Why Mortal Kombat looks more like a game than a movie

On April 8, the film "Mortal Kombat", based on the series of games of the same name, was launched in Russian cinemas. The story of the confrontation between the fighters of the Earth and the warriors from the Outside World was already transferred to the screens in 1995 by Paul W. WITH. Anderson, who later filmed "Resident Evil"And"Monster Hunter».

In 2021, aspiring director Simon McQuoid decided to bet on what was lacking in the previous version. He showed the fights as brutal as possible, and gave the characters movements and phrases familiar to all fans.

To do this, the director had to simplify the picture as much as possible. Of course, hardly anyone expected deep drama from Mortal Kombat, but still those who are not familiar with the games and would like to see a more elaborate film may remain dissatisfied.

Simple and straightforward plot

The confrontation between the warriors of the Earth and the Outside World has been going on for more than a century. Moreover, in order to win, the villain Shang Tsung is not ashamed to break all the rules of fair fights.

And now the final, 10th battle is coming. Warriors of the Earth, each of whom has a sign in the form of a dragon on their bodies, must unite. Only some of them do not even know their purpose.

One of the chosen ones turns out to be Cole Young, who moonlights in fights without rules. After meeting with Sonya Blade, he goes to the temple of the god Raiden for preparation.

If we compare the film "Mortal Kombat" in 2021 with the version of 1995, then at least some disclosure of the characters appeared in it. At Anderson, even about the main characters, they practically did not tell anything: they were loaded onto a ship under the simplest pretexts and sent to battle.

Now there is a central character - Cole. He was invented specifically for the film, and he somehow has a history written out. Yes, and about Sub-Zero with Scorpio they talk in detail.

Of course, this partly delays the introduction. But it is diluted with constant battles. Here they are not confined exclusively to the framework of the tournament, but seem to be even built into the plot, although, of course, without much depth.

But the most standard moves

You don't need to be a professional in screenwriting to notice: the plot and the characters are created as in a training manual. Cole Young is a new hero who is needed so that the viewer learns the rules of the game with him.

He immediately has a guide - Sonya, and then a mentor - Liu Kang, explaining what is happening. There is also the comedic Kano, which dilutes the action with jokes, and a bonus - secondary characters necessary for entertainment and dialogues.

It's the same with villains. Shang Tsung does almost nothing himself, but Sub-Zero looks like the main "boss" with extraordinary abilities. The rest of the antagonists appear out of nowhere, just to be defeated at the right time. For example, not a word is explained about Milina.

Well, the very construction of the plot is typical "hero's way»With character development, instructions, a desire to surrender and an obligatory victory.

In "Mortal Kombat" this can be considered both a disadvantage and an advantage. Attempts to build a deeper drama would certainly have slowed down, and given the small timing of the film - less than two hours - there would be no time for action at all.

Fighting in the style of Hong Kong action movies

In terms of approach to shooting battles, the film "Mortal Kombat" in 2021 is more reminiscent of non-modern American movie comicsand Asian paintings from the nineties. Some roles even invited masters martial arts.

Joe Taslim, who played Sub-Zero, is remembered by many from the legendary "Raid". And Hiroyuki Sanada, who appeared in the guise of a Scorpio, played in dozens of Hong Kong samurai films. And even the not-so-famous Lewis Thane, who had been moonlighting as a stuntman for a long time, was even invited to the main role.

And the action in Mortal Kombat is built in the spirit of old films: protracted fights, exaggeratedly complex and beautiful strikes, flights and the most pretentious conversations during battles.

An 18+ rating allows the authors not to limit themselves to cruelty and bloody scenes. Here they can smash the enemy's head or cut him in half, rip open his stomach and rip off his hands - everything is as it should be in a dark action movie.

Except that with flickering in the action, they sometimes go too far. Editing could have been less drastic.

But the graphics are weak

Unfortunately, when it comes to computer characters or visual effects-based techniques, the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie looks dated.

Most of all, this is striking when the Reptile and the four-armed Goro appear on the screen. Apparently, due to a lack of budget, these heroes were made purely secondary.

Only the ice scenes worked well, since Sub-Zero is one of the most recognizable characters.

But Liu Kang's fire and Raiden's lightning seemed to have migrated from old films. And the costumes of some heroes sometimes seem like cosplay outfits. Although such naivety even captivates.

Scenes straight from the games will delight fans

It's no secret that all Mortal Kombat fans will go to the cinema to first of all see the heroes from their favorite games and their signature techniques. And most of these viewers will definitely be satisfied.

Moreover, sometimes the authors deliberately position the characters sideways in the general plan, as if copying the visual style of the game. It seems that now a scale with health will appear above the heads of the heroes.

Even the training of fighters here is in the search for their "arcana" - a unique individual strength. Or, to put it simply, a super hit that everyone is trying to find in the game.

Of course, all fighters will show their signature moves and fantastic powers. There will be fatalities (less than we would like). At the same time, all your favorite phrases from "Pure victory" to "Come to me" will sound. Every such moment is sure to delight the fans. And the real name Sub-Zero hints at the further fate of the character.

But casual viewers will be surprised

If a person who is completely unfamiliar with either the world of games or with the characters gets into the session, he is unlikely to understand why this film is interesting. Yes, Mortal Kombat will remain a vigorous fighter. But if you exclude the joy for the fans, the flaws will be too noticeable.

Every second phrase is too clichéd and pretentious. Most of the characters do not appear to be real people, and their gestures resemble the movements of the game characters when they are not controlled.

Therefore, in order to get more pleasure from the film, it is better to know the heroes of "Mortal Kombat" at least in general terms. Fortunately, the overwhelming number of viewers probably played, if not in the new versions, then in the first parts on Dendy or Sega for sure.

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The new adaptation delivers exactly what fans need - familiar characters, signature moves, and the inherent cruelty of games. There are also enough drawbacks: the graphics came out not very successful, they did not tell anything about many characters, and Johnny Cage did not find a place at all in this story - it seems that he was left for a possible sequel.

But the film works great as another meeting with a familiar world, simple entertainment for a couple of hours and an opportunity to see "Mortal Kombat" on the big screen. Hardly anyone expects more from him.