The Mortal Kombat reboot has quickly become one of this year's most highly anticipated movies after the gory red-band trailer, but is it a property with franchise potential? Sure, but the fact that it's being released in the midst of a pandemic simultaneously in theaters and HBO Max could have an impact on a possible sequel (though it certainly didn't stop Warner Bros. from announcing Wonder Woman 3).
While the movie includes plenty of big names like Sub-Zero and Scorpion, there are a few characters who are notable by their absence. Mortal Kombat is bound to feature plenty of "Fatalities," however, and that could leave the door open for a character like Johnny Cage to be introduced down the line.
If that happens, then WWE Champion The Miz is fully on board with playing him.
He made that clear on social media over the weekend, throwing his hat into the ring to play the iconic fighter. There's definitely a physical resemblance, while Mike "The Miz" Mizanin has his fair share of acting experience (he also stars in a popular reality TV series, Miz & Mrs. on the USA Network). Throw in the physicality that comes with being a pro wrestler, and this could work nicely.
The Mortal Kombat reboot is currently set to be released on April 16th.
Check out The Miz's Tweets below:
Click on the "Next" button below to check out the 10 best
video game movies...according to Rotten Tomatoes!
10. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Score: 37%
Rotten or Fresh? Rotten
Critics Consensus: Resident Evil: The Final Chapter may prove mind-numbingly chaotic for the unconverted, but for fans of the venerable franchise, it offers a fittingly kinetic conclusion to its violent post-apocalyptic saga.
The Resident Evil movies weren't very good, and didn't exactly stick to the games. However, this blockbuster approach to the series did resonate with some fans, and the series was a financial success. None of them were well-reviewed, but the final instalment of the Milla Jovovich era was surprising received better than its predecessors. Perhaps critics were just glad to see it finally end?
9. Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time
Score: 37%
Rotten or Fresh? Rotten
Critics Consensus: It doesn't offer much in the way of substance, but Prince of Persia is a suitably entertaining swashbuckler -- and a substantial improvement over most video game adaptations.
C'mon, Disney's take on Prince of Persia wasn't that bad, was it? Whitewashing wasn't as problematic in 2010 as it is today (it should have been, obviously), but that's wasn't really an issue for most critics, anyway. For them, the story just didn't work, but that score still doesn't seem fair. It wasn't difficult to have fun with this adventure, and there are worse video game adaptations you could watch.
8. The Angry Birds Movie
Score: 43%
Rotten or Fresh? Rotten
Critics Consensus: The Angry Birds Movie is substantially more entertaining than any film adapted from an app has any right to be -- which may or may not be much of an endorsement.
Who could have guessed that a mobile game we all played on the toilet could make for a half-decent animated flick? We're not sure what critics were expecting from this one, especially as it was quite clearly aimed at kids, but it failed to serve as much more than a pretty standard feature-length cartoon. It certainly didn't have much to say, but it was based on app, so perhaps that's okay on this occasion?
7. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Score: 44%
Rotten or Fresh? Rotten
Critics Consensus: The movie raises the bar for computer animated movies, but the story is dull and emotionally removed.
This has been mostly forgotten, but at the time, the visuals it delivered were pretty groundbreaking. It never seemed to get much credit for that, and while the story admittedly didn't soar, it was relatively entertaining. An argument could be made that this was really a movie just for Final Fantasy fans, but it is a shame a big screen adaptation of the games has never followed this early offering.
6. Mortal Kombat
Score: 48%
Rotten or Fresh? Rotten
Critics Consensus: Despite an effective otherwordly atmosphere and appropriately cheesy visuals, Mortal Kombat suffers from its poorly constructed plot, laughable dialogue, and subpar acting.
A new Mortal Kombat movie currently has everyone talking, but don't forget this 1995 "classic." Of course, it's more a cult-favourite than anything else, but despite the negatives listed above, those are easy enough to forgive. It's good fun, and does its best to pay homage to the games with a limited budget and technology. If you've played them, then give it a chance (with tempered expectations).
5. Rampage
Score: 52%
Rotten or Fresh? Rotten
Critics Consensus: Rampage isn't as fun as its source material, but the movie's sheer button-mashing abandon might satisfy audiences in the mood for a brainless blockbuster.
For the most part, Dwayne Johnson can do no wrong, but his movies don't always earn the most positive reviews. Attempting to adapt this classic arcade/console game was an ambitious move, but as those are light on story, it was up to Rampage to fill in the gapes. It did so with limited success, and while the action and visuals were a blast, there really wasn't much more to it than that, unfortunately.
4. Tomb Raider
Score: 51%
Rotten or Fresh? Rotten
Critics Consensus: Tomb Raider reboots the franchise with a more grounded approach and a star who's clearly more than up to the task -- neither of which are well served by an uninspired origin story.
The recent Tomb Raider games have attempted to put a grounded spin on Lara Croft's origin story, and this movie went down a similar route. Unfortunately, like the series it's based on, that didn't prove to be particularly interesting. On the plus side, Alicia Vikander was great in the role, and this was still miles ahead of other recent video game adaptations like Doom, Warcraft, and Assassin's Creed.
3. Sonic The Hedgehog
Score: 63%
Rotten or Fresh? Fresh
Critics Consensus: Fittingly fleet and frequently fun, Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game-inspired adventure the whole family can enjoy -- and a fine excuse for Jim Carrey to tap into the manic energy that launched his career.
When the first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog was released, fans were horrified to see that the title character has been redesigned. His creepy new look went viral, and Paramount smartly decided to delay the movie in order to get that right. As a result, when it was released, no one commented on Sonic's look, and instead focused on Jim Carrey's memorable performance and this genuinely fun live-action blockbuster.
2. Detective Pikachu
Score: 68%
Rotten or Fresh? Fresh
Critics Consensus: Pokémon Detective Pikachu may not take its wonderfully bizarre premise as far as it could have, but this offbeat adaptation should catch most -- if not all -- of the franchise's fans.
There was a huge amount of excitement surrounding Legendary's plans for a live-action Pokémon movie, but everyone's anticipation fell when it was revealed to be...Detective Pikachu. Why not tell the story of Ash Ketchum or another trainer rather than a talking Pikachu? We still don't have the answer to that question, but this movie was awesome, and did a wonderful job of bringing the Pokémon world to life.
1. The Angry Birds Movie 2
Score: 73%
Rotten or Fresh? Fresh
Critics Consensus: Like its non-aerodynamic title characters, The Angry Birds Movie 2 takes improbable yet delightfully entertaining flight, landing humorous hits along the way.
Well, who imagined this being at the top of the list? It's not "Certified Fresh," but it's the closest movie here to reaching that accolade. Upping the laughs and improving the story, The Angry Birds Movie 2 made for entertaining viewing, and the voice cast was clearly enjoying themselves. This didn't feel like a shameless cash grab (the first one did), and you might be surprised by just how much you enjoy this one!