movies/tv Why is it so hard to make a good Mortal Kombat movie?

[Mzukiller 233]

Mortal Kombat: The Movie was barely passable, Annihilation was a steaming pile and the online series doesn't seem worth anyone's time. it's just a fighting game, right? Why can no one do it right?

 

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,091]

I could say the same about the Resident Evil movies.

 

To be honest, most video game movies just suck, and that just seems to be a fact of life. I wish someone competent could come along and make a worthwhile movie that can please both fans and non-fans of a game series. Wish there was someone out there that could do it.

 

On the subject of just Mortal Kombat, the original movie could've been massively improved with an R rating, a bit better acting, and better storyline. Other than that, it was fine. Annihilation... well, it doesn't exist in my mind.

[XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 777]

Because making a compelling movie out of a game is difficult for producers to do. If you think about it, they need to bring something that's appealing and new to the current fan base while making sure everything makes sense and is digestible for movie goers who have never heard of Mortal Kombat or Resident Evil. Even then, they most likely have never really played the game which ties in to the movie they're making, so they usually go with their own interpretations of the characters and try their best to make a story that fits them all in (or sometimes the characters are completely broken!)

 

Besides, last I checked Mortal Kombat was really all about the fighting and less about the story

[TomokoKuroki 1,707]

Probably the same reason why they can't make decent superman games. They are 2 completely different forms of entertainment that can't easily transition into the other.

 

The main focus of a game is the gameplay (unless maybe you are something a long the lines of the FF series), the main focus of a movie is a story. When you remove the play, you have to focus on making the story really good. (this also requires good actors to propel the story further) Otherwise you may as well just watch the MK cinematics.

Edited May 14, 2013 by Hayze

[Veylon 255]

Tournament fighting is a movie trope. At the beginning, there are a bunch of characters lured together for a prize. At the end, there can be only one. Highlander did it about right. Mortal Kombat's main pitfall is it strayed very far from the purity of the concept. Annihilation's pitfall was that there were too many characters and no tournament.

 

Mortal Kombat is all about one-on-one fights where the winner moves on and the loser dies. All a movie should really have to do is interpose martial arts choreography with rest periods that advance the plot and gradually intensify them both. Put something at the end that worth risking likely decapitation for and you've got yourself a film.

[Megas 27,921]

It's a fighting game series, and those tend to have weak(if any stories). Granted, I never got into the Mortal Kombat series, plus I heard that the most recent game's story was surprisingly strong, so who knows. I think what they should do is do what the Ratchet and Clank movies are doing, get the game's staff to work on the story and get a director that actually gives a shit

Edited May 14, 2013 by Super Kami Guru

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,091]

It's a fighting game series, and those tend to have weak(if any stories). Granted, I never got into the Mortal Kombat series, plus I heard that the most recent game's story was surprisingly strong, so who knows. I think what they should do is do what the Ratchet and Clank movies are doing, get the game's staff to work on the story and get a director that actually gives a shit

 

Yeah, the newest Mortal Kombat game was actually really good, which was a pleasant surprise for me.

 

Not a bad idea... the Ratchet and Clank movie might just be one of the first really good video game movies, but we'll have to really wait and see if it does hold up. I'm sure with the game's staff working on it, who are honestly really good at writing, it will turn out just right. The director part really does matter too, as I've noticed that a lot of directors of these video game movies seem to have no idea what they're doing.

[Jokuc 8,174]

I completly agree! I mean seriously the Mortal Kombat mobie was super retarded haha. Nah but it was.. Weird.

Mortal Kombat should be more... Actionlike and more "agressive" but I remember that I laughed through the whole movie.

 

I don't know why it's so hard though, maybe because no one can come up with an idea that makes it look at cool at the games are without making it look ridiculous.