- MPAA Rating: R
- Release Date: July 13, 2021
- Distributor: Warner Bros Metadata by TMDb
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I’ll admit that I’m not the best at fighting games, but I have loved them since they became a huge thing back in the early 90s with Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat. Of course both of these franchises would go off to have both small and big screen adaptations, and latest one is the reboot of Mortal Kombat. Fans of the games and even the 1995 film will want to get over here and check this one out.
Our own Christian Stirling reviewed this movie back during its limited theatrical run, and you can check out his review for all the plot details and more as I share my thoughts on the film and this 4K release. I’m in complete agreement with Christian as I loved how this captures the look and more importantly, the visceral violence the game series is known for. Sadly that’s where the good points end as the story and acting from some of the characters is mediocre at best and cringe-filled at its worst.
The best parts of the movie outside the fight scenes are the moments where Josh Lawson as Kano and Daniel Nelson as Kabal come into play. These two easily steal the spotlight anytime they’re on screen as their witty quips and barbs are enough to make Deadpool jealous as they will have you laughing long after they’ve said their lines. Sadly everyone else could be replaced with a plank of wood (especially Lewis Tan as Cole Young, yeesh) and you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
At least this 4K UHD Blu-ray with HDR looks and sounds just as great as the later game entries of the series. Every detail and color comes in super crisp and clean, to the point the violence literally pops off the screen. The Dolby HD audio is the same way and will have you taking cover from every punch, kick, and gruesome attack the characters dish out.
There’s also a nice amount of special features to battle through once the end credits roll. “From Game To Screen: The Making Of Mortal Kombat” features some of the cast and crew discussing their time playing the games, experiencing the 1995 film, and working on this movie. “Mortal Kombat: Fan Favorite Characters” has the cast and crew talking about the characters in the film and their fights, “Fight Choreography” gives a brief look at how director Simon McQuoid and the stunt coordinators came up with some the major fight scenes.
There’s some “Deleted Scenes” that showcase around four minutes of stuff that was cut from the film and can see why, “Into The Crypt: Easter Eggs Of Mortal Kombat” features director Simon McQuoid showing off some of the fun Easter eggs he hid in the film and where they are, and lastly “Anatomy Of A Scene” has the cast and crew go over the fights in the film and share some anecdotes on how it was filming them with each other.
So-so acting and plot aside, if you’re a fan of the games or looking for a good old fashioned “dumb fun” action film, Mortal Kombat will do nicely. It looks and feels just like the more recent entries of the series, and Kano and Kabal are worth the price of admission alone. Add in the fact the 4K UHD with HDR looks fantastic with Dolby HD audio at that, and this is a near flawless victory for your collection.
