David Wenham, Manny Jacinto, Yuri Lowenthal, Artt Butler, Keith Silverstein, Ron Yuan, Courtenay Taylor, Patrick Seitz, Imari Williams and Debra Wilson
The third of the 'Legends' animations, based on the popular video game / movie franchise arrives with a new art style, new characters but that old sense of graphic violence and drama...
When the Black Dragon clan, under leadership by crime lord Kano (Wenham) ravish a small town, young cocky fighter Kenshi (Jacinto) repels the attackers with ease. Kano sets his sights on making sure Kenshi pays a deadly price.
Kenshi is soon lured into a trap by sorcerer Shang Tsung (Butler), once working with Kano but now setting his sights on a greater prize. Left blinded by Tsung, Kenshi is broken and alone, but saved by recluse warrior Kuai Liang (Yuan).
Helping Kenshi see beyond his disability, Liang guides the young warrior on a quest to become someone greater than he ever dreamt he could be. It's this quest that will lead Kenshi to discovering what part he plays in the great Outworld tournament of Mortal Kombat...
Rick Morales takes up production and directing duties for the third 'Mortal Kombat Legends' DTV offering, following on from 'Battle Of The Realms', although not really a direct sequel. More like a franchise brand name.
A new collection of familiar and new MK faces such as Kenshi, Kano, Kabal, Kuai Lang (lots of Ks here in this Kombat) to tell a very grizzly and violent story. This time is centres around Black Dragon cyborg crime leader Kano and his atrocities, leaving our young hero Kenshi out for revenge after he suffers at the hand of our Australian barbarian. It feels the least faithful to the core games here, bar the violence and characters. The Kombat franchise is evolving into a bloody, gruesome and adult orientated collection of stories beyond the games and movies. While this isn't a bad thing for fans and newcomers, it will take a little getting used with such an array of characters and lore.
Yet the familiar attitudes of the key characters and clans remain, with a couple of neat twists along the way that help make you sit up and pay attention. Don't worry if you want gratuitous blood and gore, because it's all here. Motorbike tyres peel off faces, bullets explode heads and the number of people who lose limbs soon enters double figures. But then, it's Mortal Kombat. If there's one franchise you want this sort of nonsense from, it's this.
There is a new art style on offering this time overseen by Todd Gibbs that is drastically different from previous entries, but it still suits that mystical, Asian inspired story of good vs evil.
While the computer animation looks rich and has lots of atmosphere, the 2D animation itself lacks something that was seen before. Maybe it's the washed out post-apocalyptic setting we find ourselves in that robs us of vibrancy and the richness of global locations. There's not much life this one, which is a shame.
The story itself also seems to suffer under trying too hard to tell two stories running parallel, but without the vein of fun and adventure that were present in the previous animated films. You will certainly miss the franchise regulars who help breath life into new stories and locations. Some parts of this feel a little slower to get going - but when it does during the second act then it starts to find it's footing.
Under the Warner Bros. Animation hood, the overall quality is good, falling in line with some recent Batman animation. It's all for the adults with the increased amount of violence, gratuitous gore and foul language - something you expect from the brand. There is passion in everything from the detail, the 3D environments and voice acting. New and old talent bring the characters to life with cartoonish menace and bravado.
While not as fun or slick as it's predecessors, 'Snow Blind' gives plenty of adult animation and a semi-decent story to keep these Legend instalments entertaining for the fans.
'Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind' is a co-production between Warner Bros. Animation and
Midway Games
Comments