jonnaharkenson
Joined May 2021
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jonnaharkenson's rating
Watching this movie as a kid in movie theaters was one of the most memorable experiences ever, especially being a big fan of the video game in the early 90's and seeing my favorite characters come to life (just the same way comic book fans see their favorite characters come to life on the big screen for the first time). Maybe me being a fan of the material makes this review somewhat biased, but rewatching the movie again in 2023 made me realize that this movie is in fact organically good when comparing it to fighting, action, and superhero movies today.
Video game movie adaptations are very difficult you need to please the fans of the games, and at the same time, you also need to please the wider audience who don't play video games, and this movie did just that. Plus the story in the video game can get pretty complex with so many different characters with their own backstories and have it all fit into one movie is not easy. The movie certainly paid homage to the video game with loads of easter eggs fans are more than pleased to see, especially all of the catchphrases from the game. But even someone who has never even heard of the game or plays video games, this movie is certainly a great martial arts flick that's enjoyable to watch. The fight choreography is very well made, especially since many of the actors are actually stuntmen and/or fight choreographers (including Robin Shou) who also help the other inexperienced actors in their fight scenes. Nowadays, good martial arts choreography is rare, the only exception would be Marvel's Shang-Chi film. I really missed the martial arts movies from the 90's, I think people today still enjoy seeing good fight scenes and this movie had more than plenty.
I see that some reviewers are rating this movie a low score because of the poor quality CGI. Well this movie was released in 1995, and was filmed in August 1994... That is only a few years away from the 80's. The computer graphics technology they had at the time was very limited, heck Microsoft Windows 95 wasn't even around during the time the movie was produced. They did an impressive job given what technology and resources they had at the time. I didn't even know they spent a whopping $1 million on an animatronic puppet to portray Goro (the ugly creature with 4 arms), and 13-16 people were taking turns using the costume. This was far better than trying to do a CGI fight with Goro which would've looked awful, I'm glad they took the effort to make it look realistic as much as possible and the end result was well worth it (given the time the movie was released). Even today in 2023, I still highly prefer costumes and makeup over CGI because there is just a sense of realness to it.
The casting was absolutely perfect. Robin Shou played the humble Liu Kang perfectly, and I'm glad they picked an Asian actor as the main lead hero which was pretty rare for an American film in the 90's. One of the best performances was from Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa who played the main villain, Shang-Tsung. Even if you hate cheesy superhero movies, you have to admit that his performance as the main villain was perfect; there was nobody in the world that could have played this character any better. The rest of the cast were perfect and I think most people would agree. Linden Ashby was hilarious as Johnny Cage, Bridget Wilson as Sonya Blade was a strong, sassy, and very beautiful woman, and Christopher Lambert as the God of thunder, Lord Raiden, had a stellar performance as the wise man and teacher of the group of heroes. Even the bad guys were awesome, including Kano who was very iconic in this film with his Australian accent mixed with an arrogant and crude personality.
The setting of the film was also fantastic as they actually filmed in Thailand which is refreshing to see as nowadays, they rarely film on location and instead film behind a green screen, in a studio, or in a different location than what's in the story. The Mortal Kombat tournament is a secret fighting tournament that takes place on a remote island somewhere in Southeast Asia, and there is a very mystical, mythological, and ancient aesthetic to the film. Every scene was a treat to watch, I just can't describe how amazing it is to see all the different locations and sets, including the depiction of the dark and gloomy "Outworld" which is a barren wasteland realm full of hostile creatures and evil emperors. The film was visually stunning, and it looks better than superhero films today that relies so much on using green screens, it just doesn't feel real, while Mortal Kombat really feels like it takes place on a mystical island in Southeast Asia (where they actually filmed it in).
The amount of easter eggs is more than sure to please fans. Every character from the first Mortal Kombat game was featured in the film, including the secret hidden character, Reptile, who apparently was added to the film last minute after fans were disappointed he wasn't in the film. There were plenty of catchphrases from the game in this film which didn't come out being too cheesy. The soundtrack was well made, with the main theme song being a favorite tune even till this day. This was the 90's and techno music and martial arts was and still is very cool.
As mentioned earlier, the film not only reached out to the fans, but they also reached out to the wider audience. With it's campy humor that is actually pretty funny (with Johnny Cage's character) and plenty of beautiful choreographed fights which is already enjoyable enough for the mainstream audience to watch. I mentioned that this movie is basically the original superhero team movie (like the Avengers) which I feel inspired many of the modem day superhero team movies today. You have a team of heroes each with backstory, a team of villains with a clear motivation, and a mix of fun humor with seriousness. I really enjoyed the storyline with Liu Kang and his brother, especially the ending which I didn't think was uninspiring, unoriginal, or cheesy. I also like how Liu Kang is not really just seeking revenge, but actually is trying to save his brother's soul. He even attempted to spare Shang Tsung's life which shows a lot about his virtuous character which is a common characteristic in all super heroes.
This film blew me away when I watched it in 1995 in theaters as a kid. And rewatching it again in 2023 as an adult made me appreciate the film even more, knowing how much passion the film creators had when making the film. Comparing this film to big superhero films today, I realized where Marvel got the inspiration from and followed its success. This film is great, regardless of the fact that it is a video game adaptation. It is an original film on its own, paying homage to the original source material but at the same time, it made its own unique interpretation of the story. That is exactly what makes a good comic book superhero film, the film needs to pay homage to the original comic books, but it also needs to bring something fresh and new to the story. It appeals to the wider general audience with the humor and martial arts like the Rush Hour movies. Out of all of the video game movie adaptations, this is the best video game movie to date and there is a reason why. As said earlier, video game adaptations are difficult as you need to reach out to both the fans and wider audience, and there needs to be a balance of both. Plus, the story in video games can be complex and hard to adapt into a film. This movie is one of my favorite "superhero team movie", as it did everything right as much as it could possibly do. I give this movie a 10 out of 10 for the category it is in (video game movie, superhero team movie, 90's action/martial arts movie). And since the film was made in 1994, I don't blame them for the bad CGI as the technology was not really there at the time and they couldn't fully avoid using CGI but they tried to as much as possible. This movie has a sense of realness to it, especially filming on an actual location, and putting a lot of effort in the costume designs and animatronics. Watching superhero films today just doesn't have that same sense of realness as they heavily rely on using green screens and CGI characters. I'm very glad this movie exists because it proves that video game films can indeed be good and successful if there was passion being it. Most video game films are terrible as they are mostly meant to be cash grabs and Hollywood running out of ideas, plus they often dismiss the original source material or don't even bother to play the game to know what it's really about. The director of Mortal Kombat (1995) was actually very excited and interested in making this film, and it really shows in this film.
Video game movie adaptations are very difficult you need to please the fans of the games, and at the same time, you also need to please the wider audience who don't play video games, and this movie did just that. Plus the story in the video game can get pretty complex with so many different characters with their own backstories and have it all fit into one movie is not easy. The movie certainly paid homage to the video game with loads of easter eggs fans are more than pleased to see, especially all of the catchphrases from the game. But even someone who has never even heard of the game or plays video games, this movie is certainly a great martial arts flick that's enjoyable to watch. The fight choreography is very well made, especially since many of the actors are actually stuntmen and/or fight choreographers (including Robin Shou) who also help the other inexperienced actors in their fight scenes. Nowadays, good martial arts choreography is rare, the only exception would be Marvel's Shang-Chi film. I really missed the martial arts movies from the 90's, I think people today still enjoy seeing good fight scenes and this movie had more than plenty.
I see that some reviewers are rating this movie a low score because of the poor quality CGI. Well this movie was released in 1995, and was filmed in August 1994... That is only a few years away from the 80's. The computer graphics technology they had at the time was very limited, heck Microsoft Windows 95 wasn't even around during the time the movie was produced. They did an impressive job given what technology and resources they had at the time. I didn't even know they spent a whopping $1 million on an animatronic puppet to portray Goro (the ugly creature with 4 arms), and 13-16 people were taking turns using the costume. This was far better than trying to do a CGI fight with Goro which would've looked awful, I'm glad they took the effort to make it look realistic as much as possible and the end result was well worth it (given the time the movie was released). Even today in 2023, I still highly prefer costumes and makeup over CGI because there is just a sense of realness to it.
The casting was absolutely perfect. Robin Shou played the humble Liu Kang perfectly, and I'm glad they picked an Asian actor as the main lead hero which was pretty rare for an American film in the 90's. One of the best performances was from Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa who played the main villain, Shang-Tsung. Even if you hate cheesy superhero movies, you have to admit that his performance as the main villain was perfect; there was nobody in the world that could have played this character any better. The rest of the cast were perfect and I think most people would agree. Linden Ashby was hilarious as Johnny Cage, Bridget Wilson as Sonya Blade was a strong, sassy, and very beautiful woman, and Christopher Lambert as the God of thunder, Lord Raiden, had a stellar performance as the wise man and teacher of the group of heroes. Even the bad guys were awesome, including Kano who was very iconic in this film with his Australian accent mixed with an arrogant and crude personality.
The setting of the film was also fantastic as they actually filmed in Thailand which is refreshing to see as nowadays, they rarely film on location and instead film behind a green screen, in a studio, or in a different location than what's in the story. The Mortal Kombat tournament is a secret fighting tournament that takes place on a remote island somewhere in Southeast Asia, and there is a very mystical, mythological, and ancient aesthetic to the film. Every scene was a treat to watch, I just can't describe how amazing it is to see all the different locations and sets, including the depiction of the dark and gloomy "Outworld" which is a barren wasteland realm full of hostile creatures and evil emperors. The film was visually stunning, and it looks better than superhero films today that relies so much on using green screens, it just doesn't feel real, while Mortal Kombat really feels like it takes place on a mystical island in Southeast Asia (where they actually filmed it in).
The amount of easter eggs is more than sure to please fans. Every character from the first Mortal Kombat game was featured in the film, including the secret hidden character, Reptile, who apparently was added to the film last minute after fans were disappointed he wasn't in the film. There were plenty of catchphrases from the game in this film which didn't come out being too cheesy. The soundtrack was well made, with the main theme song being a favorite tune even till this day. This was the 90's and techno music and martial arts was and still is very cool.
As mentioned earlier, the film not only reached out to the fans, but they also reached out to the wider audience. With it's campy humor that is actually pretty funny (with Johnny Cage's character) and plenty of beautiful choreographed fights which is already enjoyable enough for the mainstream audience to watch. I mentioned that this movie is basically the original superhero team movie (like the Avengers) which I feel inspired many of the modem day superhero team movies today. You have a team of heroes each with backstory, a team of villains with a clear motivation, and a mix of fun humor with seriousness. I really enjoyed the storyline with Liu Kang and his brother, especially the ending which I didn't think was uninspiring, unoriginal, or cheesy. I also like how Liu Kang is not really just seeking revenge, but actually is trying to save his brother's soul. He even attempted to spare Shang Tsung's life which shows a lot about his virtuous character which is a common characteristic in all super heroes.
This film blew me away when I watched it in 1995 in theaters as a kid. And rewatching it again in 2023 as an adult made me appreciate the film even more, knowing how much passion the film creators had when making the film. Comparing this film to big superhero films today, I realized where Marvel got the inspiration from and followed its success. This film is great, regardless of the fact that it is a video game adaptation. It is an original film on its own, paying homage to the original source material but at the same time, it made its own unique interpretation of the story. That is exactly what makes a good comic book superhero film, the film needs to pay homage to the original comic books, but it also needs to bring something fresh and new to the story. It appeals to the wider general audience with the humor and martial arts like the Rush Hour movies. Out of all of the video game movie adaptations, this is the best video game movie to date and there is a reason why. As said earlier, video game adaptations are difficult as you need to reach out to both the fans and wider audience, and there needs to be a balance of both. Plus, the story in video games can be complex and hard to adapt into a film. This movie is one of my favorite "superhero team movie", as it did everything right as much as it could possibly do. I give this movie a 10 out of 10 for the category it is in (video game movie, superhero team movie, 90's action/martial arts movie). And since the film was made in 1994, I don't blame them for the bad CGI as the technology was not really there at the time and they couldn't fully avoid using CGI but they tried to as much as possible. This movie has a sense of realness to it, especially filming on an actual location, and putting a lot of effort in the costume designs and animatronics. Watching superhero films today just doesn't have that same sense of realness as they heavily rely on using green screens and CGI characters. I'm very glad this movie exists because it proves that video game films can indeed be good and successful if there was passion being it. Most video game films are terrible as they are mostly meant to be cash grabs and Hollywood running out of ideas, plus they often dismiss the original source material or don't even bother to play the game to know what it's really about. The director of Mortal Kombat (1995) was actually very excited and interested in making this film, and it really shows in this film.
Ant-Man 1 and 2 were much better movies for many reasons compared to Ant-Man 3 Quantumania. The first film felt more like a non superhero film with low stakes but still a lot of character building, Scott Lang recently gets out of prison but is trying hard to win back his daughter. The first and second Ant-Man film as laugh out loud funny, and especially the second film which probably is the funniest Marvel superhero movie ever (yes, funnier than Deadpool 1 and 2 which I didn't think were all that funny). The 3rd Ant-Man film was not that funny, though there were a few funny moments but I didn't really laugh out loud, the humor felt more like cartoon humor for children while the previous films were funny for both adults and children alike. Speaking of it being for children, the Ant-Man 3 film felt like it was heavily "Disneyfied" with much less violence and the violence seem like it has been toned down, plus there was no kiss at the end when Ant-Man and the Wasp saved the day which made it feel like there's no chemistry between the two. Hope's father, Hank, was barely in the 3rd film, while he was integral in the first two films. The 2nd Ant-Man film had way more action sequence, and the buildup was much better (especially when Hank finally reunites with Janet after like 30 years, getting into the Quantum realm to save her finally, and plus they actually kissed unlike Hope and Scott in Ant-Man 3... so the the love between the characters felt more real in the previous films). The boring thing in Ant-Man 3 is they used the same old trope of inspiring the common folk to rise up and fight back against the oppressors, very similar to many movies like Star Wars, Dune, Lord of the Rings, etc. It just felt outdated for a big movie in 2023. It seems like Disney is going to far with the campiness, just like they did in Thor 4 Love and Thunder which that film and Ant-Man 3 felt like it was a movie mostly meant for kids to watch. I guess it's a money making strategy to make it very family friendly and light hearted but it starts to become stale and people get sick of it. A lot of people diss the DC films like Man of Steel (2013) or Zack Snyder's Justice League saying it's too serious and not funny/campy enough, but looking back, I think people are now realizing that these films have more depth and an artistic feel to it.
But enough of the bad stuff, the movie did do some good things. Paul Rudd has great comedic timing as always, and he is always likable no matter what. There were some funny scenes such as when Hank gets jealous of Lord Krylar (played by Bill Murray). Jonathan Majors did a great job as Kang, the acting was good.
Disney and Marvel kind of ruined this film. The thing that makes Marvel so big and popular is also the thing that is ruining their movies, they are a double edged sword. They wanted everything in the MCU to connect, so they used Ant-Man 3 to introduce the big bad guy, Kang... And they want to introduce a future young hero, Cassie (Ant-Girl), and have her in a future young Avengers movie. The first two films didn't really have anything to do with the main story of the MCU, except only in the end credits scenes. And then Marvel and Disney's obsession with making campy kid friendly films, and the heavily reduced violence disliking kissing in the movies for some reason (no kiss in Ant-man 3, no kissing in the first Disney Star Wars movie). Many have said people are "burnt out" seeing superhero films... But I don't think that's necessarily true, I think people are tired of the same old stuff and the movies becoming far too light hearted to the point where people don't even take it seriously anymore. Hence why I mentioned earlier about the early DC movies (ones written by Christopher Nolan, like the Dark Knight trilogy and Man of Steel), these films feel more than just superhero films as they have more seriousness and depth which makes it feel like a non superheroe film. But if you're going to make a funny movie, then make it funny like the first and second Ant-Man films, maybe they should have gotten Paul Rudd involved with the writing to help the jokes land better... And they need to make a movie that adults could enjoy, not just only for kids. I give it a 6 out of 10 because I still enjoyed it somewhat but it was disappointing.
But enough of the bad stuff, the movie did do some good things. Paul Rudd has great comedic timing as always, and he is always likable no matter what. There were some funny scenes such as when Hank gets jealous of Lord Krylar (played by Bill Murray). Jonathan Majors did a great job as Kang, the acting was good.
Disney and Marvel kind of ruined this film. The thing that makes Marvel so big and popular is also the thing that is ruining their movies, they are a double edged sword. They wanted everything in the MCU to connect, so they used Ant-Man 3 to introduce the big bad guy, Kang... And they want to introduce a future young hero, Cassie (Ant-Girl), and have her in a future young Avengers movie. The first two films didn't really have anything to do with the main story of the MCU, except only in the end credits scenes. And then Marvel and Disney's obsession with making campy kid friendly films, and the heavily reduced violence disliking kissing in the movies for some reason (no kiss in Ant-man 3, no kissing in the first Disney Star Wars movie). Many have said people are "burnt out" seeing superhero films... But I don't think that's necessarily true, I think people are tired of the same old stuff and the movies becoming far too light hearted to the point where people don't even take it seriously anymore. Hence why I mentioned earlier about the early DC movies (ones written by Christopher Nolan, like the Dark Knight trilogy and Man of Steel), these films feel more than just superhero films as they have more seriousness and depth which makes it feel like a non superheroe film. But if you're going to make a funny movie, then make it funny like the first and second Ant-Man films, maybe they should have gotten Paul Rudd involved with the writing to help the jokes land better... And they need to make a movie that adults could enjoy, not just only for kids. I give it a 6 out of 10 because I still enjoyed it somewhat but it was disappointing.
The BBC really knows how to do drama, romance, and period pieces. I'm glad Amazon is partnering up with the BBC and other UK film production companies more often, they're pumping out great content with the BBC's expertise and talent in making excellent drama films, and Amazon's big budget. Although the story is mostly fiction (with the exception of the traveling circus), you could imagine this was what it was like during this time period in the Wild West where it was gruesome and gritty. It was all about survival. Most people are only looking out for themselves but there are a few who have good in them, putting other's needs before their own (which is a good analogy to the real world). Just like in real life, love is the biggest motivation and reason why people continue to move forward despite tragedy, and this film captures this concept beautifully.
Emily Blunt's character, Cornelia, lost her child and was intending to seek revenge, but ends up falling in love with the least expected person who reminds her that love is stronger than hate. Cornelia is a bit of a mysterious woman who goes through a journey of transformation, being in the desolate wild west of America during a period of violence and conflict. Emily Blunt was phenomenal as always, as well as Chaske Spencer. Both characters have their tragedies, but it was in small moments where they embraced the moment and good times. In the last episode, Chaske Spencer's character, Eli, had some powerful words in the final episode which moved me. Some reviewers say that the film was not sentimental and there was no romance but they are wrong because there was very strong chemistry between the two main characters which felt real, and the epic ending scenes did pull the heartstrings quite a bit. This may be one of my favorite (yet unexpected) romance films as of yet. It was one of those beautiful tragedies, though actually more beautiful than tragedy at the end. Although Chaske Spencer's character, Eli, didn't speak much and was more reserved, you can see his feelings and emotions on his face, which this kind of acting deserves much more attention and praise as it is communicating complex feelings without using dialogue. Eli was definitely more of an introverted character who brought a lot of contrast to Cornelia who was more of an extroverted aristocrat, and the odd and unexpected pair goes on a journey of a lifetime. You can tell his character was really trying to hold back, trying to mind his own business and not get involved in other people's lives but he always ends up doing the right thing when asked as that shows is his true character. And plus, Eli is haunted at his past wrongdoings, so he goes on a journey of redemption (in which he finds in the end. Emily Blunt's character, Cornelia Locke, goes through transformation from the beginning of the series until the end. She was on a mission to seek revenge on her son's death, though she ends up getting something much better. The two lead characters were not heroes in the beginning. Eli had a dark past but after meeting Cornelia, she helps change him into a better person and he (and Cornelia) ends up becoming a hero. Both find redemption in the end.
The soundtrack is amazing, especially during the final episode near the finale. The lead actors just make the show so much better with their superb acting, and the chemistry between the lead characters felt genuine. Overall, it is one of the best series I've seen in 2023 although it is a little short with only 6 episodes, the story felt long and thorough however, and each single episode is a treat to watch. You really need to immerse yourself in this film and you'll enjoy it, especially in the final episode.
Emily Blunt's character, Cornelia, lost her child and was intending to seek revenge, but ends up falling in love with the least expected person who reminds her that love is stronger than hate. Cornelia is a bit of a mysterious woman who goes through a journey of transformation, being in the desolate wild west of America during a period of violence and conflict. Emily Blunt was phenomenal as always, as well as Chaske Spencer. Both characters have their tragedies, but it was in small moments where they embraced the moment and good times. In the last episode, Chaske Spencer's character, Eli, had some powerful words in the final episode which moved me. Some reviewers say that the film was not sentimental and there was no romance but they are wrong because there was very strong chemistry between the two main characters which felt real, and the epic ending scenes did pull the heartstrings quite a bit. This may be one of my favorite (yet unexpected) romance films as of yet. It was one of those beautiful tragedies, though actually more beautiful than tragedy at the end. Although Chaske Spencer's character, Eli, didn't speak much and was more reserved, you can see his feelings and emotions on his face, which this kind of acting deserves much more attention and praise as it is communicating complex feelings without using dialogue. Eli was definitely more of an introverted character who brought a lot of contrast to Cornelia who was more of an extroverted aristocrat, and the odd and unexpected pair goes on a journey of a lifetime. You can tell his character was really trying to hold back, trying to mind his own business and not get involved in other people's lives but he always ends up doing the right thing when asked as that shows is his true character. And plus, Eli is haunted at his past wrongdoings, so he goes on a journey of redemption (in which he finds in the end. Emily Blunt's character, Cornelia Locke, goes through transformation from the beginning of the series until the end. She was on a mission to seek revenge on her son's death, though she ends up getting something much better. The two lead characters were not heroes in the beginning. Eli had a dark past but after meeting Cornelia, she helps change him into a better person and he (and Cornelia) ends up becoming a hero. Both find redemption in the end.
The soundtrack is amazing, especially during the final episode near the finale. The lead actors just make the show so much better with their superb acting, and the chemistry between the lead characters felt genuine. Overall, it is one of the best series I've seen in 2023 although it is a little short with only 6 episodes, the story felt long and thorough however, and each single episode is a treat to watch. You really need to immerse yourself in this film and you'll enjoy it, especially in the final episode.