Witness the Mythic Five-Match Duel in the Mortal Kombat Movie

"Mortal Kombat: Next Round". It was an overwhelming cinematic experience. Every frame feels "authentic." To put it in one word, this is a scroll of myths.
In my mind, it is already nominated as a candidate for the
best film of the 2020s.

I have a bad habit of meta-analyzing scripts, cinematography (and political correctness elements) when watching movies, which makes it hard for me to immerse myself in the world of the film. Conversely, I believe any work that makes me forget all that and lose myself in it is a masterpiece.

This "Mortal Kombat: Next Round" is exactly that kind of film. I had a similar experience with "Top Gun: Maverick," but I think this is the first live-action movie where I was completely engrossed from start to finish.

The recent boom in game-to-movie adaptations has a different flavor than before. Until now, many were made for promotional purposes. However, they are now entering the same framework as novels and comic book adaptations, with an emphasis on whether they can move the hearts of people who know nothing about the games.
"Cyberpunk: Edgerunners" and "Secret Level" are typical success stories of this.
The previous live-action Mortal Kombat also, despite being hit by COVID and a low budget, successfully depicted the emotions and conflicts of the Mortal Kombat inhabitants as a film, becoming a huge hit.

This film is technically a sequel, but frankly, there is no problem watching it from this installment. It focuses on two completely new characters, and the plot points from the previous film are glossed over as side roles.
Many people have probably only seen "2" of Terminator or Baahubali. That is proof that they have built a strong foundation as standalone works. This film is one of those.

Now, I'm late with the introduction, but Mortal Kombat is a fighting game that boasts immense popularity in North America and elsewhere. It might be the most popular in the world, perhaps excluding Street Fighter.

In Japan, (shamefully) there has been almost no product development, but the brutal finishing move called "Fatality" is well-known in some circles.
This Fatality is quite grotesque, and if you see it, I think you can roughly guess why there is no Japanese expansion. On the other hand, the visuals have a certain silliness that seeps through, inviting surreal laughter.

Because of that, most people in Japan think they know Mortal Kombat just by consuming the Fatalities, ignoring the deep characters and world-building. Honestly, I am one of them.

The previous live-action version was also a cheerful movie where the good guys were constantly performing Fatalities on the bad guys, so I was prepared for a silly movie this time too.

But look at this. From the opening, the story unfolds in a completely serious tone. Although there is little dialogue, everything is conveyed through the characters' actions and expressions.
In just a 10-minute scene, I felt like I had been punched in the head.

To use another fighting game as an example, this film had a tension and coldness throughout that felt like Samurai Shodown. The aforementioned Fatalities are also depicted in a tone close to the "Zetsumei Ougi" (Fatal Moves) of Samurai Shodown.

A mad five-match duel that decides the fate of the human realm. Everything about it is unpredictable, and every time "death" approached, a spasm resembling laughter attacked my stomach.

On the other hand, there are Easter eggs and small references to the original game scattered throughout, and the balance that relieves tension in those moments is exquisite.

The most tense "resurrection" setting in the world

Settings where the dead are resurrected are common in works throughout history. The plot of "bringing back a loved one who has passed away" is certainly romantic, but in battle-oriented works, it inevitably comes with the drag of "they'll just come back to life anyway."

And so, this Mortal Kombat is also a world where the dead are resurrected. No matter how much your limbs are torn apart and turned into minced meat, the chance for resurrection is given equally.
In other words, no matter how hard you try to kill the bad guys, there is a possibility they will return.
That's not all. Since the bad guys hold the reins to this resurrection technique, once you die, your life and death are literally in their hands. In fact, several characters appear who have turned to the dark side during their resurrection, so you are made to realize how heavy death and resurrection are.
Also, everyone forgets because of their "game brain," but Fatalities are incredibly painful, so you must not die.

By showing the chance of resurrection, this film paradoxically succeeds in creating a performance where everyone is equally faced with death. If you lose, of course, a FATALITY that makes you want to cover your eyes awaits.

Sanada's Scorpion is electrifying

I became a fan of Hiroyuki Sanada after seeing his performance as Scorpion in the previous film. Scorpion is an iconic ninja character in Mortal Kombat, holding a position comparable to Currypanman. His popularity even surpasses that of the protagonist, Liu Kang, and he is famous in his home country as a representative ninja alongside Ryu Hayabusa.

At the time, I only thought of Hiroyuki Sanada as the old guy playing Scorpion. As I watched more of his work, I became increasingly drawn to his samurai-like demeanor.

And then there is this film. What I saw was Hiroyuki Sanada, Scorpion, and Hanzo Hasashi (the character's real name) all in one. A true actor must become one with their role, blending into the world so completely that you forget they are an actor. In this film, not just Scorpion, but every character appears as a warrior of the story.

Hurry to the theater, right now.

This film was a total blast from start to finish. The upbeat techno in the ending thundered through the IMAX sound system, and with my excitement at its peak, I quietly hummed along to the lyrics (it's easy since the lyrics are just calling out character names).

Unfortunately, this film will likely be pushed out by other popular releases soon. This visual experience should be had in a theater. If you haven't seen it, hurry to the cinema.

Also, the Warner representative for this film seems to be quite the enthusiast and put a lot of effort into it, but they should have promoted it more boldly, like "Starring Hiroyuki Sanada!" or "Art staff from 'National Treasure' participated!"
They might feel that such promotion is a bit underhanded or beneath their pride, but without it, the domestic audience won't pay attention, and since he is actually a key factor in the film, it wouldn't even be false advertising.

If you like action movies, this is a film that will definitely be a FLAWLESS VICTORY for you, so I really want you to go. Seriously.

For those who want to know a little more about the content (mid-film spoilers)

Well, it's not so much a spoiler as it is me just wanting to talk about it.

When it comes to the "stars" of Mortal Kombat, it's definitely Scorpion and Sub-Zero, but they aren't the "protagonists."
In the original work, Liu Kang is supposed to be the protagonist, but frankly, he lacks presence. Moreover, the original game once had a character named Shujinko serve as the protagonist, which makes things confusing.
Furthermore, the protagonist of the previous movie was an original character named Cole.

To use Anpanman as an analogy, it's like a situation where Currypanman and Shokupanman are incredibly popular, but the candidate for Anpanman hasn't been settled.
(Johnny and Kitana would be like Omusubiman and Rollpanna, I suppose.)

And in this installment, Next Round, both Liu and Cole, the legitimate Anpanman candidates, are eliminated. What's more, Cole has his face smashed in without any flashback or final words.

Also, having Tadanobu Asano get his head cut off and turn into something like a disco ball is probably unique to this film.
Between this and the scene where Shun Oguri rolls his eyes back in Godzilla, I wonder if Warner Bros. US just likes playing around with Japanese household-name actors.