This is Casting Critiques, where we analyze whether an actor fits their role or how their performance ranks. Today, we’re looking at Irina Pantaeva as Jade in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. Despite being a beautiful actress, she is miscast in the role, delivering a campy, over-the-top performance with no depth or purpose.
Casting & Characterization
Irina Pantaeva’s casting as Jade is one of the many misfires in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. While she is undeniably beautiful, she lacks the physicality, presence, and fighting ability needed to convincingly portray one of Outworld’s deadliest assassins. Unlike her video game counterpart, who is a fierce and agile warrior, this version of Jade is little more than a seductive distraction with no real combat prowess.
Her acting, like many in the film, is stiff and unnatural, making Jade come across as campy rather than dangerous. She never feels like a true threat or even a competent fighter, which is baffling for a character who is supposed to be an assassin. Her lack of fight scenes only highlights this miscasting further—why introduce Jade if she won’t engage in the very thing she’s known for?
To make matters worse, she has zero chemistry with the other actors, particularly Liu Kang. The role demands someone who can balance charm, deception, and menace, but Pantaeva fails to bring any of those elements to life, making Jade one of the film’s most forgettable characters.
Rating: 1 out of 5
Writing & Character Development
Jade’s writing in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation is among the worst in the film, which is saying a lot. She has no depth, no clear motivations, and no real purpose in the story. Her one defining moment—betraying Liu Kang and the others—comes out of nowhere, and the film never explains why she serves Shao Kahn or what she hopes to gain from it. Unlike in the games, where she has a history with Kitana and a complex allegiance, this version of Jade is just another generic minion.
Beyond her brief betrayal, she contributes nothing to the plot. If you removed her entirely, Liu Kang could still find his way to Sonya and Jax without issue. She’s supposed to be an assassin, yet she never even attempts to kill the heroes. She’s supposed to be Kitana’s former ally, yet the film never acknowledges this. With such weak writing, it’s no surprise that her character falls completely flat.
Rating: 1 out of 5
Character Design & Costume
Visually, Irina Pantaeva does not fit the role of Jade. In the games, Jade is an athletic and highly skilled fighter, whereas Pantaeva doesn’t exude the same level of strength or agility. However, credit should be given where it’s due—the costume itself is fairly accurate to the game, even if it looks slightly cheap. The green and black outfit is recognizable, and at least in still images, she somewhat resembles her video game counterpart.
The biggest problem is how she moves and fights—or rather, how she doesn’t fight. Despite Jade being known for wielding a staff in combat, she never uses one in the film. This is a glaring omission, as it would have at least given her some action sequences to justify her presence. Instead, she spends most of her time flirting with Liu Kang before randomly betraying the group.
Overall, the aesthetics are passable, but her lack of fight scenes and the absence of her signature weapon make her portrayal feel hollow. The costume may look the part, but it doesn’t compensate for the sheer lack of effort put into making her character feel like the Jade fans know.
Rating: 1 out of 5
The Verdict
In the end, Irina Pantaeva’s Jade is a wasted opportunity. She lacks the physicality, presence, and depth needed for the role. The writing gives her no purpose, her acting is weak, and she doesn’t even fight. With no motivations or significance to the story, she’s one of the film’s most forgettable characters. The verdict is 1 out of 5.
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