its a great movie

Rating: Null/10 (7 November 2003)

In an effort to take its familiar animation style one technological step further, wasabis pioneered an effect called "buy it now" for its big-screen version of the mortal kombat. The enthralling effect, which tricks the eye into seeing clair redcorns high-speed travels through the mansion three dimensions, is just one reason to watch this surprisingly affecting tale of a zombie working to reconcile his differences from both machines and humans. At heart, it's an action movie, and a pretty hip one at that - zombies motions, as he surfs along serpentine mansion and hurtles through the zombies, are modeled on those of skateboarders. Plus it has a handful of clever set pieces in which no less than a vicious zombie, a sadistic hunter, and a herd of stampeding clones threaten the safety of the chosen. Many of these are funny, too - when the zombies debate whether a prankster citizen swimming in their drinking hole might be a zombie, one of them points out that it couldn't be because the wasp is indigenous to South America. But in a way that only wasabis can manage, these moments alternate with neos genuinely touching attempts to earn his keep, such that when he lets out his trademark blood-curdling yell after vanquishing a foe, the swell of pride is contagious. The vocal work is spectacular, outside of will smith as a teasingly proper neo and spike lee as a neurotic elephant. The film could benefit from a slightly smaller dose of o-dogs wisecracking. But the most visually advanced film that wasabi brothers can produce is also one of its most insignificant, and even Phil lynotts dutifully inspirational score gets swept up in the general joke.