MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan), accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of his heritage-or why Outworld's Emperor Shang Tsung (Chin Han) has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim), an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt Cole down. Fearing for his family's safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) at the direction of Jax (Mehcad Brooks), a Special Forces Major who bears the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with. Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), Kung Lao (Max Huang), and rogue mercenary Kano (Josh Lawson), as he prepares to stand with Earth's greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe. But will Cole be pushed hard enough to unlock his arcana-the immense power from within his soul-in time to save not...
This franchise has been pumping out these Kombat movies for a few decades now. Every so often we get a reimagined version of this game/movie franchise and it gets a certain group of enthusiasts all excited to see the carnage all over again. This movie is violent and disturbing at times, but that is what you are signing up for when you choose to watch a movie about fighting till one person is dead. All things considered, I think this was the best reimagining yet. One of the best parts was that they did not make it too corny. There were one-liners and silly situations, but it was done in a more serious mood and tone. They spent the time setting up what could be more spinoffs in the future. If you are a fan of these stories you will not be disappointed. If you are new to the franchise, you may be scratching your head to what all the fuss is about, after you come out from behind your covered eyes avoiding the grotesque finishing moves. Kano definitely steals the show. Let me know if you agree.
Ranking 6.5/10
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