Reviews

New Mortal Kombat Film is Nostalgically Gruesome

Scorpion's Revenge is Sure To Be Fan-Favorite

Reporter Hayden Clevenger

Recently, Warner Brothers released a new animated installment to the beloved Mortal Kombat series, "Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge." Admittedly, as a fan of video games, especially fighter-style games, movie versions of video games are not to be trusted. However, after watching the new film, it became a fast favorite.

In the timeline of Mortal Kombat lore, this film sits toward the beginning, with Scorpion's life before joining the Mortal Kombat. It is set at the same time as the first Mortal Kombat game, where Earthrealm is close to being taken over by Shang Tsung, and Scorpion is in search of Sub-Zero to take revenge.

The first thing that was really noticeable was the amazingly smooth animation. Warner Brothers really went all out with this film and it shows. However, as a result of the fluid, flashy animation, the length of the film suffers. It feels like it ends suddenly, though the end hints at either a potential sequel film or a new game.

As one can guess from the title, "Scorpion's Revenge," mostly covers Scorpion's backstory. It delves deeper into why Mortal Kombat happens, alongside why Scorpion fights in the Mortal Kombat. Those who know the lore very well may see this film as unnecessarily repetitive, as it does follow the same plot as the first game.

Despite the fact that the movie cleared up a lot of lore, it is still best to go in with some basic knowledge of the games, so the movie is a lot less confusing from the start. Without at least surface knowledge of the characters and the lore of Mortal Kombat, the film would be difficult to enjoy.

One thing I personally disliked was the way Liu Kiang sounded in combat. His high-pitched "kiai" felt cheesy and unnecessarily over the top, like an old kung-fu film.

While this did break some immersion into the film, it did not ruin the experience of watching, as his yelling was only in one or two scenes. Plus, it added to the nostalgia of the movie in a way, since Liu Kiang’s fighting sounds have always been like this.

The film is very gruesome and gory, which is to be expected in any new installment of the Mortal Kombat series, a series that has been met with much backlash and censoring over the years due to its “extreme” gore. Much like the games, the film will not be suitable for younger audiences, or those who are squeamish.

All in all, "Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge" is a great film, though it felt like it was a little short. Despite the length, though, it will be an enjoyable pick for any Mortal Kombat fan seeking a bit of nostalgia, and an easy to follow film for those wanting to enter the fandom. The film is funny at times, heart-wrenching at others, and will keep watchers on the edge of their seats.