Over the past week Mortal Kombat fanboys (such as myself) were treated to not only the news that their franchise would make it's way back to home consoles, but that Warner Bros. and the director of the mixed recieved FAME (2009) has released a "pitch" video for a REINVENTION or a REBOOT of the Mortal Kombat film series titled "MORTAL KOMBAT REBIRTH"
What are the reactions to this video? The fanboys have been buzzing and they all seem to love it. It's a divisive reaction. Film critics are hating the hell out of this short, fanboys love it to all hell.
As for myself? Being both a fanboy and a critic?
See for yourself the short first.
Ok now my reaction in short...I like it a lot actually. Keep in mind, I know that video game films have a tendency to suck majorly. Unlike most of the fanboys out there, I don't see this film as a truly oscar worthy picture or something that needs to be taken seriously. The film borrows and steals from so many sources. The cinematography yells "DAVID FINCHER'S SE7EN". Also, the way everything is explained or given a realistic gritty tone, it almost seems like as if Christopher Nolan came in and said "Mortal Kombat? Make it all make sense." The performances are hammy as all hell. The dialogue and the script is cliche' upon cliche' trying to blend a NYC grit to the story. There's a bit of an uncertainy of tone in the short. I Know all of the flaws. Yet, I still enjoyed it. I saw this short and thought, if they ever made this into a feature length film, I think I would have a lot of fun with it.
3 Main Reasons why I dug the short.
1. It could be an escapist film.
The Filmmakers seem to be in on the fact that Mortal Kombat is just a ripoff of everything that worked before. Historically, Mortal Kombat is a american ripoff of Street Fighter. Mortal Kombat took all the best elements from the Street Fighter game and americanized it. This short takes all the best elements from every other film. It takes the realistic angle to these completely unrealistic characters (A la Chris Nolan and his Batman Series) as the short tries to come up with a new angle to re-introduce these characters that are fragments of the 90's. The short looks like it's taking MK fans on a new ride and they are trying to have fun, but tell the stories of these characters in a new way. The original Mortal Kombat film from 1995 is arguably the best video game adaptation we have ever gotten, but that story has been told, so why not retell this film in a completely different direction and make it hammy and a bit self aware. Micheal Jai White as Jax is not delivering a serious performance whatsoever, but I can imagine him as Jax, no problem. It seems like everyone involved is having fun and trying to deliver something worthy of the fanbase, but take certain liberties. It could be a hammy and fun crowd-pleaser.
2. It is Mortal Kombat essentially.
While they have changed a lot of the mythos that Mortal Kombat has, it keeps the spirit essentially. Reptile is still essentially reptile and Scropion and Sub-Zero's rivalry will finally be told. While these are just small things, they could lend themselves to fun retelling of this story. They take all of these ideas that came up in the video game and give them a gritty realistic tone, but keeps the spirit. I can dig that.
3. It's going to be R-Rated.
If there is one thing the original film didn't get right was the fact that MORTAL KOMBAT is about cutting people to pieces and ridiculing your friend in the worst way after he loses. The short seems to get it right in the sense that people are actually going to die. This ups the stakes a lot more a bit in terms of when these guys fight, there is actually something at sake as opposed to just laying on the floor and punching someone in the chest and saying Fatality. While the original film was trying to be fun and appeal to a broad audience, it was Mortal Kombat in story, but it wasn't the film we fanboys wanted at the start.
Overall, I know the fanboys are maybe going to get the gritty MORTAL KOMBAT REBIRTH movie, but they are going to be disapointed by it. This is not by any stretch to me, looking like this is going to be a serious movie. This looks like something I could pay ten dollars on a friday night and have a blast with. It will be bad, but I may only pay to see it once. It's going to be a glorious train-wreck...while the statement is redeemed by the word "Glorious"
See you later guys
BTW: Check out the new MORTAL KOMBAT game due out in spring of 2011!
What are the reactions to this video? The fanboys have been buzzing and they all seem to love it. It's a divisive reaction. Film critics are hating the hell out of this short, fanboys love it to all hell.
As for myself? Being both a fanboy and a critic?
See for yourself the short first.
Ok now my reaction in short...I like it a lot actually. Keep in mind, I know that video game films have a tendency to suck majorly. Unlike most of the fanboys out there, I don't see this film as a truly oscar worthy picture or something that needs to be taken seriously. The film borrows and steals from so many sources. The cinematography yells "DAVID FINCHER'S SE7EN". Also, the way everything is explained or given a realistic gritty tone, it almost seems like as if Christopher Nolan came in and said "Mortal Kombat? Make it all make sense." The performances are hammy as all hell. The dialogue and the script is cliche' upon cliche' trying to blend a NYC grit to the story. There's a bit of an uncertainy of tone in the short. I Know all of the flaws. Yet, I still enjoyed it. I saw this short and thought, if they ever made this into a feature length film, I think I would have a lot of fun with it.
3 Main Reasons why I dug the short.
1. It could be an escapist film.
The Filmmakers seem to be in on the fact that Mortal Kombat is just a ripoff of everything that worked before. Historically, Mortal Kombat is a american ripoff of Street Fighter. Mortal Kombat took all the best elements from the Street Fighter game and americanized it. This short takes all the best elements from every other film. It takes the realistic angle to these completely unrealistic characters (A la Chris Nolan and his Batman Series) as the short tries to come up with a new angle to re-introduce these characters that are fragments of the 90's. The short looks like it's taking MK fans on a new ride and they are trying to have fun, but tell the stories of these characters in a new way. The original Mortal Kombat film from 1995 is arguably the best video game adaptation we have ever gotten, but that story has been told, so why not retell this film in a completely different direction and make it hammy and a bit self aware. Micheal Jai White as Jax is not delivering a serious performance whatsoever, but I can imagine him as Jax, no problem. It seems like everyone involved is having fun and trying to deliver something worthy of the fanbase, but take certain liberties. It could be a hammy and fun crowd-pleaser.
2. It is Mortal Kombat essentially.
While they have changed a lot of the mythos that Mortal Kombat has, it keeps the spirit essentially. Reptile is still essentially reptile and Scropion and Sub-Zero's rivalry will finally be told. While these are just small things, they could lend themselves to fun retelling of this story. They take all of these ideas that came up in the video game and give them a gritty realistic tone, but keeps the spirit. I can dig that.
3. It's going to be R-Rated.
If there is one thing the original film didn't get right was the fact that MORTAL KOMBAT is about cutting people to pieces and ridiculing your friend in the worst way after he loses. The short seems to get it right in the sense that people are actually going to die. This ups the stakes a lot more a bit in terms of when these guys fight, there is actually something at sake as opposed to just laying on the floor and punching someone in the chest and saying Fatality. While the original film was trying to be fun and appeal to a broad audience, it was Mortal Kombat in story, but it wasn't the film we fanboys wanted at the start.
Overall, I know the fanboys are maybe going to get the gritty MORTAL KOMBAT REBIRTH movie, but they are going to be disapointed by it. This is not by any stretch to me, looking like this is going to be a serious movie. This looks like something I could pay ten dollars on a friday night and have a blast with. It will be bad, but I may only pay to see it once. It's going to be a glorious train-wreck...while the statement is redeemed by the word "Glorious"
See you later guys
BTW: Check out the new MORTAL KOMBAT game due out in spring of 2011!
