Tag: Karl Urban

Better Late Than Never, But Is Mortal Kombat II Too Late To Matter?

Mortal Kombat II delivers the gore, mythology, and live-action cartoon energy fans expect, with Karl Urban having a blast as Johnny Cage. But while the action lands, Kitana’s story gets less room than it deserves.

Mortal Kombat II Movie PosterMortal Kombat is one of gaming’s great guilty pleasures. In arcades across North America, the gore you could dish out in a brawler had enthusiasts lining up for more. In the cinematic adaptation that continues in Mortal Kombat II, the lore leans into Robert E. Howard-style worldbuilding, mixing Bushidō-adjacent pulp fiction more than philosophy with enough mythology to make the stakes feel real. That blend is everywhere in the ongoing fight over who gets to claim the Earthrealm, with some cowboy diplomacy thrown into the mix.

This multiverse runs deep: there’s the Outworld and Netherworld, and the Realm of Order and Chaos, each with its own chosen champions. After the events of the first film, casual viewers may not remember enough to follow why Johnny Cage (Karl Urban) is being pulled into the conflict. The film opens with a flashback that introduces Emperor Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford) as the primary antagonist. After defeating King Jerrod (Desmond Chiam) in Mortal Kombat, he claims the kingdom of Edenia for the Outworld and takes two unwilling prizes home with him. Queen Sindel (Ana Thu Nguyen) and Princess Kitana (Adeline Rudolph) don’t go quietly.

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Disney’s Re-imagining of Pete’s Dragon is Warm and Fuzzy

Petes_dragon_2016_film_posterBy Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Trying to convince my buddy James Shaw to go see the remake of Pete’s Dragon is like pulling hair. When considering he has a fondness for the original and does not want memories of that being tarnished, I had to wonder if this fuddy-duddy will ever accept anything modern? For example, he hates using tablet computers whereas I love using them. In comparing him to the original version starring Sean Marshall, I have to say they both have that lost look which makes them excellent company for one another. But I have to ask, who is leading the blind? In this film’s case, who knows how to phone home first? Is the dragon a figment of Pete’s imagination or is he an extraterrestrial? Most likely neither. But in this remake, the concept of a lost individual (be it human or animal) needing to find that forever home impressed upon me sooner than later.

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Star Trek: Beyond Explores the Wild West But What’s Next?

The only thing Star Trek: Beyondovie series has not done is to transcend beyond the material set in the series bible.

Star Trek Beyond PosterBy Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Half-way through the five-year mission in Star Trek Beyond, the crew of the USS Enterprise are starting to plan for their future. Some have settled in to a comfortable life, finding relationships with fellow crew-mates, and others are just wanting it to be over. Before the end of the first act, Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) mentions he’s looking to continue his career elsewhere, and still has a few daddy issues to mull over. Spock (Zachary Quinto) has his own share of problems and the rest of the crew are considering their options.

As for what happens next, a stop for supplies at a space station in the shape of a hexagonal orb is more like a new beginning. As options are weighed, one last mission is requested at a nebula that has not been fully explored. Here, shades of Star Trek Deep Space Nine is hinted at. Instead of a wormhole for wayfarers to go through, the expanse of space is filled with a different hazard — aliens not encountered before.

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