Yes No Maybe So: Mortal Kombat (2021)
Thursday, February 18, 2021 at 3:55PM
by Ben Miller
Since 1993, production studios have tried again and again to adapt a video game for movie audiences and again and again they have failed. Some of these films have been dumb fun (Angelina Jolie’s Tomb Raider), some have been seriously-minded disasters (Assassin’s Creed), while others have been financially viable misfires (Warcraft) or just outright catastrophes (Super Mario Bros.).
Paul W.S. Anderson tried his hand at it with 1995’s Mortal Kombat to the tune of $122 million worldwide. Warner Bros, producer James Wan and director Simon McQuoid will try again with the aptly titled Mortal Kombat (2021 version). The new red-band trailer just dropped, so let’s do a round of Yes, No, Maybe So...
YES
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Video games have not exactly had a stellar reputation for representation, but Mortal Kombat features a large cast of characters of various ethnicities and genders.
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The cast is an interesting mix of unknowns and rising actors with the notable exception of enduring Japanese star Hiroyuki Sanada (The Wolverine, Westworld, Twilight Samurai) as Scorpion.
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Visually, everything looks strong. Australian DP Germain McMicking is behind the lens. He previously shot the gay drama Holding the Man, season two of Top of the Lake, and season three of True Detective.
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You have to admit, slicing someone’s arm and freezing the blood just to stab them again is pretty cool
NO
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Plenty of these video game movies have WAY too much plot and it looks like this is no exception. There is some mumbo jumbo about birthmarks and Earthrealms and outerworlds. How much do we have to endure to get to the fighting?
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Video games have yet to translate to positive critical reception on film and there's no reason to believe this will change here. But just hoping it's entertaining.
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If you’ve ever played a Mortal Kombat game, you will know that there is no shortage of gore. The 1995 film lightened it all up and got a PG-13 rating. This version is going all out with blood and viscera. If you’ve played the newer versions of the game, you’ll know the violence can get gross
MAYBE SO
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Lewis Tan (Wu Assassins, Into the Badlands) is playing someone named "Cole Young" but that character has no history in the MK games. Could it be one of those hidden characters for no good reason?
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I love it when titles are shoehorned into the movie, no matter how clunky it comes across
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Fight scenes are always a worry. Will they be choppy and heavily edited? Or have John Wick and The Raid influenced action filmmakers enough to put that to bed?
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Mileena has always grossed me out as a character and they included her licking the blood off a sai. Everything that character does unsettles me.
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Fan service is there in its full glory. But, they also lean into the campiness of the whole thing. It's a fine line to walk; How much is too much?
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“Finish him” “Get over here!” “Kano wins”
I’m firmly in the 'Maybe So' camp. How about you? They’ve been trying to remake Mortal Kombat since 1995. What got this attempt to the finish line? We can all find out together on April 16th in theaters and on HBO Max.
Reader Comments (26)
This is the straightest movie published in the Yes, No Maybe So series
I've never been so much fan of the video game (I prefer King of Fighters) so I'm not so interested but in case that my nephew wanted to watch it I'm gonna have no choice and will see a "Fatality" on big screen
OK, now I can't stop thinking that I want a King of Fighters film, the diversity of characters could be very interesting to watch, specially Benimaru who is so sassy.
I'd love to watch a fighter like him in a movie.
@Cesar
I can only take that as a compliment. Albeit, one that made me laugh
You're a NO on the gore/fatalities?
That's definitely...a take.
This looks epically dumb. I AM IN. I can't wait to see it.
Looks terrible, probably will be around 20% on Rotten Tomatoes.
OH HELL YEAH!!!!! Ah, this brings back good memories. I love the violence of this. Sweet, sweet ultra violence.
@Unknown
Coming from somebody who often agrees with critics...Rotten Tomatoes is meaningless.
When I was a Theater Manager, this video game was like a Tractor Beam for my teenage employees at AMC Galleria St. Louis.
It's a Maybe.
I’ve been a fan of the games since they first were released, and the original films are made for popcorn munchin’ and this just looks dull. Everyone’s acting like they’re in ShakeaJadeSpear production, same desaturated look favored in the past decade, same faux-epic temp music in the trailer with the slowed-down wink wink nudge nudge to the original theme.
I’m just exhausted by remakes and reboots honestly. I think they’re all just washing into each other.
Some of the choreography and throwbacks look good, and considering their budget, the CGI is solid (Goro’s split second shot looked swell).
I admit I have a bias for that ‘90s nostalgia of the originals and the games, so give me “Techno Syndrome” and vaguely plastic props and sets any day! :)
Characters better say FATALITY, BABALITY and BEASTIALITY! 😜🤣
The latest videogames are actually great films adding with each new version crossovers with pop culture characters that add to a bigger multiverse with terrific and more complex storylines. There's no need to take it to big screen and make it live-action.
SPLOOSH!!!!!
As a giant MK fan, I’m super excited. I’m “maybe so” on the new character but Lewis Tan is amazing. I’ve been following the cast the last year and a half and they are all SO STOKED for this thing. It looks like a ton of fun and isn’t that what we all need right now?
Kind of surprised at some of the points in the “No” column. The brand of the franchise, other than the rich story and characters, is the style of violence. The tongue in cheek, almost funny, but ridiculous and then brutal type of out of this world violence through clever choreography. It’s odd that a description of what is in the film is in the “no” column. Like why even write something about it?
Mike & Tony -- to be fair to Ben -- when i was editing this he had similar comments about the violence in both the yes and no column and it confused me so i smooshed them together in one of the sections instead. but perhaps that was a bad editing call.
@Nathaniel
Ah, well that makes sense.
As for the trailer itself...it's a good piece of marketing, with memorable images and great use of music. Will it be a good movie? That dialogue says no, but who knows. As it's one of only two or three games I can claim to be a fan of, I don't really need it to be "good" by normal standards.
"Mileena has always grossed me out as a character and they included her licking the blood off a sai. Everything that character does unsettles me."
literal lol.
but ditto.
@Tony/Nathaniel
So, I had a No for the glorifying of the violence, which MK 100% will be doing
But, I had a Yes for the obvious fact that you can't have an MK movie without ultraviolence
Mileena & Kano are so much fun to play in the two most recent games. I guess I’m a yes. I kind of want Kano to rip out my heart and then wee on me... he’s one sexy part cyborg computer animated psychopath.
@Nathaniel I understand, thanks for taking the time to clear that up :-) Everyone is has the right to their own opinion (what YNMS is all about). Much love to you all!
Man, i remember watching the original in the theater back in the 90s. Cheesy movie but i thought it was pretty cool as a kid. Will be interesting to watch MK as an adult.
The original 1995 film works because it is essentially the game. Big stupid characters fighting each other. This one looks as if it's trying to be more and... you don't need that. It's Mortal Kombat. The 1995 version has the best opening ten seconds of a movie.
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