From a video game spanning over two decades, there is now a film that is a decent introduction to a universe of potential other films. Mortal Kombat has the elements that fans will expect including the crazy comic violence, the beloved characters from the games, the signature fighting moves, and a film that involves non-stop combat. Mortal Kombat is a film in which the violence comes with consequences.  However, the over-done violence is an excellent representation of the evolution of the Mortal Kombat gaming. The movie is directed by newcomer Simon McQuoid who has taken the perfect steps to evolve the story and set it up to continue.

The video game we love starts with the story of an MMA fighter who fights for a living. His name is Cole Young (played by Lewis Tan). He also has a marking on him that he assumes is a dragon birthmark.  Suddenly, he starts to get hunted down by other warriors who have this same symbol because those who have it have been chosen to fight in the underworld known as Mortal Kombat. Cole finds himself training with other warriors who have been in his position before in a realm that seems far removed from this world. However, Cole must adapt to the forces he is given in order to stop what evil enemies may come his way. The enemies are Sub-Zero (played by Joe Taslim, a name that is always popular in the video games) and other chosen ones who have taken an evil side. The film becomes a suspenseful bloodbath just like a comic book.

Mortal Kombat had me hooked. The choreography is brilliant and the action is non-stop. This movie is a true adaptation from the video game and it is done right. Throughout the film, the action grows as the danger becomes more serious. On top of that, the movie offers insight into why the main character is being chosen for the competition which is an important aspect of the series. There were moments where I felt a little lost, since some of the suspense was done differently than I expected. In retrospect, I believe that is because this Mortal Kombat film lays  the foundation for what is to be continued.

Overall, Mortal Kombat is a thrill ride of action, blood, and guts, but delivered in the video game comic book way. Seeing this in IMAX added to that experience. I felt during all the suspenseful scenes I could feel the sound. It was a cinematic experience I have been eager for after many months of wondering when big titles would be shown on the big screen again. The movie is also on HBO MAX, but for Mortal Kombat fans, I highly recommend the big screen experience. Three stars.

Mental health is a serious subject in the world we live in today and is especially so for those who work in the field. In Every Breathe You Take, the psychiatrist has his own mental health challenges which makes the movie somewhat hard to watch. It is, however, an enticing film and quite suspenseful as the conflict gets out of control. There are moments of misdirection which oddly is where I found Every Breathe You Take was able to hold my attention. However, even during times when I was intrigued, those moments did not provide much light given all the darkness of the film.

Every Breathe You Take takes place in British Columbia. The film’s focus is on a family that is dealing with grief after the loss of a son, and on a daughter who was just expelled from school. The father is Philip who is a psychiatrist (played by Casey Affleck), The mother is Grace (played by Michelle Monaghan), and the daughter is Lucy (played by Linda Eisley). Philip’s life is his patients and helping them improve their lives. However, he tries to ignore the grief he is suffering after the loss of his son and does not know how to deal with the situation involving his daughter being expelled from school.  He devotes his time to his patients to keep him distracted from the emotions he has after his son’s death. Philip’s life hits uncharted territory when he finds out one of his patients has died (supposedly of suicide). He comes across a man named James (played by Sam Claflin) and James says he is the brother of the deceased patient. Life for Philip and his family takes a turn for the worst when he lets James into his life. James puts Philip’s life on the line by making up lies to ruin Philip’s career and utilizing other insane tactics. Philip  tries to figure out if James is really the brother of his deceased patient, or if he is just mentally insane. Given Philip’s personal situation, he is not mentally prepared to handle the danger that James poses.

Even though the film is not pleasant, it is the right role for Casey Affleck. He is known to play characters who are depressed, ill-fated, or are caught in life-threatening situations. In this role, he plays someone suffering from depression as he did in Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester by the Sea (2016). Affleck is again brilliant in this film, because he has a way of hiding his emotions in sessions with his patients.  During the movie, you can hear the emotion in his voice as he tries to relate to his patients. The question is whether he is mentally prepared to be a psychiatrist given the circumstances in his own life and the loss of a patient. 

Every Breathe You Take is emotional and suspenseful. I enjoyed it for the suspense, but the emotional elements were a challenge. It pushes the envelope with the topic of mental health issues. However, for those who are interested in suspense based upon a puzzle of lies, deceit, and destroyed reputations, then you may enjoy Every Breathe You Take. Before watching the film, I suggest researching it more given it is heavy with many sensitive elements. Therefore, I give this one three stars.

The title of Godzilla vs. Kong has meaning, but the hype that fans anticipate lacks in some areas. The film takes its time to get to the point of the battle sequence and has many unstructured moments. It seems to focus on almost the opposite of what many would anticipate in a Godzilla film. Yes, Godzilla films usually do not have much of a plot, but instead feature scary moments with roars and action between Godzilla and his enemies.  Given the title of Godzilla vs. Kong, I found myself enjoying the action scenes.  However, when it resorted to various unexplained scenarios of the film, I was lost trying to put together which monster stood to have more importance. I will not give away details regarding which monster gets the most attention in the beginning of the film, but I will say that much of the background leading up to the battles is not established well. The film resorts too much to CGI, crazy sound effects, and frequent explosions to get fans in the mood.

The film is the next chapter in the Monsterverse series of two icons, Godzilla and Kong, who had their separate films. Godzilla had the remake of Godzilla in 2014, and then Godzilla: King of the Monsters in 2019. Kong had Kong: Skull Island in 2017. Godzilla is the most established monster and the two now come together as enemies set for an epic battle. The characters Nathan Lind (played by Alexander Skarsgard), Ilene Andrews (played by Rebecca Hall), Bernies Hayes (played by Brian Tyree Henry), and Mark Russell (played Kyle Chandler) are all part of the conflicts involved in controlling the crazy outbreaks of danger given what Godzilla and Kong can do to demolish what is around them. However, these characters lack in substance because the film is solely geared on the aspects leading towards the battle, instead of giving the characters meaningful roles. 

I had fun with the cinematic aspects, but they were not as amazing as I expected although still visually stunning in small fragments.  The film is mediocre in that it did not deliver the action the way I anticipated. This may be related to the fact that Hollywood and the studios are trying to get back in business after the pandemic put a halt on the production of many projects and some are now being rushed for release. It sure seems like Godzilla vs. Kong was rushed in moments. The sound effects and the action are still awesome, it is just that the lead up to them is boring.

For these reasons, I am going to give this film two stars. My expectations were high, and the experience was not as visually intriguing as anticipated. For a Godzilla fan like me, I expected it to be spectacular especially when many Godzilla films have been successful using a similar approach. This one includes some fun visual action scenes, but just feels very rushed.