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The Ren & Stimpy Show: Black Hole/Stimpy's Invention (1991)
The crown jewel of Ren & Stimpy
'Stimpy's Invention' is simply the highwater mark of The Ren & Stimpy Show and one of the truly great animated shorts of the 1990s.
Mortal Kombat (2021)
A Serviceable Film That I Wish Would Have Been Great
As a huge fan of the original '95 film, I tried my best to be as least biased as possible and judge the '21 version on its own merits and shortcomings.
THE GOOD:
* Scorpion and Sub-Zero - The casting choices were spot-on; I loved their performances and martial arts abilities on display; the very first scene of the movie showcasing their rivalry is brilliantly directed and frankly the single best thing in the film.
* The Fight Sequences in General - The action is fantastic and exceptionally brutal, which is exactly what an MK movie needs; the inclusion of classic game Fatalities was the cherry on top.
* Kano - A superb acting performance and one of the more interesting and three-dimensional characters; clearly has the best and funniest dialog in the film.
* The Special Effects - While not flawless in all scenes, I was overall happy with the use of both CGI and practical effects; the movie really looks quite good.
* Jax - A solid, well-done performance and a likeable actor; certainly one of the better characterizations.
THE BAD:
* Overstuffed Movie - A rushed-feeling story with too many characters ends up sacrificing a potentially engaging plot and any noteworthy character development -- in effect, I did not really care about the majority of the players on screen; also, I would have loved the film to be a bit longer in order to divulge more on the MK lore and mythology.
* Cole Young - Largely uninteresting, bland, and ultimately unnecessary; the franchise didn't need to add this character; the actor's performance is wooden and comes across very amateur.
* Raiden - An underwhelming portrayal; the casting just felt wrong to me.
* Kabal's Voice - I suppose I was expecting a darker, more serious tone; I thought his look was spot-on, though.
Overall, I found the film to be entertaining, visually appealing, and appropriately bloody. The action was excellent, some of the characters were admirably realized, and the film actually has me looking forward to potential sequels that would further flesh out the story and characters -- which is sorely needed.