Copying the story of a game and adapting it in a movie often fails if the original narrative of the game is rock solid. However, if they show us enough gore and Mortal Kombat violence, we’d love to see our champions take on the Outworlders. Mortal Kombat 2021 is the exact scenario where the story isn’t the best but the lore is precisely what we want from a movie set in Earthrealm. Now if the filmmakers have made any notes from the reviews and fans’ comments, there are a few things that can actually make Mortal Kombat 2 movie one of the best adaptations ever.
Give Us A Bloody Tournament
This goes without saying that Mortal Kombat is a tournament, and if you’re making a movie with this name that doesn’t feature such a thing, then something is really wrong here. A brutal competition between the champions of Earthrealm and Outworld was the key reason why the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie became a hit.
Thankfully, recent reports and even the Mortal Kombat 2021 movie’s ending all point toward a classic MK tournament coming this year. It’s so exciting to have Shang Tsung once again play his tricks on the rules and how Raiden guides our heroes to defeat the Outworlders.
Change The Protagonist
When I first saw the Mortal Kombat 2021 I really tried to give Cole Young a chance to prove himself as a new character and the protagonist of a Mortal Kombat story. But as the story moved on, it didn’t really move the needle. Healing powers and beating the mighty Goro that gave me nightmares in my childhood in the most convenient setting ever? Come on MK, you’re better than this.
The idea is good though. Cole is a descendant of Hanzo Hasashi, and I like that. But while we have Liu Kang as the champion and the master of martial arts, who cares about a character with a thick plot armor all over him? Mortal Kombat has a strong protagonist and the story has worked for more than I’ve lived, why change that?
Actions Have Consequences
One thing I liked about the 3D era of Mortal Kombat games was that some characters die in the action, and they were gone, for a while at least. Shang Tsung killed Liu Kang in Deadly Alliance, and he wasn’t seen in his normal human form until the reboot; that’s what I’m asking for the Mortal Kombat 2 movie.
If you want to bring back Sub-Zero, that’s great news, but how? Creativity is the way Mortal Kombat brings back dead characters and we need that more than ever with the new movie. Bring him back as Noob Saibot, or maybe let Kuai Liang take the mantle. But please, don’t tell me that Shang Tsung has resurrected the fallen ice-fella with magic and he’s back in full swing.
Explore The Realms
We’ve got 6 realms in the Mortal Kombat universe, and we never get to see and know enough of it. Mortal Kombat: Deception was probably the best at this by allowing us to search the realms for relics and meet different characters related to that dimension.
Now when it’s confirmed that Kitana and Shao Kahn are in the Mortal Kombat 2 movie, I’d like to see Edenia on the big screen! How did Shao Kahn take that realm? Give us details, backstories, and things that’d be so much fun to watch in different worlds of Mortal Kombat.
No Open Endings, Please?
Leaving doors for a sequel is one thing and not giving fans a conclusion by the end is another. Mortal Kombat‘s deep stories and characters have the foundation to make 10 movies if they really want to, however, it shouldn’t make Mortal Kombat 2 a half-baked narrative. Simply put, I don’t want to wait for another 4 years to see what Shang Tsung hides in his sleeves.
The story needs something to work on and stick to that with a conclusion at the end. The first movie’s purpose wasn’t as transparent, and Shang Tsung could invade Earthrealm at any time which is still a big question. Let’s not try that again.
