Just about every review for the new Mortal Kombat film mentions more or less the same thing: the game. Whether it honors the game, changes things from the game, is faithful to the game, or is made for fans of the game. It always mentions the game. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. It is based on a game after all, a very popular one, whose fans will make up the core audience of the film, but what about those who know almost nothing about Mortal Kombat? Will we enjoy the film? Will we even be able to understand it? Will it be as cheesy and fun as the 1995 original?
The answer to all those questions is yes, and depending on who you are, maybe a slightly less enthusiastic yes to that last part.
My only prior knowledge of Mortal Kombat comes from the original 1995 film and some quick internet research, so I know almost nothing about the source material. For someone like me, a Mortal Kombat outsider, this film is just a reboot so that’s what I’m judging it on.
From the very start, this movie has its flaws. In spite of a thrilling, well-choreographed and bloody beginning that instantly gets you hooked, Mortal Kombat kicks off a bit vanilla when it introduces its main hero, only it’s not someone you’ll recognize. Instead of Liu Kang and his luscious mullet leading the audience, this movie follows washed-up MMA fighter Cole Young.
Without any personality, the guy may be the protagonist but he’s treated like a stock character meaning he’s a boring “everyday character” that the audience is supposed to relate to, who was apparently created specifically for this movie. If Mortal Kombat has one major flaw that brings the energy down, it’s Cole. He’s the hero that you forget the moment the camera changes position, no matter how much effort actor Lewis Tan puts in the role. The film just doesn’t know how to use him properly. His only purpose is to introduce the plot and to add in a connection to another character later in the story.
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Cole is dragged into the world of Mortal Kombat when he discovers that his strange dragon birthmark isn’t actually a birthmark at all but a sign that he’s been chosen to fight in a mighty tournament that determines the fate of the world. There are others like him, the champions of Earth, who are being hunted down by the deadly Sub-Zero/Bi-Han so that the riveling Outworld can ensure victory in the next tournament.
Just as Sub-Zero comes for Cole, he and his boring family who I honestly didn’t know where his wife and daughter until the film literally spelled it out, are saved by another champion named Jax and his partner Sonya Blade. While receiving their help, he meets Kano, a wild psychopathic mercenary who also happens to be another champion.
After a few bad encounters with the Outworld fighters, they go meet Lord Raiden, the protector of the Earthrealm, and some more champions, Liu Kang and Kung Lao (two guys that really should be given their own spin-off), and they begin their training montage leading up to the big boss battle at the end during which we never hear the epic “MORTAL KOMBAT” shout play over it and that’s just a shame. The song “Techo Syndrome” is there but the “MORTAL KOMBAT” shout isn’t really there until the end credits.
All in all, it’s a good movie. Wacky and fun, and just violent enough. Video game adaptations rarely ever make cinematic masterpieces, but Mortal Kombat has enough to make up for whatever faults it may have. Those saving points are Sub-Zero and Scorpion and any scene where they’re together, Liu Kang and Kung Lao, Kano, Sonya Blade, and the entire opening sequence that could have been part of its own separate movie.
I was never that crazy about the 1995 Mortal Kombat. I liked it plenty, but it wasn’t exactly a film I rushed out to add to my Tribble like multiplying DVD collection. Simon McQuoid, in his feature directorial debut, has a much more serious take on the story while giving it a darker tone that I rather enjoyed.
The fight scenes were spectacular, and some of the characters are charismatic enough to carry chunks of the film on their own, however, as a whole, it’s kind of a mess. It’s as if someone took a martial arts fantasy film and stitched in scenes and expositions from a video game. This makes sense given that it’s an adaptation, one that would be confusing without a few explanations, but when viewed objectively it comes off a bit awkward. Even if I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first Mortal Kombat, it explained the rules of the game without taking you out of the plot, which, unfortunately, this movie ended up doing. Also, a part of me is a bit put out that Liu Kang was bumped down to supporting character this time around.
Maybe for the sequel they can focus on one or two characters instead of so many that way they won’t have to cram so much into one story. The ending hints at the introduction of Johnny Cage, played by Linden Ashby in the original film, and Joe Taslim who plays Sub-Zero has said that he has a four-film contract if the franchise takes off. So a sequel is definitely a possibility.
Rachel Roth is a writer who lives in South Florida. She has a degree in Writing Studies and a Certificate in Creative Writing, her work has appeared in several literary journals and anthologies.
@WinterGreenRoth
Leonardo Dicaprio’s films rarely disappoint. It was interesting to see him flex different acting muscles in this psychological thrillerShutter Island alongside Mark Ruffalo and Michelle Williams. When I say that I was not expecting such a turn in the story, I mean that my jaw was pretty much on the floor the entire time. Without any further ado, let’s dive into its mastery, shall we?
A cliché setup done right
We have been here before a million times. A character stumbles into a scene to solve a mystery. Everyone is acting just the right amount of suspicion to make you wonder. Dicaprio’s Edward ‘Teddy’ travels to an extremely remote island where a woman goes missing from a psychiatric institution. He’s experiencing migraines and flashbacks to his murdered wife while receiving little to no help from the hospital staff.
Teddy soon suspects that the hospital is experimenting on patients which fuels his theories on what happened to the missing woman. Things take even more of a turn when his partner also disappears. Unsurprisingly, everyone insists Teddy came to the island alone. Feeling like he’s losing his mind, our protagonist finds out that this is exactly the case. He is a patient in the hospital and the entire investigation is an attempt to get him to understand the truth.
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While the whole ‘it was all in your head’ trope has a bad rep for the fans of any genre, this film uses it masterfully. Watching it for the first time not knowing what to expect is obviously a shock and then watching it again, looking at all the clues that were the which you missed – that’s a treat on its own. After all, there’s nothing inherently wrong with using cliches if they are done the right way.
Things that go bump in our minds
A huge part of this movie’s storyline is Andrew’s inability to process the truth. The roots for it stretch far beyond the plot twist. Andrew is unable to acknowledge that his wife is mentally ill and believes that moving them to the countryside will fix everything. After she murders their children, he is further pushed into the world of delusion, convincing himself to be a hero because he couldn’t save his own family.
It’s interesting to note that in his delusion, Andrew is the one who set fire to their house. Is this a little sliver of his mind whispering the truth to him? Is it his subconscious villainizing himself out of contempt, searching for answers that are never going to come? Andrew’s psychiatrist pointed out that his moment of clarity has happened before, only to be undone quite quickly. Perhaps it was easier for Andrew to shut it off rather than live with the knowledge that he could’ve done something to prevent a terrible tragedy.
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Overall thoughts
Shutter Island is a movie that provides both the entertainment value you would expect from a suspense thriller and a deeper layer of thought. Coated with a perfect atmosphere and amazing acting, it’s a piece that will definitely hold the test of time.
(4.5 / 5)
We’ve reached episode four of Wheel of Time, which means we’re halfway through the season. While it doesn’t seem like much has happened so far, this is the episode where things start heating up.
The Story
We begin this episode with a flashback. Ishamael is raising something dark and twisted. As we watch, it takes the shape of a woman.
More on that in a bit.
Meanwhile, Nynaeve is healing from her time in the arches. She is quiet and withdrawn. She’s also awkward and uncomfortable around Egwene now that she’s initiated and Egwene is not. Her new friendship with Elayne isn’t helping.
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But the three girls come together when Liandrin tells Nynaeve that Perrin has been captured by the Seanchan.
However, Perrin is no longer in the clutches of the Seanchan. He was rescued by Elyas and a pack of beautiful wolves. Beautiful and deadly AF by the way. If you have any fear of dogs, this episode might not help that.
Elyas explains to Perrin that he is a Wolf Brother. This means that he can communicate with the wolves, and eventually will gain some of their abilities. While Perrin and Elyas don’t exactly get off on the right foot, he does find a fast friendship with one specific wolf. After a time, he introduces himself by showing Perrin an image of himself jumping up and down. From this, Perrin assumes his name is Hopper.
Finally, we return to Rand. He and Selene have been off in the mountains. They haven’t done much more than each other so far.
And that’s exactly what it appears they’re about to do when Moiraine bursts into the cottage and cuts Selene’s throat.
Rand is surprised and furious until Moiraine explains that the woman he knows as Selene is the Dark Friend Lanfear. With this shocking revelation, the two run off into the night.
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What worked
It should be a surprise to no one that I loved the wolves in this episode. Hopper himself was worth an extra Cthulhu. But this is not just because dogs are cute. It’s also because the dog playing Hopper just does a great job.
On a more serious note, I loved how Nynaeve responded upon coming back to the real world. She isn’t okay.
And it’s a good thing that she isn’t. Too often in fiction we don’t see the fallout of emotional damage. Hell, we don’t usually see realistic fallout from physical damage.
But she is hurt by what she experienced. And you can tell. That’s realistic character building, and we don’t see that enough.
I also really appreciate the special effects in this episode. The first time we see Lanfear, she’s eerie. She’s frightening. Part of this is thanks to Natasha O’Keeffe, who does a great job. But the effects are what really sells this.
What didn’t work
If Wheel of Time has any fault, it’s that there is far too much sitting about and talking about things. In this case, there’s a lot of standing about and talking about things. Some of this was necessary, and some of it could have been done better. Honestly, there just has to be a better way to convey that characters are struggling.
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This was most apparent with Rand and Selene/Lanfear. Honestly, anytime the two of them were on screen it was a great time for me to catch up on Instagram.
This might come as a surprise to anyone who hasn’t read the books, but Rand is supposed to be the main character. And here we are, four episodes into an eight-episode season, and so far all he’s done is mess about with his emo girlfriend!
That being said, the story is starting to pick up. With four episodes left, I can’t wait to see how far we go.
Elevator Game (2023) is directed by Rebekah McKendry and is the first feature-length production of Fearworks. It adapts the supernatural myth and creepypasta of the same name while providing an original plot. This unrated Shudder exclusive stars Gino Anania, Samantha Halas, and Verity Marks. In full disclosure, I had the opportunity to interview Gino Anania and Stefan Brunner about the film.
Ryan seeks to find answers to his sister’s mysterious disappearance. To do this, he infiltrates a myth-busting web series that seems to have some ties to her final confirmed moments. Desperate to force a confrontation, he encourages them to play the elevator game. Unfortunately, there seems to be more truth to the myth than expected.
ELEVATOR GAME’s Samantha Halas as the 5th Floor Woman
What I Like about Elevator Game & as an Adaptation
I am lucky to have additional insight into the development hell this movie overcame due to COVID. It’s commendable that the film manages to make it of that, even if it requires a lengthy delay of the film.
Usually, I provide a separate section for adaptation quality. However, the source material remains the ritual, which Elevator Game performs accurately. While the myth inspires many creepypastas, Elevator Game doesn’t directly take or adapt any of these works from what I’ve seen. Instead, it makes its own film based on the legend.
As the Fifth Floor Woman, Samantha Halas creates an eerie and disturbing character. While I won’t go so far as to say terrifying, she certainly makes an impression. The revelation that the stunts and performance are all her, as an actual contortionist, I give her more credit.
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Gino Anania, given a more complex role than most of his cast members, really does bring a strong performance that creates either friction or synergy with his cast members. I suppose I wanted more of these interactions as some cut sooner than appreciated.
Another amusing element is that the entire motivation for the plot to follow is a forced advertisement from an investor. Something about the chaos being a product of appeasing some investors feels uncomfortably real.
The alternate reality remains surprisingly effective. To be clear, it’s not impressively realistic but stylistic. It genuinely seems like an alternate world with a skewered impression.
Disclaimer Kimberley Web Design
Tired Tropes or Trigger Warning
I feel weird mentioning this, but endangering a sister’s life to push the brother’s story forward seems a common trend beyond one form of media.
No discredit to the actors, but the romance feels rushed and unnecessary. Without going into too much detail, to avoid spoilers, there is synergy between the actors but little chemistry in the plot.
ELEVATOR GAME – Verity Marks as Chloe Young and Gino Anania as Ryan Keaton
What I Dislike or Considerations
Elevator Game remains set in providing a B-movie experience. Its tight budget leaves little room to surprise the viewer visually. While I am surprised at what it accomplishes, it’s far from overwhelming. This film also remains the first production of Fearworks, which shouldn’t surprise anyone. I’m interested in the future, but Elevator Game leaves much to grow from.
Rebekah McKendry may have a directorial style that influences dialogue, but the line delivery evokes an overexpression that’s common in Lovecraftian films. I say this not as a direct negative, but it remains a required taste best known before viewing. As this isn’t Lovecraftian, I fear it removes some of the reality and tension of those haunting elements.
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Many of the characters feel underdeveloped, making me wonder if cutting these roles might lead to more invested characters. While the performances hit their marks, a tighter cast might give each role more to work toward. As this is a tight cast already, it seems an odd issue to rectify.
Final Thoughts
Elevator Game provides an interesting B-movie experience for those who know the legend. For those expecting something different, this film may not work for you. This film overcame a lot to exist but doesn’t break the mold. While I am excited to see Fearworks pursue further ventures toward its ambitious mission statement, I find Elevator Game falling short of its goal. (2 / 5)
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G
September 19, 2021 at 7:50 am
This mk 11 i been expecting a lot of more but this game is scrap and very cheap made((