"Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match" Animated Feature Talkback (Spoilers)

[James Harvey]

Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match, the fourth animated film in the franchise, sees Johnny Cage in 1980s Hollywood on a mission to become a famous actor. However, his world soon changes when his co-star disappears, and he embarks on a journey filled with danger and deceit.

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Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match
Studio: Warner Bros. Animation
Release Date: Digital, 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack – October 17, 2023

Description: It's the 1980s and Johnny Cage is on a quest in Hollywood to become a famous actor. However, his world soon changes when his co-star disappears, and he embarks on a journey filled with danger and deceit.

Featuring a terrific voice cast, the film stars Joel McHale (Animal Control, Community) as Johnny Cage and Jennifer Grey (Dirty Dancing, Red Oaks) as Herself. Also starring in the movie is Gilbert Gottfried (Aladdin, Royal Crackers) as David Doubldy, Dusan Brown (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) as Chuck Golden, Grey DeLisle (Teen Titans Go!) as Kia, Robin Atkin Downes (Luck, DC Showcase: Constantine – The House of Mystery) as Shinnok, Zehra Fazal (Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe) as Jataaka, Gilbert Gottfried (Aladdin, Royal Crackers) as David Doubldy, Kelly Hu (Arrow, X2: X-Men United) as Ashrah, Matt Yang King (Elemental) as Concierge, Phil LaMarr (Futurama) as Brian Van Jones, Matthew Mercer (Resident Evil: Death Island) as Director/Bully, Dave B. Mitchell (Call of Duty franchise) as Raiden and Armen Taylor (Justice Society: World War II) as Master Boyd.

Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match is directed by Ethan Spaulding (Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms) from a script by Jeremy Adams (Justice League: Warworld), who also penned the screenplays for the series’ first three films, and supervising producer is Rick Morales (Mortal Kombat Legends franchise, Bablyon 5: The Return Home). All four films are based on the Mortal Kombat videogame franchise created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. Sam Register and NetherRealm Studios’ Ed Boon are executive producers.

Mortal Kombat! Discuss this action-packed animated feature right here!

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[Classic Speedy]

Watched this last night. I've enjoyed all the WBA MK films and this one's no exception.

If you thought Snow Blind was too serious and grim, you'll be pleasantly surprised with this one. It's like a polar opposite in terms of tone, with over the top action, deliberately loud '80s colors, and a throwback '80s soundtrack. Plus Johnny Cage's one-liners. And... (spoiler) Jennifer Grey as the villain. And I mean, she actually plays herself in the movie. If that isn't delightfully nutty, I don't know what is.

And the ending dovetailed nicely with a nod to the start of the first MK game/movie.

Also, as Snow Blind was extremely brutal, Cage Match is significantly lighter in terms of graphic violence. Granted, there is still SOME (this is Mortal Kombat after all), but if you're squeamish, this is a much easier film to take.

The character of Chuck offered a nice mirror of Cage himself, learning how to become more of a badass throughout the movie just as Cage did when he was a bullied teenager.

Finally, it was a treat hearing Gilbert Gottfried one last time.

Your thoughts?

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The audio commentary was pretty amusing. The participants frequently joked that this film will kill the MK Legends film franchise and that they'll be blacklisted from the industry. I know they were joking around because Netherrealm gave its blessing but it's interesting because the film still feels like Mortal Kombat. It's obviously different from the other three films because it's not based around a tournament or about getting revenge, and takes place in the real world, but it's still got violence, it stays true to the characters and lore, and there's still supernatural "save the world from a demonic force" material which is frequently seen in the MK games. It's obviously more (darkly) comedic, but it stars Johnny Cage, what do you expect?

Mod Note: Posts merged.

 

[khuddle]

If you thought Snow Blind was too serious and grim, you'll be pleasantly surprised with this one. It's like a polar

I really liked Snow Blind though. Hey, it was Sub-Zero's story, it should have been serious and grim.

The one I disliked was the second one, "Battle of the Realms". I don't even remember it too well,
it was so dull, over-long and boring.

This one sounds like another winner, however, along with Scorpion's Revenge and Snow Blind.

 

[Spider-Man]

Cage Match was great! While I have enjoyed all the MK Legends movies to varying degrees this one really stands out! The jokes were actually good, the fights were good and the stylized animation really helped sell the 80s vibe. I was surprised how well the movie worked too because you wouldn't think that an action-comedy is a good approach to MK but it really is here. This movie was just a lot of fun and hope we get a fiffth.

 

[Fone Bone]

Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match

Not bad at all. I actually liked it.

So here is the problem with the previous Mortal Kombat animated films: When kids used to play the games back in the 1990's we used to giggle at the gore and violence. It was subversive, and the Fatalities were freaking hilarious. The second and third games really leaned into the humor of the franchise not just with the Friendships and the Babalities. But the Special Pong Level says this is a funny, messed up franchise.

And while the first animated movie was all right, the second (and the third ESPECIALLY) messed up by making the violence horrific and tragic. The first film had that too, but it had a decent story to back it up. The next two movies, especially the third, didn't actually understand that people actually ENJOYED the videogames. They were not horror games. People playing them found them funny. And playing all this as horrible and soul-crushingly depressing instead of funny means the producers of the movies didn't understand the videogames or why kids played them. The filmmakers didn't get their own franchise. Problem there.

Make no mistake: Kids loved those games. Another reason making R-rated movies that are depressing and no fun is ill advised.

I'm not gonna say the movie is funny. That's perhaps giving it a comedic due it hasn't rightly earned. But the violence is PLAYED as funny. Which is how it should be. I have said there are almost no great R-rated animated films, and even good ones are super rare. I'll call this a pretty good one. That's actually me going out on a pretty big limb, but it feels true.

Jennifer is not given a last name in the movie but the credits says Jennifer Grey is playing herself. I love that.

And while I didn't find Gilbert Gottfried's role very funny, the fact that it was one of his final roles, and the that the film was dedicated to him at the end made me enjoy it nonetheless.

As far as cartoons go, I'm a traditionalist. I think actions cartoons have their place, but the good action cartoons, the ones I respond to, have a sense of humor. I think as a rule cartoons and comics should be funny. Even the supposedly dramatic stuff should have jokes in it. So it gets my stamp of approval for THAT at least. ****.

 

[Classic Speedy]

The thing is, Mortal Kombat has always been a serious series at its core, but the developers peppered in enough silliness (Frienships, Toasty!) and over-the-top gore (the kind where you laugh at how gruesome it is) to keep it from being too grimdark. Sounds like the last two movies got too grimdark for your liking. Snow Blind, as I said, had virtually no comic relief. So Cage Match was a breath of fresh air.