'Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind (2022)' takes place in a post-apocalyptic future, presumably decades after the events of 'Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle Of The Realms (2021)'. A cyber-enhanced Kano rules over the desolate realm with an iron first, his Black Dragon clan viciously raiding the few remaining settlements to mercilessly kill, maim or capture whoever they can find. Enter Kenshi, an arrogant up-and-comer whose desire to prove himself the best fighter of all puts him in the unfortunate position of not having any eyes. After he's wounded and left for dead, he crosses paths with a mysterious cold-shouldered individual who nurses him back to health and shows him how to survive - and fight - without his sight. The story is simple and to the point, setting up its world and characters before shifting its focus to an extended training montage and a brutal final battle. Its pacing drags in places and feels rushed in others, with some plot points even coming across as completely uncooked. However, it's generally entertaining and features a number of exciting, blood-soaked set-pieces that do justice to the notoriously violent nature of the games it's based on. Speaking of which, the cast is comprised of several characters who've appeared in various entries in the series and there are several references to the games sprinkled throughout. Fans of the source material will surely find a lot to appreciate here, and it's interesting to see how the post-apocalyptic aesthetic is transposed onto characters we've previously seen. The piece has a different look to its predecessors, with their harsh black shading being replaced with softer colouring and their blocky outlines being replaced with sharp yet slightly sketchy line work that overlaps in unexpected places. The visuals are distinct and effective, especially during the high-octane action. It's during these sequence that the animation really shines, remaining fast and fluid yet snappy and impactful. The blows are all crunchy and the gore is all grisly, leading to a series of scenes in which pain is almost palpable. Sometimes, the violence seems over-the-top for the sake of it, designed to shock rather than support the action or the atmosphere, but it generally enhances the experience rather than distract from it. It's one of the picture's unique selling points, too. The 'X-ray' elements aren't present, but I'd be lying if I said I actually missed them - or even noticed their omission prior to writing this sentence - despite the fact that they were fairly effective in the previous movies. Ultimately, this is an enjoyable and typically exciting action flick. It's a fair bit of fun throughout.
