MORTAL KOMBAT: ANNIHILATION
A film review by Timothy Voon
Copyright 1998 Timothy Voon
1 ;-( for utter chaos
Cast: Robin Shou, Talisa Soto, James Remar, Brian Thompson, Sandra Hess, Lynn Red Williams, Irina Panteva Director: John R. Leonetti Screenplay: Brent V. Friedman and Bryce Zabel
Anyone who is a MORTAL KOMBAT fan will probably testify to the fact that it is more enjoyable to play the game, than to actually watch the movie. One doesn't get the same adrenaline rush when watching butts get kicked, than if actively kicking butt themselves. Perhaps this is where the future of cinema lies, with active participation from the viewer. Plus the fact that computer game\kid's TV, never seem to transfer well from small screen to big screen i.e. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Street Fighter, Care Bears, The Power Rangers, whose popularity is as fleeting as the change of seasons.
Much hasn't changed since the original MORTAL KOMBAT. Both movies have plenty of well choreographed fight sequences, but when this is all it has going for it, then MK2 becomes more than a tad tedious. The plot is not surprisingly lost in the commotion of kicks and punches. Making this an ill-balanced movie that comes to an abrupt end when the ideas suddenly run dry. MORTAL KOMBAT was about saving the earth by winning a fantastic tournament between out worlds. In MK2, all the rules are broken and the reason it is called ANNIHLATION is because there are no rules, feel free to kill anyone you wish.
Liu Kang (Robin Shou) the hero is back. I cannot understand why he doesn't shoot fireballs like in the MK game. His love interest is Princess Kitana (Talisa Soto), who only gets to use those deadly fans once before spending most of her time locked in a cage. Rayden (James Remar originally Christopher Lambert), does very little except say sickly, chirpy things like ‘I love humans', ‘You must believe in yourself' and ‘We are family.' Sonya Blade (Sandra Hess) has her moment of distinction mud fighting with Mileena (Dana Hee), whilst Jax (Lyn Williams), who is White American in the game takes a genetic turn and becomes Black American in the movie. Shao Kahn (Brian Thompson) is as frightening as a big bully and is too easily defeated in the end.
If you want to relive your MORTAL KOMBAT fantasies, then my suggestion is to miss the movie and just play the game again.
Timothy Voon e-mail: stirling@netlink.com.au Movie Archives http://us.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Tim+Voon Hugues Bouclier's Movies in Melbourne http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~bouclier/week/movies.html
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