Shang Tsung: FINISH THEM!

Mortal Kombat is an odd sort of movie. With 2 dozen games, 2 previous live action and 2 animated films, and all manner of other references and media, there’s a lot of backstory going on. But really, it all comes down to some sort of otherworldly nasties coming to conquer the Earth, but they can only do so if they defeat Earth’s champion(s). Other than that, it’s really a vehicle for hand to hand combat of the most violent sort.

The movie is pretty much exactly that. Given that I haven’t really played more than a bit of these games in more than twenty years, even I recognized a number of the characters and references. Fatality It’s bloody, gratuitous, spectacular mess.

Scorpion: GET OVER HERE!

[pulls Sub-Zero to him]

Castingwise, the choices were… fine I guess? A number of the baddies pulled off terrifying well enough. With one exception, no one I really recognized. I really did enjoy Josh Lawson as Kano. Also, seeing Mehcad Brooks (James Olsen from Supergirl) as Jax? Pretty funny.

Overall, it’s not a great movie and if it weren’t for inclusion in HBO Max, I probably wouldn’t have watched it. But it’s a decent popcorn flick and I don’t mind the time I spent on it. And in the end, that can be good enough.