First of all Wow...just wow. Kevin Tancharoen really did a wonderful job. It's good at least. Now, with that said here's my critique (sorta) of the actual video:
1.) Jax is a Special Forces officer, not a detective. lol I don't blame them for missing this too much, because most folks don't care to know how intricate the US Armed forces are, but I think it should be corrected because that's part of what makes Jax and Sonya "special" in the game.
He and Sonya are on a different tier of law enforcement. A good way to describe them, is that they are both officers of an outfit that is more exclusive than the US Army, Navy, and Air Force. They are the "super soldiers"....with very particular specialties. They may be martial arts masters, but Jax could be a heavy artillery specialist or rifleman, and Sonya could be tech-savvy or small arms as a specialty. Something like the crew in the first Predator movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger and his men.
Everyone had at least one specialty, but none of them were weak alone. Jax and Sonya are like the leaders of THAT small group.
The folks in the Special Forces unit are virtually untouchable (basically), and are selected for very specific reasons. Jax and Sonya should not have an office in a building anywhere . They'd have to have retired to take lessor positions like the ones in the video(and even then, their "lessor positions" would be like offices in the Dept of Defense [gov offices] or something to that affect. Which is still higher up than detective...or a precinct). They're waaay up the ladder as SF soldiers. So, to follow them through a movie sequence should be crazy as hell. It'd be alot more about stealth, strictly objectified, missions (get in, kill the target//get the info//ect, get out).
They are unseen unless they're already killing you. That's how serious these two characters are. The intensity around them should be higher just based off sheer rank, pull, talent, and skill. They survive through anything alone, and are virtually "unbeatable" together because of how they support each other.
1b.) On the flip side, the actors for Jax and Sonya were good matches. But I'd want to see a better script (more intelligent... or more catered to the actors themselves. Like, let MJWhite rehearse a fairly strict guideline about what's going on instead of sticking him to the script, he might sound better), or less of one for Jax in particular.
Even though the one for the short was pretty good as it was. It seemed a little cheezy to me. I wasn't convinced, which I think could just be how Michael Jai White speaks when it has to do with fictional characters and stuff. I love the guys work to death hands down, but he's better utilized when he doesn't speak so much. He's a better "do-er" // he's better to see rather than hear narrate through a script a whole bunch.
Sonya was good to go except for the aforementioned.
2.) Reptile was just not good man. I mean I liked how he was described, and I know now after listening to that podcast how limited resources were, but Reptile was just not good. I didn't appreciate that take on him at all.
I'd just try him again, and get alot closer to what the games offered for how to create him in the movie.
3.) No go on Baraka too, I just didn't buy it at all. I think it may be one of those situations where they naturalized//humanized this character too much. Go more like the zombies in "I Am Legend". A spin off of that might be perfect with the MK touch added to it. Teeth, skin sorta transparent with the funky veins all crazy, the blades, a large horde of them with one finite leader....ect.
I didn't like....probably anything about this interpretation of Baraka. The doctor thing...I just don't want to see it for that character.
The odd thing I find about the movie interpretations of Baraka to date, is how far off from the games' idea everyone keeps getting. He's a monster from another world...that's a fantastic idea for what this character looks like. I don't understand why producers would want to deviate from that. I'd probably just get more detailed with him...make his skin look nastier (virus infected or something), make his teeth slightly movable like the disgusting creature that he is supposed to be...
idk
4.) Johnny Cage was played great. I don't understand why he gave up so easy at the end of the fight but, all things considered I liked what they did with his backstory, and overall how he was portrayed. Plus...he got killed vs a more savage character. That was good... it made sense and everything.
Also, the choreography was decent for both of the characters too. Baraka would do what that actor did for him, and Cage would do what he did.
5.) I loved how they humanized Scorpion. I've been waiting for a long time for one of these producers to actually utilize Scorpions human name Hanzo Hassashi. The actor seemed spot on too....voice was pretty much right...ect. I couldn't wait to see him put on the ninja get-up and throw the spear. Maybe another day though.
Scorpion was portrayed well all the way through.
6.) Overall Pro:
Overall the whole vid was very well done and I appreciate the effort that went into it. I like that it was set in reality, and I liked how grounded Jax, Sonya, Cage, and Scorpion were. I also thought it felt like a new Mortal Kombat. It wasn't perfect, but it did manage to capture alot of what the allure to Mortal Kombat was about.
7.) Overall Con:
All of the characters will not be treated correctly, if a similar standard is obeyed in one reality for all of them. They're all distinctly unique so, Baraka and Reptile would almost have to play really hard to the mysticism and lore of characters like them, within the context of Mortal Kombat's fantasy element. They almost ,have to look and function like what the game gives us, or it's not gonna look or feel right.
I'm not against experimenting, but there's certain characters that shouldn't be drastically changed like they were in this pitch//short// video.
So... the "realism" works for the human characters, but not for the fantasy characters in this vid. They weren't fantastic interpretations because of the ways they needed to be humanized in order to work...they were terrible out of necessity to fit in, imo.
I think you'd almost have to play up the powers and stuff with a select couple of the characters in order for things to balance, and the best ones to pick for playing up their stuff is the purely fictional characters (like the "monsters" and a ninja or two depending on if they're being shown in human form, or ninja form).
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That's all I got for the short film, how about that mp3?
:: I'll say I LOVE the fact that Kevin really describes how he is a fan. He gives us a good feel about what sort of fan he probably is. Which is really cool to know actually.
:: It was interesting how he used that Harry Potter metaphor. Mortal Kombat's fantasy element I think, should be everywhere in the flick, but maybe just more in some scenes than others. The first movie captured it pretty well despite other things. So, I think I'm a little weary because of that interpretation of his.
But at the same time, I appreciate it how he says there has to be rules to the choreography. I agree with there being limitations, but I think it's a matter of pandering to each character too. It was also cool he noticed that weirdness about Neo once he went CG, and then the whole unlimited special moves too.
The thing though, is seeing that balance. I'm always leery around how unnatural it looks//feels when a game character is in a movie, and happens to be throwing their special move in there for the hell of it. I don't think it's tasteful either, that "just because we haven't seen a special move in a while" some character is almost carelessly "selected" to use their moves for some reason. Organic is indeed a key.
:: It's cool purposefully picking characters. Keep going that direction.
:: The WHOLE point about Fatalities....thank you. That's a fans perspective.
:: His point about following the bad guys instead of the good-guys was good too. I'd like to see that happen.
:: When he talks about grounding Baraka, I just disagree man. Ground characters like that in their own natural element. If it's a human, ground them in "our" reality.... but if it's like a monster or something, their element wouldn't be reality, it would be in fiction or fantasy somewhere.
One of the ideas I've had for some time now that could play both ways is creating MK around this theme that is like a bad dream. It's not exactly entirely reality or fantasy, and most all...mmm....nationalities? that are in this game have a chance to breathe as organic character types within the one overall theme.
I think with MK that might be one of the keys that helps ground the "humans", and allows them to keep the "monsters" as monsters in as true-to-video game fashion as possible. I think they can co-exist, I just don't think the creators//developers//producers of these films see it quite clearly. And so they take these strange liberties, and bastardize the original character concepts completely. I don't think it's necessary.....I don't think it's proper either, for fans to have to adapt to such strange reconstructions of their fav characters for whatever reason.
If I wanna pay you for an apple, gimme THAT apple that I picked because I like it for whatever reason... That one right there. Not an orange that you colored red, and not any ol' "apple". Dig?
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All in all this was a great update, awesome short film, and a well needed chew toy until solid game news comes around. More please....
Oh, and I would love to be the one who makes that poster he's talking about if it goes down. That would be schweetness.
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