Viewed in
2010
Formats
Netflix HD streaming (Xbox 360)
Premise
A movie based on the video game.
Loved
The theme song, the unintentional comedy.
Liked
How it felt like the video game.
Disliked
The lack of fatalities.
Thoughts
It was as laughably bad as the Street Fighter movie.
With mannequin acting, pretentious dialogue smothered in cheese, nonsensical plots/rules, and amateurish CGI, this scored very high on the Unintional Comedy Scale. Watching the Highlander rasp his way through the movie as as Rayden was very amusing. The only other cast member I recognized was Pete Sampras' wife.
Compared to the other fighting video game movie, this one had better set design, the plot was actually about combat, and the music was perfect. Having George Clinton as composer was a curious choice, but he and the compilation of artists (including Buckethead) fit very well, with loud guitars and thumping techno. And man, that theme song was as good as it was fifteen years ago.
My biggest complaint was that they should have gone for rated R violence. While some of famous moves and catchphrases were in the movie, one of the biggest draws of the game was the "graphic" fatality finishing moves. Sadly they were devoid here.
While I was never a big fan of the "Mortal Kombat" game, this movie was pretty close to the look and feel of it. For brainless action, this fit the bill with unintentional comedy and one catchy theme song.
What I would change
Nothing.
