ReelBob: ‘Mortal Kombat’ ★½

By Bob Bloom

Bluntly, “Mortal Kombat” was a waste of 110 minutes of my life — and at 72-plus years old, I consider my time precious.

This gory and brutal video-game adaptation is filled with mystic gobbledygook about various realms that fight for supremacy and bromides about overcoming and harnessing your fear to utilize your full potential.

The movie is one big formulaic cliché.

It’s only saving grace is its fight sequences; and even some of those are diminished by very obvious CGI enhancements. These action sequences, though marred at times, give the film a sense of life and movement.

I’m probably at a disadvantage because I never played the game nor had any interest in it. Players most likely will appreciate the movie more than I did.

In “Mortal Kombat,” Lewis Tan stars as Cole Young, an MMA fighter for whom losing seems to be a habit. Young is unaware that he is a descendant of legendary warrior Hanzo Hasashi (who later adapts the name Scorpion), who was killed by Outworld warrior Bi-Han, also known as Sub-Zero.

It seems that the fighters of the Outworld emperor have won nine consecutive Mortal Kombat tournaments, and if his fighters win one more, he can take over Earthrealm and do what he wishes with it — which means enslaving all its inhabitants.

No pressure for Young and his fellow fighters.

You watch “Mortal Kombat” with no expectations. What you see is what you get, vicious and bloody combat, bodies eviscerated and heads exploding.

No judgment, but if that’s your bag, then “Mortal Kombat” is the movie for you.
And with the exception of Josh Lawson’s Kano, most of the cast takes the movie too seriously — as does director Simon McQuoid. A lighter touch may have made “Mortal Kombat” more palatable.

During the dialogue or training sequences, I was distracted and disinterested as the one contained the usual bromides about self-discovery, while the latter featured the well-worn action montage that has been used since “Rocky” about 45 years ago.

“Mortal Kombat” is aimed at a niche audience — gamers familiar with its rules and characters.

They will enjoy every bloody encounter and bruised and battered body.

For the rest of us, the movie is just a time killer.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob.com or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.

MORTAL KOMBAT
1½ stars out of 4
(R), graphic and bloody violence, language, crude references