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Perestroika
Apr 8, 2010

well why not posted:

The movie would’ve been elevated by dropping the credits music in when Scorpion showed up, and Skrillex’s Reptile when he showed up. I don’t know why they couldn’t get that Reptile track. It’s custom made for this.

Yeah, the use of music was underwhelming. You do get some of the beats of the theme in the final fight that land decently, but it could've been much better if they'd committed to it more. Screw subtlety, just let the techno run on full blast once the fighting starts.

That reminds me of the leadup to the release of the MK11 game. They kept releasing little character and story teaser trailers, but all of them featured random new music without the original theme. People kept clamouring for them to actually use the theme, but they kept putting it off. Then the launch trailer dropped, and it finally used the theme in full, and to this day it is one of the hypest game trailers I have ever seen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zwQPJmg-Kg

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fatherboxx
Mar 25, 2013

MK games never used the theme and dissassociated from the movie because of the rights issues (except for a very brief moment when some edition of MK9 had a bonus disc with a movie I think?); Jeff Gerstmann from Giant Bomb joked that Ed Boon got nervous when someone played The Theme at any event. They finally solved everything and gathered under the WB umbrella around MK11 so they could finally make that superhype trailer and all the nostalgic DLCs including Hiroyuki-Tagawa of course.

davidspackage
May 16, 2007

Nap Ghost

Senator Drinksalot posted:

Jarek gets thrown off a cliff :colbert:

Sorry to be a nag but I would like to point out this is brutality

Rainbow Knight
Apr 19, 2006

We die.
We pray.
To live.
We serve

Oh I get it...

...Scorpion has the chain thing and that's like a scorpion's tail. Cole has tonfas because those are like a scorpion's pincers.

KaptainKrunk
Feb 6, 2006


This was almost as bad as the Tom and Jerry movie. Almost.

Halloween Jack
Sep 12, 2003

La morte non ha sesso

DC Murderverse posted:

You’re absolutely right about Takeda though, I don’t know why they wouldn’t just use that name and history.

well why not posted:

I think the choice to have an asian-led MK movie is very solid, the execution was just a bit goofy. I don't know why he couldn't have just been Johnny Cage. Again, vaguely familiar with the games, but is the Cage character defined in any way that would preclude him from being played by Tan?
I'm certain that the studio mandated the protagonist have a generic white guy name, which is why Takeda's out. But there's no reason he couldn't have played Johnny Cage unless Tam just wasn't up to it.

Halloween Jack fucked around with this message at 13:44 on Apr 26, 2021

mistermojo
Jul 3, 2004

we need some personal stakes.... what if Sub Zero kidnaps this guys family

Ouhei
Oct 23, 2008

:minnie: Cat Army :minnie:
Here's my hot take: Every single nerd centric action IP out there is trying to be the next Marvel/Avengers. So much of this movie seems to want to dangle threads to tie sequels/spin-offs into that it forgets to be a solid movie by itself.

thrawn527
Mar 27, 2004

Thrawn/Pellaeon
Studying the art of terrorists
To keep you safe

Mr Luxury Yacht posted:

Not to mention Cary Tagawa as Shang Tsung. They also released a skin pack with MK 95 skins
for Johnny Cage/Sonia Blade/Raiden including bringing back those actors to voice their lines so you can legit have Christopher Lambert fight Robocop.

I'm sorry, what now?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSzjB4xk5Qs

I have to go. I have to...buy some things.

Halloween Jack
Sep 12, 2003

La morte non ha sesso

sticklefifer posted:

MK9, while pretty fun, still kind of requires some knowledge of Armageddon, has the same general beats as 1-3, was already semi-retconned anyway, and its aesthetic and graphics haven't aged well (2011 giant rack Sonya is especially cringe design).
Sonya's design isn't embarrassing because she has big breasts, it's embarrassing because her thong is spirit-gummed to her hips

Megaman's Jockstrap
Jul 16, 2000

What a horrible thread to have a post.
It bears repeating that Cole Young was 100% a studio mandated character and that Lewis Tam drew the short straw with him.

I'm super frustrated with this film in part because it's 95 million dollar but looks cheap as hell and also the script is just full of bonkers concepts that barely work like "what if you had to earn your magic Kombat superpowers?" and "what if Jax has tiny little baby arms that don't matter?" and "what if we spend a bunch of time with a character that has never appeared in a single MK game and has no defining attributes beyond loving his family?" Stuff that you would have to go insanely mega on tone or glow up with beautiful cinematography to distract the audience from. Honestly a great counterpoint to this film is Godzilla vs Kong which is just as silly and sloppy a lot of the time but has a ton of money put into it and knows that the audience wants to see monsterfights, so it works a lot better as a lazy pander with a gazillion dollars thrown behind it.

I still can't believe I watched a nearly 100-million dollar MK movie where the fights took place in: a gym (regular/brrrr version), a sandy canyon, a trailer, and a very obvious green screen pit that nobody got upper-cutted into. That right there is a big problem with the film straight off the jump. Meanwhile Mortal Kombat 95 cost 18 million (roughly 31 million in today's money) and, of course, every dollar of that is on the screen.

Megaman's Jockstrap fucked around with this message at 15:59 on Apr 26, 2021

G-III
Mar 4, 2001

Halloween Jack posted:

Sonya's design isn't embarrassing because she has big breasts, it's embarrassing because her thong is spirit-gummed to her hips

It really bugged me that there was nerd bitching about how MK11 went back to having more reasonable designs for their female characters even though the entire series started with digitized photograph captures of real women who in no way looked like a 3d representation of a grotesque liefeld drawing.

Halloween Jack
Sep 12, 2003

La morte non ha sesso
Until MK4, Sonya just looked like an aerobics instructor with a body count.

Uncle Boogeyman
Jul 22, 2007

One nagging problem that I think illustrates this movie's failure of imagination as well as the common symptom that movies now just kinda suck at selling high-impact moments:

So, opening the movie with the classic fight between Scorpion and Sub-Zero that ends in Scorpion's death. That's great! It's one of the most enduring bits of MK lore and a fun prelude to start things off. I've often thought it would make a great opening scene for a Mortal Kombat movie.

But like... Mortal Kombat is known for its fatalities, right? And since the very first game, one of the most famous ones is Sub-Zero ripping off someone's head with the spine still attached, right? So... why does this fight end with him just stabbing Scorpion in the shoulder? The head-rip would be such a great, huge, bloody moment, a guaranteed audience-reaction-getter, a bit of total fan-service that would still stand on its own as a big dramatic way to slam to the title card with a real sense of "yeah, this is gonna be that kind of Mortal Kombat movie."

fuckin Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub Zero got it, why doesn't this movie get it?

thrawn527
Mar 27, 2004

Thrawn/Pellaeon
Studying the art of terrorists
To keep you safe

Halloween Jack posted:

Sonya's design isn't embarrassing because she has big breasts, it's embarrassing because her thong is spirit-gummed to her hips

Also the fact that she's only wearing a vest that barely contains her chest with no shirt underneath. Not exactly tactical, and rather obvious in its intention.

davidspackage
May 16, 2007

Nap Ghost
Netherealm tried hard to chase the Dead or Alive demographic from MK Deadly Alliance on. Remember Li Mei, a pair of swinging jugs with an approximation of a face above them?

JT Smiley
Mar 3, 2006
Thats whats up!

Halloween Jack posted:

I'm certain that the studio mandated the protagonist have a generic white guy name, which is why Takeda's out. But there's no reason he couldn't have played Johnny Cage unless Tam just wasn't up to it.

I guess it's kind of progressive that they cast an Asian man to play the boring white guy who loves his family.

Uncle Boogeyman
Jul 22, 2007

Mortal Kombat 1995 had an Asian lead who was actually cool and not boring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbms1vse9tw

MacheteZombie
Feb 4, 2007

Uncle Boogeyman posted:

Mortal Kombat 1995 had an Asian lead who was actually cool and not boring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbms1vse9tw

Hell yeah

The_Rob
Feb 1, 2007

musicals are garbage

Uncle Boogeyman posted:

Mortal Kombat 1995 had an Asian lead who was actually cool and not boring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbms1vse9tw

Yeah I rewatched 95 after I finished the new one. And man liu Kang is as awesome in 95. He has so much charisma and anytime cage would give him a sarcastic jab he would give it right back to him. Not to mention his arc was probably the most fulfilling one.

hiddenriverninja
May 10, 2013

life is locomotion
keep moving
trust that you'll find your way

Uncle Boogeyman posted:

Mortal Kombat 1995 had an Asian lead who was actually cool and not boring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbms1vse9tw

MK has time-fuckery now, bring Robin Shou back and have him interact with Ludi Lin

MacheteZombie
Feb 4, 2007
he only throws like 1 fireball the whole movie though

sticklefifer
Nov 11, 2003

by VideoGames
It's kind of funny how none of the movies have had an age-appropriate Shang Tsung where he appears as an old man. His design is always based on MK2 where his youth was restored. Ironically Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is now at about the right age to play him, though they'd still have to age him up a bit.

I honestly found the movie pretty entertaining - it's dumb, but it's Mortal Kombat; I don't expect smart cinema - at least enough that I'm interested in seeing how they improve upon it for sequels. I totally get the complaints, but all I wanted was fun, and I had fun. I guess I could nitpick that it's not following the plot of the games (unless they're bringing back like, everyone who died for the tournament), but I'm cool with them trying something new, and the markings thing is kind of a fun way to explain the powers because now they can be sought after by challengers.

One thing that kind of bugged me though: whenever Shang and his crew showed up, there was a bunch of smoke. I watched it with a friend and we both kept thinking Smoke was going to show up, but no dice. Maybe they're saving that for the sequel, but were setting up his smoke as Shang Tsung's method of transport?

boop the snoot
Jun 3, 2016

The_Rob posted:

Yeah I rewatched 95 after I finished the new one. And man liu Kang is as awesome in 95. He has so much charisma and anytime cage would give him a sarcastic jab he would give it right back to him. Not to mention his arc was probably the most fulfilling one.

MK95 Goro had more charisma after he got punched in the dick than most of the cast in the new one combined.

Kano
Sub Zero
Jax
Kabal if you could stand him

Everyone else was as charismatic as wood.

JT Smiley
Mar 3, 2006
Thats whats up!

Uncle Boogeyman posted:

Mortal Kombat 1995 had an Asian lead who was actually cool and not boring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbms1vse9tw

I'll never forget renting a Jet Li/ Jackie Chan movie and when the movie starts we quickly found out it was about some boring white kid traveling through time or something. I don't think I've ever given up on a movie so fast.

Megaman's Jockstrap
Jul 16, 2000

What a horrible thread to have a post.
I really do not understand why they didn't get CHT back, honestly. Maybe because it was a poo poo nothing role that amounted to a little more than a cameo?

Every time I think about this movie I just get more frustrated with it. I'm not mad at it but it didn't sell the big moments, wasted lots of time on poo poo that didn't matter at all, and looked cheap. It starts out really well and then the goodness starts dribbling out of it and doesn't stop for the whole movie.

Neurolimal
Nov 3, 2012

Megaman's Jockstrap posted:

I'm super frustrated with this film in part because it's 95 million dollar but looks cheap as hell

Was it a 95 million dollar budget or 55 million? The latter is the number I keep seeing elsewhere. If 55 is the correct one then I'd say it looks exactly as cheap as a director's first action feature film at that budget would look.

Peyote Panda
Mar 10, 2019

thrawn527 posted:

Also the fact that she's only wearing a vest that barely contains her chest with no shirt underneath. Not exactly tactical, and rather obvious in its intention.
That part was especially cringe-worthy for me. I used to wear an equipment harness at work and that thing would chap my nipples something fierce occasionally even though two shirts. Just imagining having that vest on with nothing else makes me grit my teeth in sympathetic pain every time I think about it and I'm a dude with a flat chest nevermind having double-Ds pushing against it for even more pressure.

Peyote Panda fucked around with this message at 19:34 on Apr 26, 2021

Megaman's Jockstrap
Jul 16, 2000

What a horrible thread to have a post.

Neurolimal posted:

Was it a 95 million dollar budget or 55 million? The latter is the number I keep seeing elsewhere. If 55 is the correct one then I'd say it looks exactly as cheap as a director's first action feature film at that budget would look.

Last week when I looked it was 95, now it's 55. I checked a couple of different places, but not Wikipedia (which has apparently been correct since forever, and nobody has edited that section that I can see). The links I clicked last week are now 55, so I'm wondering if I just mis-saw. Well, I'm wrong and won't be quoting that number anymore.

The 55 million budget makes a lot more sense, but it still looks substantially worse than 1995's MK (which had a budget of 32 million, adjusted for inflation).

Megaman's Jockstrap fucked around with this message at 20:04 on Apr 26, 2021

boop the snoot
Jun 3, 2016

Uncle Boogeyman
Jul 22, 2007


Unironically cooler than Reptile in the new one.

Megaman's Jockstrap
Jul 16, 2000

What a horrible thread to have a post.

This is like a stop-motion creature in an old movie. It's very obviously fake but it's also cool as a barometer for CGI at the time, and it's also visually striking.

Yeah the new Reptile looks more real. So what? It's Mortal Kombat!

hiddenriverninja
May 10, 2013

life is locomotion
keep moving
trust that you'll find your way


"Did you know that ssssswitching to geico could sssssave you fifteen perssssssscent on your car insssurance?"

Uncle Boogeyman
Jul 22, 2007

Megaman's Jockstrap posted:

This is like a stop-motion creature in an old movie. It's very obviously fake but it's also cool as a barometer for CGI at the time, and it's also visually striking.

Yeah the new Reptile looks more real. So what? It's Mortal Kombat!

The new one just looked like the Lizard from the lame Andrew Garfield Spider Man movie. Boring.

Megaman's Jockstrap
Jul 16, 2000

What a horrible thread to have a post.

Uncle Boogeyman posted:

The new one just looked like the Lizard from the lame Andrew Garfield Spider Man movie. Boring.

Agreed. looks like what somebody with no creativity but a lot of skill would produce if I said "lizard man". He's a loving kung-fu ninja lizard. Let's get with the program here.

JT Smiley
Mar 3, 2006
Thats whats up!
Does anyone even like lizard reptile? Why can't he just be a ninja guy again?

Name Change
Oct 9, 2005


MK '95 was not and did not look high-budget. A lot of the people ITT clearly need to watch MK '95 again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlAwSNbAY8E

This new movie hews pretty closely to the '95 version, in terms of cheesy acting, tournaments held under calvinball rules, and people saying the thing from the video game. Except now it's not rated PG-13 because they're trying to sell nostalgia to people going on 40. It absolutely doesn't matter that they introduced a new character, because the games do that all the time, including a set of "second generation" characters at this point. The new guy gets a yellow Black Panther suit, because of course he does.

My friends and I were pleasantly surprised by it, since like the first one it knows exactly how dumb it is but still has payoff. The CG is doing the job, the sets are clearly where the budget hit its limitations, but it doesn't really matter and it almost makes it more charming that Cole Young's house looks like it is the site of 75 other movies.

It's not incredible but I could easily imagine a complete snoozer phone-in of a movie. I was rarely bored because any pointless exposition was papered over with Kano ham (certainly did not foresee Kano holding the entire movie together).

Alan Smithee
Jan 4, 2005


A man becomes preeminent, he's expected to have enthusiasms.

Enthusiasms, enthusiasms...

davidspackage posted:

Sorry to be a nag but I would like to point out this is brutality

#justiceforjarek

bushisms.txt
May 26, 2004

Scroll, then. There are other posts than these.


JT Smiley posted:

Does anyone even like lizard reptile? Why can't he just be a ninja guy again?

I have no issue with a lizard knowing martials arts, it's the one crazy thing I figured the games would run with.

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Vintersorg
Mar 3, 2004

President of
the Brendan Fraser
Fan Club



Alan Smithee posted:

#justiceforjarek

hmmhehehhehmmmhehhehe

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