MOVIE REVIEW: MORTAL KOMBAT II

 

Johnny Cage joins other fighters in the ultimate, no-holds-barred battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn, a powerful tyrant who threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders.

Director: Simon McQuoid

Cast: Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, Tati Gabrielle, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada

Release Date: May 8, 2026

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated R for strong bloody violence and gore, and language.

Runtime: 1h 56m

Review:

Mortal Kombat 2 ups the schlock factor from the original as it leans harder into old school B movie territory which works perfectly for the franchise with Karl Urban brings fresh energy as Johnny Cage.  The film offers up the most basic of storylines to prop up the action borrowing heavily from Marvel’s Thanos and his “daughters” for the Shao Kahn, Kitana and Jade plotline which drives the action.  The story is almost secondary though as director Simon McQuoid is almost overanxious to get the action started and deliver his rather impressively acclimated action sequences that most people come for.  The action sequences are all well-constructed and choregraphed throughout although I could have done without some of the slow-motion shots.  The visuals, though, are truly impressive with the fights set on a celestial temple and the final act’s underworld hellscape leaving the biggest impression.  Those moments are where the film really pops off the screen and are sure to make fans of the video game series grin from ear to ear.  Unfortunately, the script is rather clunky throughout with plenty of groan inducing line peppered throughout the film.  The cast does what they can with the material, and you can feel that Adeline Rudolph and Tati Gabrielle are trying desperately to pull something a bit meatier out of Kitana and Jade’s relationship.  Fairing far better is a Karl Urban who joins the series as fan favorite Johnny Cage who is a washed up 90’s martial arts movie star.  Urban is clearly having a ball in the role and his natural gruff charisma works so well that you wish the film took better advantage of it.  In between the fight scenes, Urban makes the film pop far more than anybody else onscreen, especially once Josh Lawson resurrected Kano joins the fray.  They bounce off each other with such natural chemistry that you’re left wishing the film had given them a heavier focus.  They bring the right kind of energy to the whole thing and are well aware of what kind of movie they are making, especially since the film’s costumes seem like they were raided from 1987’s Masters of the Universe.  Much like that film, Mortal Kombat 2, won’t ever be considered a cinematic classic but it definitely has an old school B movie charm that makes it easy to enjoy.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4

 

With the price on his head ever increasing, legendary hit man John Wick takes his fight against the High Table global as he seeks out the most powerful players in the underworld, from New York to Paris to Japan to Berlin.

Director: Chad Stahelski

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, Ian McShane

Release Date: March 24, 2023

Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller

Rated R for pervasive strong violence and some language

Runtime: 2h 49m

Review:

John Wick: Chapter 4, possibly the final entry in the main series, throws everything it has in this ludicrous but insanely entertaining entry.  It’s a rare thing to watch a director grow in real time but Chad Stahelski has shown an impressive evolution over the span of his signature series.  What started as a pulpy bit of well choregraphed gunsplotion slowly morphed into something more stylized complete with an ever expanding mythos.  Stahelski once again ups the ante by delivering three distinctive and massive action set pieces with each bringing a very specific type of kinetic energy.  The first act plays like a live action anime with the second bringing a more standard euro vibe and the third coming through as an homage to 1979's The Warriors with a Parisian demolition derby thrown in for good measure.  The sheer creativity of the bloody ballet that's played out onscreen is impressive on multiple fronts.  Even as some of the sequences start to boarder on self indulgent, there such a large variety of action that it rarely grows stale.  At the center of it is all is Keanu Reeves and his particular brand of acting which fits this series perfectly, so much so that the supporting cast match is tone and tenor.  Donnie Yen brings a fresh sense of energy as a blind frienemy assassin that echoes his Star Wars Rogue One character.  Its a fun performance that becomes more enjoyable as the film goes on.  Bill Skarsgård is the central villain for this entry, chewing up every bit of scenery with impressive aplomb even with a shaky French accent.  Shamier Anderson character is literally called Nobody and the script doesn't do him any favors by giving him very little depth outside of having a faithful German Shepard.  Rina Sawayama and Hiroyuki Sanada have some solid chemistry as father and daughter early on with hints that one might show up again in the future. Returning players like Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne and Lance Reddick give the film a bit of franchise flavor even if they aren't given anything substantial to do.  John Wick is the strange kind of series that manages to overcome its light characterization and basic storytelling with truly impressive action spectacle.  

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: BULLET TRAIN

 

Ladybug is an unlucky assassin who's determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs has gone off the rails.

Director: David Leitch

Cast: Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Benito A Martínez Ocasio, Sandra Bullock

Release Date: August 5, 2022

Genre: Action, Thriller

Rated R for strong and bloody violence, pervasive language, and brief sexuality.

Runtime: 2h 6m

Review:

Bullet Train doesn't deliver much in terms of story or characterization, instead it relies on spurts of hyper stylized violence and its cast endless charisma.   David Leitch's film is choppier than his last two film, Deadpool 2 and Atomic Blonde, making the lulls in between the action set pieces much more noticeable and jarring.  When those action set pieces kick in though they do offer some colorful and gleefully violent choreography that gives the film a boost of adrenaline.  The biggest issue being that the remainder of the film's story and character backgrounds are told via flashy slow motion flashbacks with nearly every single character in the large ensemble getting a vignette.  The majority of the character's themselves are incredibly thin with a handful popping up and off the screen with little more than a few lines of dialogue.  The saving grace of it all is the cast who are clearly having a ball hamming it throughout the film's runtime.  Brad Pitt leads the group giving a light, but fun turn as an operative who's looking for deeper meaning in his overly lethal life.  Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry prove to be standouts together with each of them bouncing dialogue off each other with incredible ease.  They provide the most consistent and energetic characters making their time on screen some of the film's highpoints.  Joey King looks the part but doesn't really add much to her character outside of what's written onscreen even though we're lead to believe she's smarter than nearly everyone.  Hiroyuki Sanada and Michael Shannon have small supporting roles with both punching well under their class but providing the film some credibility even though Shannon is sporting a ridiculously impressive wig and accent.  Bullet Train is the type of film that would have been more effective in a smaller package since it never earns it's two hour runtime and starts to sag noticeably in its final act.  It's still a fairly fun throwback of sorts to those late 90's early 2000 Pulp Fiction knock offs like 2 Days In The Valley, Go or Smoking Aces with a dash of John Woo for good measure.     

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: MORTAL KOMBAT

 

Hunted by the fearsome warrior Sub-Zero, MMA fighter Cole Young finds sanctuary at the temple of Lord Raiden. Training with experienced fighters Liu Kang, Kung Lao and the rogue mercenary Kano, Cole prepares to stand with Earth's greatest champions to take on the enemies from Outworld in a high-stakes battle for the universe.

Director: Simon McQuoid

Cast: Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Tadanobu Asano, Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin, Chin Han, Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada

Release Date: April 23, 2021

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Rated R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, and some crude references

Runtime: 1 h 50 min

Review:

Mortal Kombat is a ridiculous movie on multiple levels which somehow works as goofy mindless entertainment.  The film’s opening sequence feels like a bit of misdirection as it plays like a straight laced old school samurai film.  It’s a slick, impressive opening however once Simon McQuoid’s film starts in earnest it pivots heavily into absurdism.  The plot is razor thin with just a string of a idea holding the whole thing together.  None of it makes much sense and neither the director or cast seem to care so there’s a bevy of things that happen simply because they have to.  Once it embraces it overall goofiness, the movie starts delivering over the top action filled with the kind of gory bloodshed fans have come to expect from the video game franchise.  The cast is made with fresh faces and some more established character actors who slumming it for a paycheck.  Everybody makes it out mostly unscathed with Josh Lawson’s Kano being the real standout and ultimately the most memorable character in the whole thing.  While this Mortal Kombat doesn’t have the endearing campiness of the 1995, the new entry could use some Christopher Lambert, it’s still fun video adaptation that doesn’t try to be anything it’s not. 

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: LIFE

This science fiction saga tells the story of astronauts on the International Space Station who retrieve a sample from Mars and discover it contains evidence of intelligent life. The crew is thrust into danger when the specimen shows signs of aggression, threatening the entire mission. Jake Gyllenhaal stars alongside Ryan Reynolds and Rebecca Ferguson. Daniel Espinosa directed a script written by Deadpool scribes Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese. ~ Daniel Gelb, Rovi

Director: Daniel Espinosa 

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds, Rebecca Ferguson, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare

Release Date: Mar 24, 2017

Rated R for language throughout, some sci-fi violence and terror

Runtime: 1 hr. 43 min.

Genres: Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Thriller

Life is a surprisingly bland rethread of Alien.  Daniel Espinosa does a serviceable job of directed an impressive collections of actors.  It has the hallmarks of decent filmmaking but even with the actor’s best efforts it’s never terribly interesting. The story plays out exactly the way you expect it to go and there’s little effort to bring something new to the story.  The biggest mystery during the entire thing is the order of the characters exit.  Even the finale, which the film seems to think is mind blowing, is incredibly predictable.  You have to wonder if there is a better film in there somewhere.  That’s the only thing that could explain what could have drawn so many talented actors to such a bland and forgettable exercise.     

C-

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Life & Power Rangers

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas with the throngs who apparently haven't left their homes since Christmas. Ahhhh...springtime. On the docket: Life and Power Rangers.

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing plot-related that you wouldn't know from the trailers.

 

First up: sci-fi thriller Life.

Deadpool, Donnie Darko, and the chick from the last Mission Impossible discover an alien life form. 

 

Humanity weeps.

 

As I was suffering through Life, I was prepared to declare it the worst thing I've ever seen. In hindsight, there's no way it's that (screams Ghost Ship from my DVD collection), but it IS a gruesome, derivative waste of a pretty solid cast. The dialogue ranges from trite to cringe-worthy, and the tired old story drags on like a drum solo at an 80s arena-rock show, cut-rate sci-fi that occasionally knocks you over the head with clumsy attempts at poignancy. Sadly, even the creature effects are lame. Then, after two hours of taking itself way too seriously, the end credits kick off with a perky rendition of Spirit in the Sky. Whatever the filmmakers thought they were doing with that, it was a less-fitting finish than La La Land (which is saying something). The one thing Life has going for it is a terrific score by Jon Ekstrand, but, even in tandem with my best boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal, it can't save the day.

 

Life clocks in at an interminable 103 minutes and is rated R for "language throughout, some sci-fi violence and terror."

 

Life is dead on arrival. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Life gets one.

 

Next up, the most recent take on Saban's Power Rangers.

 

Five ordinary high-schoolers are chosen to be the next Power Rangers, and are tasked with saving the world from the evil Rita Repulsa.

 

Well, dear reader(s), in the interest of full and fair disclosure, I'll admit that Power Rangers would have had to work very hard to earn a thumbs-down from this blog, but I'm pleased to report it's even better than I'd hoped. This new crew of Rangers is a diverse, likable, good-looking bunch that seems a solid fit, both as a group and individually. Special shoutout (with just a wee bit of personal bias) to Ludi Lin, who does a great job as Zack, the Black Ranger. RJ Cyler is also terrific, portraying Billy, the Blue Ranger, as a young man on the autism spectrum. There's plenty of well-paced action, but it doesn't drag on or overwhelm the whole. Effects are just as huge as you'd expect. Suits and Zords have been updated for a new age, looking slick and impressive. The film's humor is hardly cutting edge, but the movie's funny when it means to be, and the dialogue among the kids feels natural and not over-scripted. Elizabeth Banks gleefully chews the scenery as Rita Replusa, not my favorite take on the character, but definitely entertaining. Power Rangers have always been corny, and this outing is no exception. The movie runs a little long, and Bill Hader is supremely annoying as the voice of Alpha 5, but, overall, Power Rangers is good fun, and my theater gave it the loudest, longest ovation I've ever experienced at the movies. Stick around for a mid-credits scene. It's no great revelation, but it'll still be welcome "news" for most fans.

 

Power Rangers runs 124 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of sci-fi action, violence, and destruction, language, and for some crude humor."

 

2017's Power Rangers pointedly takes aim at a new generation, but still manages to indulge old fans' nostalgia. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Power Rangers gets seven and a half.

 

Fangirl points: There is a Social Distortion song in this movie. I repeat: There is a Social Distortion song in this movie. This is not a drill.

 

Until next time... 

 

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Railway Man

 



Dearest Blog, yesterday I took a pass on the weekend's big releases to spend some quality time with Colin Firth and The Railway Man.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't get from the trailer.

Years after World War II, a tormented former POW comes face to face with one of his captors.

Well, Blog, you know me. I'm a blockbuster kinda gal. I like monsters and superheroes and have, on more than one occasion, called The Expendables "all the movie I'll ever need." (Don't judge!)

Sometimes, though...sometimes there's a different kind of movie that tells a story I want to hear, and tells it in such a way that I'm willing to put off my date with a wicked witch and shoot-em-ups and even Sharlto Copley to see it.

The Railway Man is an extraordinary true story of love and redemption and forgiveness. The horrors of war are depicted in brutal detail, but never gratuitously. The pace is deliberate--this movie is in no hurry to get anywhere--but it never feels like it's dragging. It would be easy to single out the always-remarkable (and, by always, I mean even in St. Trinian's!) Colin Firth as worth mentioning, but the entire cast is so extraordinary that wouldn't be fair. Even Nicole Kidman, a perennial member of my "Most Hated" list, manages to shine. Sadly, the fact that the film's been released in May, when everything about it screams "awards season," tells me Someone Very Important has already deemed it unworthy of next winter's accolades. That's a real shame.

The Railway Man is a wonderful, terrible, beautiful, painful story that's easily the best movie I've seen this year. With a new blockbuster landing every weekend, it won't stick around long, so I enthusiastically encourage you to get out and see it as soon as you can.

The Railway Man runs 116 minutes and is rated R for "disturbing prisoner of war violence." (Is that a thing?)

The trailer for The Railway Man closes with the line, "Sometime the hating has to stop," and the movie is just great enough to inspire viewers to go out and try to make it so.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Railway Man gets eight and a half.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: THE WOLVERINE

Hugh Jackman returns as Wolverine in this sequel to the member of the X-Men's first solo outing. Mark Bomback and The Usual Suspects' Christopher McQuarrie penned the script, which takes its inspiration from the Chris Claremont/Frank Miller Marvel miniseries from the 1980s dealing with the character's adventures in Japan as he fights ninjas in the ceremonial garb of the samurai. Knight and Day's James Mangold directs. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: James Mangold

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Will Yun Lee, Hiroyuki Sanada, Brian Tee, Famke Janssen

Release Date: Jul 26, 2013 RealD 3D

Rated PG-13 For language, Intense Sci-Fi Action, Some Sexuality and Violence

Runtime: 2 hr. 6 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

X-Men Origins: Wolverine was such a massive misfire that I excised the majority of the film from my memory as soon as the film ended. Needless to the say, I wasn’t terribly excited about The Wolverine especially after Darren Aronofsky dropped out. James Mangold is a solid if unimpressive director so I was still fairly leery of another solo entry for Wolverine. Thankfully The Wolverine is a solid piece of comic book filmmaking with a focused storyline with a pensive seriousness that pervades the better part of the film. Mangold delivers a well balanced film that provides enough action to keep your blood pumping, an impressive bullet train sequence stands out, and heart to keep it interesting. By this point in time the audience should be well versed in the general particulars of Logan’s story so the film doesn’t waste much time explaining rudimentary facts, instead it focuses on Logan after the envents of X-Men: The Last Stand. As a result Hugh Jackman is allowed to flesh out some of the turmoil at play in Logan’s mind. The result is a mixed bag with some of the attempts hitting home while most of the Jean Grey hallucinations come off a tad too heavy handed. Even with its flaws, its effect character building. It helps that the cast of supporting characters and villains has been trimmed to an economically small group. Rila Fukushima leaves a solid impression as Logan’s de facto sidekick. Tao Okamoto, the love interest, feels like she should leave a bigger impression but she’s decidedly bland. Fairing worse is Svetlana Khodchenkova’s vamping villainess, Viper, who is a ham fisted misfire especially in the final act. The final act itself forgoes all the seriousness for a goofy and ultimately anticlimactic end to the film. The Wolverine would have fared better if it’d had some tighter editing, especially in the flabby midsection, and delivered a thrilling finale but it still delivers a solid entry into the X-men cannon. An excellent post credit sequence will leave you waiting patiently or impatiently for the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past.

B-

[Trailer] The Wolverine

It won’t take much to wash off the horrible taste from X-men Origins: Wolverine. It was probably one of the worse comic movies I’ve sat through. So while another go around with this character seems unnecessary at the very least they can’t do any worse than before, this trailer gives a glimmer of hope especially with quick shots of Silver Samurai among others. Still, after the last debacle I’m still very wary…



International Trailer




US Trailer