, but it’s already premiered in several territories, and the critical consensus so far is an excellent sign. Mortal Kombat stars Lewis Tan, Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada, Jessica McNamee, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, and Josh Lawson and is directed by Simon McQuoid.
The history of video game movie adaptations is full of mediocre, disappointing, and downright bad attempts. The 1995 Mortal Kombat film has stood for decades as one of the genre’s better examples, but its sequel, 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, was widely panned. When the news of a live-action reboot first came out, it was met with both excitement and understandable trepidation. Now though, it looks like the franchise’s fans may finally be able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Early reviews for Mortal Kombat are out, and the point to a fun, exciting film that embraces its source material. It might not be the deepest or most complex story, but the fight choreography and stunt work are already receiving high praise. It sounds like fans of the games, in particular, will be satisfied with the way the characters and lore are handled. Check out some early reviews for Mortal Kombat below.
Mufaddal Fakhruddin, IGN Middle East
“If you’re a Mortal Kombat fan, you’ll have a blast since you’ll fill in the gaps with your pre-existing knowledge of the series and just revel in the violence. But for the average viewer, there will be little reason to care for the stakes here. Ultimately that’s what 2021’s Mortal Kombat comes down to - a solid video game adaptation full of fan service for the gamers (stay for the sequel tease) and a decent action movie for everyone else.”
Kervyn Cloete, Critical Hit
“For every step backward it takes, Mortal Kombat then promptly flying-bicycle kicks its way forward again to the point where I walked out of the cinema not just thoroughly entertained, but actually all-in on the next chapter teased in its closing moments. With just a $50 million reported price tag, the film won’t need to do much to break even and guarantee a sequel, so let’s just hope that 2021 doesn’t pull a fatality on this franchise.”
James Marsh, South China Morning Post
“Nuanced character drama this most certainly isn’t; instead, this is boxers with ninja blood and green berets with robot arms pummelling invisible lizards and bat-winged demon babes to a bloody pulp. When they’re not fighting, characters bicker and spout pseudo-spiritual idioms until it’s time to square off again. Mortal Kombat is not for the discerning palate, but for those in the know – get over here!”
A'bidah Zaid, Geek Culture
“As a movie based on the popular video game, Mortal Kombat effectively brings the game’s world onto the silver screen with a lot of care and attention to detail. The characterisation and portrayal of the beloved fighters are close enough to their game counterparts, with outfits and fighting styles being almost identical to the game. The visuals, sound effects, gore, and action are exactly what fans have been looking for since the original 1995 film and more.”
Sergio Pereira, Fortress
“Mortal Kombat (2021) doesn’t come without its knocks. From pacing issues to lack of character development and strange editing, it isn’t just a quick win. Yet, despite the occasional blow, the film still keeps kicking and comes out victorious in the end. Sometimes, you just need to watch a movie where a character freezes another one’s blood and stabs him with it.”
Husain Rizvi, Khaleej Times
“Now, if you are still wondering if Mortal Kombat would be a good watch, let the ‘fatalities’ take away that thought. Although the main plot dims over the course of the movie, the fatalities, Lawson’s performance, and an otherwise promising start to a new storyline in the Mortal Kombat franchise make the movie worthwhile.”
Bryan Tan, Yahoo! News Singapore
"Fans will be pleased to know that the movie is a very significant upgrade from the 1997 Mortal Kombat Annihilation movie, which supposedly employed Word Art from Microsoft Word in its graphics, said my astute and learned movie companion. Fans can also expect trademark catch-phrases and signature moves from the characters in the movie which are true to the video game franchise."
Some critics have said that Mortal Kombat won’t be as enjoyable for those who aren’t familiar with the video games, but that could be seen as a refreshing change from past game adaptations. More often than not, video game movies have been criticized for changing too much about the source material, yielding films that are disappointing to fans and largely uninteresting to newcomers. At the very least, Mortal Kombat seems to be keeping its loyalists in mind, which bodes well for potential sequels.
It’s also exciting to see the film’s fight choreography and stunt work receives such high praise. The Mortal Kombat cast is packed with talented martial artists like Tan, Taslim, and Sanada, and seeing them go head-to-head has been one of the reboot’s biggest selling points. It sounds like anyone looking for a revelatory narrative may be better off looking elsewhere. Still, for a franchise built on ninjas, dragons, fireballs, and fatalities, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If its early reviews are accurate, Mortal Kombat looks like it will be a satisfying adaptation that longtime fans can be proud of. In the world of video game movies, that alone is a significant accomplishment.
Source: Various (see links above)
