Movie Review - Mortal Kombat

Director: Simon McQuoid
Genre: Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Joe Taslim, Mehcad Brooks, Matilda Kimber, Laura Brent, Tadanobu Asano, Hioyuki Sanada, Chin Han, Ludi Lin, Max Huang, Sisi Stringer, Mel Jarnson, Nathan Jones, Daniel Nelson, Ian Streetz, Yukiko Shinohara

Description: MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan) seeks out Earth’s greatest champions in order to stand against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe.

Review: As a fan of the 1995 film and the video games, I was eagerly awaiting the release of “Mortal Kombat”. A reboot of the franchise, which was announced in 2019, but due to Covid only appeared in cinemas in the US. I was lucky enough to see it at home.
Led by the evil wizard Shang Tsung, the enemies of Outworld are gearing up for battle against the warriors of Earth. They need only one more victory to seize control of Earth. Lord Raiden and his fighters are preparing for the all-decisive tournament. Together with Liu Kang and Kung Lao, he gathers the world’s best fighters to bring Outworld’s formidable opponents to a standstill.  
When announcing the new “Mortal Kombat” movie, the makes promised that it would be a spectacular and gory action movie and that’s what we got. Already from the first scene (which is amazing), the tone is set to what kind of film we get to see. The high tempo is maintained and one after the other brutal confrontation between the warriors of Outworld and Earth follows in rapid succession.
In that respect, we have nothing to complain about. The special effects are also convincing. The fight scenes are good and well-choreographed. The way they were edited aren’t always pleasant to watch though. There is hardly a wide shot, it’s cut from one angle to the next.
The characters of Kano and especially Subzero are the ones that stand out the most. They are true scene stealers. The four-armed creature Goro gets a thankless role, where it could have been spectacular. He has one epic fight and that’s it. I wanted to see more. The storyline between enemies Subzero and Scorpion is the best in the film. And that fight scene between them towards the end is the best of them all.
“Mortal Kombat” succeeds when it comes to being a good action film with bombastic elements. But the film is mostly an entertaining popcorn flick. And don’t be disappointed if you didn’t see your favorite character from the games. They hint at a sequel, where you can probably see them.

Rating: 3 / 5

Netflix Friday - Volume 47

Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 

Action: Mortal Kombat (1995)
Three unknowing martial artists (Bridget Wilson, Robin Shou, Linden Ashby) are summoned to a mysterious island to compete in a tournament whose outcome will decide the fate of the world.
 

Drama: On the Basis of Sex (2018)
The true story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Felicity Jones), her struggles for equal rights, and the early cases of a historic career that lead to her nomination and confirmation as U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice.
 

Comedy: The Lady in the Van (2015)
A man (Alex Jennings) forms an unexpected bond with a transient woman (Maggie Smith) living in het van that’s parked in his driveway.  
 

Animation: Despicable Me 3 (2017)
Gru (Steve Carell) meets his long-lost, charming, cheerful, and more successful twin brother Dru (Steve Carell), who wants to team up with him for one last criminal heist.
 

Romance: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Devastated Peter (Jason Segel) takes a Hawaiian vacation in order to deal with the recent break-up with his TV star girlfriend Sarah (Kristen Bell). Little does he know, Sarah’s traveling to the same resort as her ex and she is bringing along her new boyfriend (Russell Brand).
 

Horror: Annabelle (2014)
A couple begins to experience terrifying supernatural occurrences involving a vintage doll shortly after their home is invaded by satanic cultists.
 

Science Fiction: Total Recall (1990)
When a man (Arnold Schwarzenegger) goes in to have virtual vacation memories of the planet Mars implanted in his mind, an unexpected and harrowing series of events forces him to go to the planet for real. Or is he?
 

Crime: Burden (2018)
When a museum celebrating the Ku Klux Klan opens in a South Carolina town, the idealistic Reverend Kennedy (Forest Whitaker) strives to keep the peace even as he urges the group’s Grand Dragon to disavow his racist past.
 

Thriller: The Life of David Gale (2003)
A man (Kevin Spacey) against capital punishment is accused of murdering a fellow activist and is sent to death row.
 

Documentary: Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal (2021)
Reenactments drive this documentary investigating the mastermind behind a scam to sneak the kids of rich and famous families into top US universities.
 

Family: A Dog’s Journey (2019)
A dog finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he meets.

DVD Collection Update (9)

Another great DVD update! Some movies I wanted to add to my collection for a long time and a great TV-show.

First I got the 4th season of "Modern Family". I already watched the entire season and loved every minute of it. It's such a fantastic show. And I'm a big fan of Phil's osophy! And that episode where Cam is in the three with his "Cats" costume. (P)hilarious

I can see you role your eyes, but this movie is one of my guilty pleasures. I do know it's really bad, but it's just so much fun to watch. And I remember my brother and I playing the game "Mortal Kombat" on our first Nintento. When I watched this the other day, I saw how afwul the effects were... But I do think it's entertaining.

"The Best Exotic Marogold Hotel" is a movie with a very experienced cast. I like Bill Nighy and Judi Dench, but I absolutely love Maggie Smith. I can't wait to finally see this film.

It's almost Christmas and this is one of the coolest Christmas movies ever. The way it was made and all the songs. LOVE IT! I like this edition, with the black & white Jack Skellington cover.

I was really ashamed that I didn't own Disney's "Beauty & the Beast" yet, because it's my favorite Disney movie. For some reason it was really hard to find here. But I finally got it and I'm over the moon excited!