GBU’s back, baby, with a movie that was new last month!
We tried to get this recorded when the film was still fairly fresh, but we couldn’t make it work over the internet (what else is new?) so first-time guest and never-time podcast listener Rob pitched the idea of recording in person, since we’re all vaccinated now.
Brooke is busy and Mortal Kombat-indifferent, and Jon is simply busy, but did send his opinion that the movie was not good. Adam simply refused to watch it, and so this situation called for the Dayton Upstairs Auxiliary Recording Team, comprised of Eric (who you’ve heard discussing Evangelion), his partner Kate, and the aforementioned Rob. Kate and Rob are the real MK experts, if there are any to be had on this panel, and so if the game is something near and dear to you, their opinions may be more meaningful here.
Read my immediate thoughts on the film on Letterboxd. Although, to steal an approach from YMS, “it’s closer to a 3 than a 1”.
I was accused of not liking fun because I did not like MK21, and I argue back that MK21 is not fun, but an exhausting, poorly-written drag which is not especially well executed. While I would never argue that Mortal Kombat ’95 is a good movie*, it has an undeniable charm, at least when compared with this new film. In spite of its PG-13 rating, it managed to vault the still-extant trend of video game movies completely sucking, and missing the point of their franchises, by actually seeming to understand both Mortal Kombat and what makes for a fun “kung fu” film.
Luckily for us, shortly after the new movie dropped, HBO Max added almost everything Mortal Kombat to its hoard of films, including the ’95 original, the delightfully awful sequel Annihilation, the uh…well, the TV series which came on after Mad TV, Mortal Kombat Conquest, the internet-beloved Mortal Kombat: Legacy, and some kind of thing about Scorpion. The only thing they’re missing, which is wholly inexcusable, is the absolute masterpiece of action, combat, and lessons on the value of courage and friendship: Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm.
I’ll be re-scheduling a catch-up episode with Adam in the near future, but I’m also starting another heavy-load semester, so it might not be immediate. Stick around and stay subscribed to catch it whenever it drops. I’m also interested in recording an episode on a Korean horror flick with Jon and his partner if she’s into it, and try to drag Psycho Goreman.
Thank you for stopping over to the blog. We’d love it if you shared the show with your friends if you like what we do. You can follow us on Twitter @GBUpodcast, and you can get in touch with us there, or by e-mailing me at Brian@candidpodcast.com. Don’t forget to rate and review the podcast on your podcatcher of choice if you can, like Apple Podcasts, but if you don’t use Apple Podcasts, don’t forget you can find the show elsewhere, including Spotify and Stitcher. Google Play no longer carries podcasts, which is fine because they sucked at it, but Pocket Casts is one of the best apps on the market, so why don’t you download the show through that one?
Candid Podcast Network 
