I wouldn't necessarily consider myself a gamer. I play video games from time to time, but I never feel like putting in the amount of hours most video games require. One of the few video games that I actually would put effort into is the "Mortal Kombat" franchise. 

From the long and detailed lore, to the iconic fatalities, the franchise is a button mashing must play for any fan of fighting games. The franchise is so palatable that it has entered the world of film multiple times, from the cult classic 1994 film, and later its disastrous second outing. "Mortal Kombat" stands as one of the few video games to be an easy translation to the big screen. This new film proves that the video game movie curse is very much still alive and well.

The latest "Mortal Kombat" was a total letdown.part from its R-Rating, this new film offers less than the original film. The movie's biggest and most glaring flaw is the terrible script,  which is some of the dumbest dialogue I have heard in a big blockbuster film in a long time. 

The film is filled to the brim with clunky exposition, painfully obvious one liners, and things just happen with little to no context. Characters from all over the “Mortal Kombat” universe show up out of the blue, do a cool move for two seconds, then they either die or disappear from the movie completely. Even though the film has a plethora of recognizable characters from the games, the people behind the film felt the urge to create a new character. Cole, played byLewis Tan, is a generic character, and it is a genuine mystery why they decided to create this nothing of a character when the games provided such a wide variety of ones to choose from.

I will say that the movie does have some standout elements and moments, arguably the most standout is the gore. The R-Rating allows the fatalities to be almost identical to the game, and while the CGI may be distractingly lackluster, the creativity of the kills still shines through. The only two characters that get the time to shine are Kano,  played byJosh Lawson and Sub-Zero, played byJoe Taslim, who steal the show with each scene they are in.

Despite some strong elements and clear passion behind the camera for the source material, it can’t stop “Mortal Kombat” from being a major letdown. While the  ’90’s film is dated beyond belief, I would consider it far more enjoyable and a better representation of the source material. The movie simply feels like “Mortal Kombat” paint-by-numbers, doing only the surface level work. In all honesty, if this were a fan film on Youtube, it would be far more enjoyable, as a major motion picture though, it doesn’t work nearly as well.You know it’s bad when there’s no ‘Mortal Kombat’ in a movie called “Mortal Kombat.”

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