Jakarta –
Mortal Kombat opens with a fierce fight between Bi-Han/Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim) and Hanzo Hasashi (Hiroyuki Sanada) in a forest in Japan in the 17th century. This opening scene is interesting because initially director Simon McQuoid set a calm and warm mood.
Hasashi and his wife and child chatted before Hasashi was told to get more water. Of course this is bait because what happens next is pieces of the body splashing everywhere and the blood flowing sweetly across the screen. Hanzo Hasashi died before Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) appeared and saved Hasashi’s final descendant who happened to be hidden by his son.
Skip centuries later we meet Cole Young (Lewis Tan), a father and underground boxer who was willing to be beaten for 200 dollars. Cole Young was once cheered for but now he is no longer a strong figure. Even though he has great potential. And maybe the dragon birthmark on his chest had something to do with it all.
Then came Sub-Zero. He was sent by Shang Tsung (Chin Han) to eliminate Hasashi’s final descendant, who according to a prediction would be the key in gathering the heroes who would defeat Outworld. Cole Young, who of course doesn’t know anything about the magical power and cruelty of the Outworld people, is confused until finally Jax (Mehcad Brooks) appears and asks him to meet Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee). Together with Sonya Blade, Cole Young finally learns to become strong to keep Earthrealm safe from Outworld.
For those of you who are familiar with the Mortal Kombat game, this film must have been waiting for you. In the 90s, two Mortal Kombat films were released. The first film was quite entertaining even though it seemed lousy, but the second film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation put this series out of business. Warner Bros. then bought the rights to the game and packed a new version of Mortal Kombat what all fans of the game dream of: visual violence.
Gone are all the kicks you watched in his two films. Mortal Kombat version 2021 is wild and satisfying. The fighting scene spoiled the eyes because it was choreographed so well. Blood, prickles, beatings and all kinds of forms of death are bluntly displayed here. That’s why although Mortal Kombat is very easy to understand for anyone watching, this film is for adults only.
As a debutant director, McQuoid did quite well in delivering his uncompromising Mortal Kombat vision. The visuals of this film spoil the eyes. He knows that audiences buy tickets to watch these legendary characters fist fist. That is why he paints this film beautifully (with the help of cinematographer Germain McMicking) so that the audience doesn’t get bored when the characters dialogue with each other and utter the exposition.
Written by Greg Russo and Dave Callaham, Mortal Kombat is the type of film that is made to please fans who long for the one-on-one action of the characters. Those scenes were indeed extraordinary. But don’t expect much because emotionally, this film is so empty. Almost all of the character’s motivations are thin. Even the character Cole Young who is the captain of this film doesn’t feel like an emotional journey even though she has the most fuel to make her character stick out. The plot of Mortal Kombat is also very simple if you want to avoid the word ‘shallow’.
Emotional simplicity Mortal Kombat also supported by a line of actors who are not good at conveying their emotions. Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin (Liu Kang), Max Huang (Kung Lao) and Chin Han gave nothing away even though when they were in action they were really charming. Josh Lawson is quite conspicuous because he gets a share of being funny. Of course Hiroyuki Sanada’s appearance strikes the eye because he is a reliable actor who has no doubt about his abilities.
What was surprising was Joe Taslim. Joe Taslim is not only able to appear very convincing as Sub-Zero but he really becomes a very tough opponent. Thanks to his good looks, I don’t even care if he is an antagonistic character. I want him to win. Joe Taslim not only managed to show off his extraordinary physical skills but he was also able to present a creepy cool figure that fits the vibe of this film. The look in his eyes was hypnotic. And when he’s in action, your eyes are guaranteed not to run away from him. Thanks to Joe Taslim, Sub-Zero managed to become a feared ghost throughout the film. And that is an extraordinary achievement.
Mortal Kombat can be seen all over the cinema chain!
Candra Aditya is a writer and film observer who graduated from Binus International.
(nu2 / nu2)
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