Mortal Kombat (2021) 4K Blu-Ray Review

 

Why hello there 'Mortal Kombat', back already? Yes with the world becoming bricks we've had quite the wonky schedule with everything in life, including movies. Released back in late April, the reboot of 'Mortal Kombat' is now available on Blu-Ray & 4K Disc. If you missed my initial review of the movie itself, you can click HERE for a more in-depth critique but to sum it up it was a really fun action flick that suffered from character and story issues due to Warner Bros. and the filmmakers feeling the need to rebuilt the tower and including a new character not present in the games. So instead, this review will be going over the presentation of the release itself.

 

VIDEO: 

The 4K disc comes with just the movie presented in Ultra High Definition while the Blu-Ray comes in a 1080p presentation both in the film's native 2.39:1 aspect ratio. and both look wonderful. Director Simon McQuoid wanted to ground the film and part of that resulted in the colors being a bit muted compared to the games but it still looks gorgeous. The film was shot in southern Australia and everything aside from some fantasy elements are in camera making for quite the pretty picture, especially with the UHD. The 4K does seem to be a little brighter with its contrast than the Blu-Ray but aside from the smoother frame rate the two look identical so you won't be losing too much quality if you decide to stick with the Blu.

 

 

AUDIO:

 'Mortal Kombat' is presented in Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, and Dolby Digital 5.1 along with various subtitles and languages. The score by Benjamin Wallfisch was crisp and that iconic theme song boomed through my speakers beautifully. The score also doesn't overtake the film's dialogue or sound effects either and overall this is a very balanced and smooth set of tracks. The fight scenes are a particular highlight that I would've been furious over if they'd messed this one up. You can't go wrong with any of the three tracks here, although the obvious winner goes to the Atmos track for me personally but if you don't have the system for that the 7.1 is also an excellent choice.

 

 SPECIAL FEATURES:

 Deleted/Extended Scenes: 3 scenes are included. Cole's extended nightmare & Kano dialogue, Shang Tsung and Mileena having an argument, and Lui Kang & Kung Lao discussing the fate of Sonya Blade.

The Making of Mortal Kombat: A 30 minute featurette about the film going over the various behind the scenes elements such as the costume design, filming locations, and special effects as well as a brief look at the video game series.

Anatomy of a Scene: This featurette is 7 segments focusing on the film's most memorable moments and breaking down various aspects.

Entering the Krypt: A 10 minute video looking at the various Easter Eggs hidden throughout the film although it only touches on a few leaving many for the fans to look for themselves.

 Fight Koreography: This featurette goes over the various martial arts techniques and stunt work for the film.

Fan Favorite Kharacters: 11 featurettes focusing on each fighter and their respective actor.

 

Features overall are a little light here. Sadly, we don't get any kind of audio commentary or more significant deleted scenes that could've fixed some story elements but for those interested in the craft, the behind the scenes featurettes are informational and won't take up too much of your time. The weakest features for me are the Easter Egg and Fan Favorite segments. The first one feels like an afterthought and only goes over the most obvious eggs that fans likely already saw and gives no hints or information for the others they claim to have. The second feature's issue is that it's just a dull retread of the film's characters which most people will know inside and out so this feels like a useless feature for the uninitiated but if you're not a MK fan why would you watch the special features? 

 

 

'Mortal Kombat' has its problems, but I still enjoyed it and it comes with a pretty nice presentation overall. Like the movie itself, the package isn't perfect but the audio/visual qualities are outstanding even if the special features aren't.

 

Film:

B

 

Video:

A+

 

Audio:

A

 

Features:

C-

 

Overall:

B+  

'Cruella' Is Fun & Stylish, but Parents Should Be Wary

 

 

     The newest release from Walt Disney Pictures this week "Cruella" is another addition to their latest trend of revamping their old library into sleek live-action affairs, which have been average at best. "Cruella" may not be changing that trend anytime soon because while it does deliver a much better product than previous releases like "Mulan" it's likely to be lumped in with the others and forgotten in a short few years.

The movie does have some big positives to it and audiences won't be bored, though I do feel this is not a film for the little ones to be sure. Not only is it much darker in tone, dealing with murder and revenge plots but the story has more in common with "The Devil Wears Prada" rather than the classic 1961 animated film which I think would bore younger viewers. The biggest positives I have is in the performances by Emma Stone, who humanizes Cruella De Vil and gives the character more depth than just someone who wants to skin dalmatians. Emma Thompson however is the standout as the Baroness, who you could say is a representation of the classic Cruella character. She is pure evil without an inch of remorse and seeing Cruella upstage her at every turn is always satisfying.

The film's other big highlight is of course the fashion and hair design which I'm going to call it right now and say this is going sweep the hair & makeup awards circuit. Each of Cruella's dresses and hairstyles are beautiful, creative, and of course being Cruella De Vil are over the top and attention getting. The costumes for the Baroness and her various party guests throughout the movie are also notable. The movie also incorporates music from the 1970s so of course we get one of the biggest music playlists I've seen in a while, all classics from that era and many tracks bring out that punk rock style the film is going for.

The music tracks are all solid hits, but they also are the beginning of the various issues I had with "Cruella". Typically, when one incorporates music other than a score it's usually meant as a small way to bring the audience into the world of the film. Here, we have an issue where the music is non-stop, with tracks being played almost every single scene and leaving nothing in the way of a traditional score which I think would've helped with some of the more dramatic scenes. My next topic isn't so much a negative as it's more of a warning to parents that yes, this may be a Disney film but it does carry a well-deserved PG-13 rating. It's not as extreme as the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, but as previously stated the film does open with a rather shocking scene of someone being murdered and the overall tone of revenge and implied violence do make it a bit more risque than their usual fare.

That being said, it feels like the movie is playing it too safe despite its themes and tone as if Disney was unsure of fully tilting over to an adult movie. It leaves the film a bit tone deaf overall, with scenes of slapstick mixed into a story about revenge and murder. I just wish they'd gone one way or the other, although it probably would've worked more in favor of mature audiences than family in my opinion. "Cruella" is not a bad origin story but it's ties to the animated film and the tone shifts do keep it from being a boundary breaking one. It's recommended as a fun popcorn movie but you won't leave the theater fully satisfied as some of the better Disney films.

B-

Mortal Kombat (2021) Review

 

"Mortal Kombat" is the fourth movie based on the popular video game franchise and is mainly a reboot of the original game's story, taking place before the tournament begins. We are quickly introduced to fan favorites such as Sonya Blade and Lui Kang but also a newcomer to the series named Cole who is part of a mystical prophecy saying he will unite the warriors of Earthrealm in the upcoming Mortal Kombat tournament.

For having a short length and fast pace, the movie introduces a lot of characters which is commendable but sadly commits previous film sins by giving them little to no time to develop or even for fans to get enough joy out of seeing their favorites on screen before their time is cut short. Not to spoil too much but several fighters are either obscure picks to be used as fatality fodder or some of the more well known ones are taken down only for a plot convenient line of dialog is used to pretty much hint that they'll be returning for the sequel. This does make it feel a bit lazy and shallow but in the end this is "Mortal Kombat" so it's not like I expected Shakespeare.

While the story and somewhat disjointed pace are pretty big flaws in "Mortal Kombat" I'm happy to say that the action and fights are excellent. They're well choreographed and shot so that you can see each hit and hear every blow and they weren't kidding on including the series' infamous fatalities. Some of the more popular are here and never shy away once, this is full on R-rated MK (though they may have exaggerated on how graphic they are for PR sake). The acting in this is also higher quality than I expected and the script has loads of funny lines that always got a chuckle from me. 

"Mortal Kombat" knows what it is and what the audience wants from it: gory action and fun popcorn entertainment. It's a shame the story couldn't be more focused like the games but hopefully we'll see that sequel (or sequels if a recent interview is to be believed). I highly recommend you see it in theaters for the best experience (or IMAX if available) however you can also view it through HBO Max as well. Check it out for a fun time and if you're like me be sure to look out for the dozen or so Easter Eggs I caught during my viewing.

B

I also reviewed the first three MK movies, which I have HERE, HERE, & HERE for your enjoyment. Thank you for your support on this silly little hobby I do.

Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge (2020) Review

 

"Mortal Kombat Legends" is a retelling of the original MK story told from the perspective of series icon Scorpion. It is the first full length animation in the series and the first in the film franchise to receive an 'R' rating. This does bring the spirit of the games better but is it an overall better film? 

 In what seems to be an attempt at being a series of character themed features, the Netherrealm specter Scorpion becomes the main focus rather than the heroes of Earthrealm, even causing huge plot holes and continuity errors with his actions. In all fairness, the series is no stranger to timeline manipulation as recently seen with the release of "Mortal Kombat 11" so it's easy enough to write "Scorpion's Revenge" as one of many multiverse stories told in this franchise.

As for the movie itself, Warner Home Media again provides high quality animation seen in their DC Comics adaptations as well as some stellar voice talent. The characters are all well done though its a shame many are somewhat sidelined due to the change in focus such as Sonya Blade & Jax Briggs but the story overall will be a familiar one to fans but will likely leave casual audiences with many questions. The issue with the movies overall seemed to be that they didn't explain the world or its rules very clearly while going through them this past week, something I hope will be remedied in the upcoming new release and changing the story around like this isn't helping things either.

This may just be a theory of mine, but I have a feeling that everything was changed so drastically because the live-action reboot was originally slated for a 2020 release, just months after this one. This leads me to believe that this was a promotional film of sorts that got a smaller release due to the COVID-19 pandemic hence why they wanted it to stand out as to avoid spoilers for the new film though this again is merely speculation.

"Scorpion's Revenge" overall has little to discuss that wasn't already in previous entries. Aside from the well done animation and voice talent, this is the same fun action flick you saw in the 1995 film but with the gore and carnage turned way up to 11. I would rate it just above that flick and give it a high recommendation.

B+

You can read my two other reviews for "Mortal Kombat" HERE & HERE.

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997) Review

 

"Mortal Kombat: Annihilation" picks up moments after the last film where the new baddie Shao Khan and his minions have now invaded Earthrealm. Our heroes suffer significant losses and are forced to retreat and they begin to travel in hopes of finding any allies and saving the merging of Earth with Outworld.

I'll be honest and say that before this little marathon I prepared, I had never seen this one aside from some choice clips commonly used as internet memes. That being said, I didn't dread going into it at first because it seemed to be yet another 'so bad it's good' movie that could be fun to make fun of. 

I was wrong.

Unlike the first film where the cheesy elements worked in its favor due to higher production value and a good cast, "Annihilation" keeps the bad and makes it even worse to the point of cringe. Robin Shou & Talisa Soto are the only returning cast members as Lui Kang and Kitana so we're left with a new group who seem to have little knowledge of their characters and in a lot of cases seem to not understand what acting is.

Now I know that villains are supposed to be over the top, especially in video games back in the day but the difference between Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa's Shang Tsung and Brian Thompson's Shao Khan is restraint. Yes, Tagawa made those iconic silly faces throughout but his performance overall was quiet & reserved, feeling very similar to Jafar from "Aladdin". Someone who's always scheming and thinking one step ahead. Shao Khan in this movie acts like a high school bully with zero intimidation or fear the character in the games give off. You do not believe for one second this guy is the most powerful man in the universe.

Then you have the minions which are somehow even worse representations of their game counterparts. I understand that back in 1997 the game series didn't have much lore to develop into a full blown screenplay but there was enough to give these characters some kind of personality. I neglected to mention this in my review of the first film, but if I though Scorpion & Sub-Zero were barely utilized properly, I only need look at the characters of "Annihilation". About the majority of them are little more than a brief cameo as this story will have its characters enter a new area, meet a new fighter, then almost immediately get rid of them either in the same sequence or the next and some just show up in one part of a scene like the picture above.

The movie is just simply trying way too hard to be ambitious with an attempt at this grand epic movie when special effects, budget, story, and the cast & crew were just not up to par. The original film had a lower budget than this and it pulled it off, taking us to some beautiful exotic locations and keeping the fantasy elements to a minimum (though the special effects in that were also a big issue). "Annihilation" is double the budget but looks a million times cheaper, something I cannot fathom how you do that.

Is there anything good about "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation"? Robin Shou's Lui Kang is still good, the fights are still good and...it did prevent the third film? It's actually hard to find much here folks this is just as bad as you've heard but for me personally it was even worse. I thought I could at least get a good chuckle or two out of it but this is a dull movie overall and the best of the worst is stuff you've already seen in YouTube clips. Avoid "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation".

F

You can check out my other reviews on "Mortal Kombat" HERE & HERE.

Mortal Kombat (1995) Review

 

"Mortal Kombat" is a name that even those who don't play video games know. It was an innovation of the industry as well as pop culture during the 1990's. It not only lead to the creation of the video game rating system but also led to game designers taking more risky and mature storytelling as the industry was no longer 'Just for Kids'. Of course with such popularity, it was inevitable the series would expand into other mediums which included toys, comics, a Saturday morning cartoon, a Live-Action television series, and of course the 1995 movie.

"Mortal Kombat" is directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and is a retelling of the first game where a chosen few are taken to a mysterious island to participate in an ancient tournament to protect the realm of Earth. The fighters Lui Kang (Robin Shou), Johnny Cage (Linden Ashby), and Sonya Blade (Bridgette Wilson) have their work cut out for them as they face off against various supernatural creatures and mystical fighters such as the cryomancer Sub-Zero and the four armed half dragon giant Goro.

The story itself is quite simple as this was when the games were still mainly an arcade mainstay and had very little time to tell its tale in between gameplay. Many martial arts fans will notice the similarities to Bruce Lee's masterpiece "Enter the Dragon" and that's really the best way I can describe this first film. It's "Enter the Dragon" but with pure B-Movie cheese and that's not really a bad thing depending on your expectations going in.

Video game adaptations were very different back then and just took the basics such as gameplay and the character models and having to fill in the blanks themselves and if you look at the alternatives of the day such as the abysmal "Super Mario Brothers" & "Street Fighter" it's easy to see why "Mortal Kombat" gained such a reputation over the years as the "Best Video Game Movie". While it's certainly a fun watch and an obvious cult favorite among gamers, I wouldn't really call this a "Good" movie really, definitely entertaining and fun but let's just say that I'm glad we're getting a more mature take on the material.

The biggest issue is the one everyone knows but I still have to discuss it so I won't linger on it too long. The film is lacking in the series' signature Fatality moves and the violence in general is completely toned down and almost seems tame for the PG-13 rating it did get. No one even bleeds from the various punches or kicks thrown and while the fight scenes are well choreographed and the cast obviously worked very hard to pull off these moves, it is missing that smoothness or over the top nature not just from the games but from superior martial arts action pictures that came before.

Okay, now that I've gotten that out of the way the film's other main flaw is its budget. I can understand that New Line Cinema was very cautious when it came to the film due to its controversy at the time and didn't want to spend too much but Paul Anderson would go on to create cult favorites "Event Horizon" & the first "Resident Evil" movies for about the same budget or less and they are visually impressive and feel like big budget blockbusters whereas here a lot of it feels like they got some cosplayers from a MK convention. The movie also utilizes some really poor CG effects which were dated back in '95 when they could've used more reliable techniques that were more fitting to their low budget and would've looked a million times better.

The biggest pro this movie has going for it is the cast, which all do an awesome job and really elevate this movie. Christopher Lambert's Raiden is a bit sillier than his game counterpart but for some reason I can't help but chuckle at his silly dialog. The film's main villain, played by Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa is a perfect fit and he is so ingrained into our head as Shang Tsung, they would use his likeness and voice talent in "Mortal Kombat 11" nearly 20 years later. Linden Ashby is another great fit as the smart mouthed Johnny Cage and it's a shame we didn't see him reprise the role (though rumor has it he has a cameo in the upcoming new film). The best quips from the movie are 99% Ashby's and next to Tagawa he's definitely the most memorable character.

Wilson's Sonya retains the character's tough persona though she sadly becomes merely a damsel for the climax which feels like a studio decision as it comes out of nowhere and goes against everything about how this character acts so it's a shame she's reduced to this as the film climaxes. The final standout is Trevor Goddard who like Tagawa would go on to influence the game studio Netherrealm to retcon and change the villainous Kano due to him being so good in the role. Sadly, the actor is no longer with us but he kills it as the character here and made a legacy for himself.

It had been a while since I last popped in "Mortal Kombat" and I gotta say it still holds up as a fun, throwaway action flick. It doesn't stand among the greats like Schwarzenegger or Stallone films of the 90's but it's a fun way to spend an afternoon. It likely won't appeal to non-fans as it does a lot of exposition dumping that will just leave people confused but if you shut your brain off you'll have fun with this silly movie.

 C+

You can check out my other "Mortal Kombat" movie reviews HERE & HERE.

"Godzilla vs Kong" Review

 

Monsters clash in "Godzilla vs Kong", the new movie directed by Adam Wingard. It's a continuation of the Warner Bros 'Monsterverse' of films and sees a group attempt to find Kong a safe haven from Godzilla, whose momentary peace with the human race has seemingly ended after he once again proceeds to rampage throughout the big cities. Desperate for any solution, the group puts their trust in Kong and the cybernetics company Apex who are hiding some shady dealings underneath the surface.

This is a perfect popcorn movie with non-stop action and a faster pace than the previous films running about an 1hr and 50min or so. While it really helps get you into the action quicker, I have to be the nitpicker and say that I wish it was a bit longer because I was so into it all. My only real gripe with the story overall is the lack of any additional lore to the film's setting. What we know about the monsters (Or Titans as they're called here) is mostly been given to us in previous entries. That being said, fans of both franchises will love the dozens of Easter Eggs throughout, with some being so obscure and others beautiful modern homages.

Wingard and writers Max Borenstein & Eric Pearson clearly have a love for kaiju and are knowledgeable of each creature's lore and gives them different advantages to make you wonder just who is going to win each fight? Many 'vs.' films of the past would usually cop out so as not to offend one side or the other but here we do get a definitive winner plus a nice final bout at the end which I'll not spoil here. The film may also disappoint some fans of the Big G as despite his name coming first, this really is more Kong's film as he is given a pretty extensive arc throughout. Godzilla is kind of the big green wall blocking his path most of the time.

My biggest gripe with the film as a whole is some of the human characters which could be contributed to both writing and the shorter length. The people who got the short end of the stick is probably Millie Brown and Kyle Chandler, returning from the previous film but are little more than cameos. Chandler is almost non-existent and Brown is unfortunately paired with the two most annoying characters drowning out her role in the process. And again I have to put down Junkie XL's score here and I have to say I'm getting sick of talking about this guy. Bear McCreary's previous work on "King of the Monsters" was amazing with little slices of the iconic Godzilla theme making for one of his best scores. Here, it's about as generic as you can get with no inclusions of either Kong's or Godzilla's themes and is overall another forgettable score from the man. 

 This is still overall the best of this 'Monsterverse' film franchise and well worth seeing in theaters if you can. It deserves the praise and hype and really gets you pumped up. "Godzilla vs Kong" is a keeper.

 

B+