REVIEW: Mortal Kombat: Fates Beginning

- By @LastBoneStands

Right from the start, I’m going to tell you, if you aren’t a massive fan of Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Fates Beginning is not likely going to be for you. That being said, this film did win Best MK Fan Film at the 2015 Urban Action Showcase. To really enjoy this film, you should be familiar with the characters and who they are.

This film depicts the 10th and final Mortal Kombat tournament. To begin, we’re given the back story which brings us all up to speed. Basically, an evil emperor from Outworld has his sights set on Earth. Raiden, protector of the Earth realms, begs for a fighting chance, which is granted in the form of the Mortal Kombat tournament. If Outworld wins 10 tournaments, they will be allowed to conquer the Earth. There have already been 9 tournaments, and Outworld has won every one of them. The 10th is for the fate of the Earth.

The majority of the film focuses on the fights in the tournament. Fair warning, there is actually very little real fighting that happens. Some of the fighting is done as an animated scene, and other fights are shown as clips of various moves/counters/combos. For those expecting amazing fight scenes and horrific gore, there might be some disappointment. We are, however, treated to a few iconic fatalities, and many of the signature moves we’ve come to know and love over the years (GET OVER HERE!).

While some of the acting is a bit wooden, Immanuel Chang did a fine job playing Liu Kang and Daniel Pesina was wonderfully over-the-top in his portayal of Shang Tsung. The overall flow of the film was done quite well and worked nicely within the 20 minute timeframe. Most of the film was live action, but cut within were animated scenes. These scenes were generally used to provide a lot of information in a shorter amount of time, which is likely why it was used for some fight scenes.

Some of the best parts in the film were the nods given to those familiar with the games and the characters. Writer-director Chris Barcia clearly shows his love for the material. This film was funded through IndieGoGo, and created with no intention of making a profit. It was made solely for the love of the Mortal Kombat series, and to share that love with the fans of the series.

@LastBoneStands