Directed by:
Rick MoralesScreenplay:
Jeremy AdamsCast:
David Wenham, Manny Jacinto, Yuri Lowenthal, Debra Wilson, Courtenay Taylor, Sumalee Montano, Ron Yuan, Keston John, Imari Williams, Patrick Seitz, Artt ButlerVOD (2)
Plots(1)
The vicious, power-mad Kano is determined to take over Earthrealm, one soul at a time. Assisted by a trio of cold Black Dragon mercenaries, he embarks on a brutal assault from town to defenseless town. The choice is simple: Kneel or be annihilated. Kenshi, a rebel warrior, calls on Kuai Liang, the only one powerful enough to challenge the malevolent Kano. But Kuai Liang has given up the ways of the warrior, and Kenshi is too undisciplined to defeat Kano himself. If Kuai Liang cannot break through the glacier of doubt that holds him back, Earthrealm will fall. The stakes are immeasurable, and the potential consequences have never been more dire! (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
(more)Reviews (2)
The third installment of the Mortal Kombat Legends animated series and it's once again wholesome carnage full of fatalities and juicy gore. Violence lovers of all kinds will get a boner. Scorpion's Revenge, the first entry, may still be unsurpassed, but this is also a very impressive affair with animation that doesn't bother me as much as, say, Japanese anime. We have the warrior Kenshi, who loses his eyesight but is taken under the wing of Sub-Zero, who gives him proper training so he can get his revenge on Black Dragon and Kane, who here plays the ultimate bastard. The biggest plus, of course, is the action itself. There's a lot of it, it's insanely brutal, some fatalities are breathtaking and the creativity knows no bounds, blood spurts in hectolitres, I can't be unhappy. The film passes quickly thanks to the short running time, sometimes you can laugh at the funny lines and it's just good brutal fun.
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I am amazed at how boldly the third installment of Mortal Kombat Legends deviates from the traditional formula and serves up something in the style of "Old Man Sub-Zero", inspired by the Marvel classic Logan. This surprisingly restrained combination of a Western, Seven Samurai, and the better or worse attributes of the entire universe stumbles more than it sprints, but fortunately feels original. Still, it suffers from the cheapness of bloody scenes lacking any trace of wit or surprise, and above all from increasingly simplistic animation. In the close-up shots of faces I could swear I was watching an unfinished version. Nevertheless, I wish to rise above it, considering how much I usually enjoy adventures from different realms and how many surprises or believable motivations are incorporated into the script. Too bad an unnecessary deus ex machina comes into play at the end that disgracefully devalues everything that has happened up to that point. Just like in the previous installment, a plot that could easily have sufficed for a trilogy (with a bit of effort and luck) kicks off and then resolves within a weak ten minutes.
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