In 2022, the world will celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the fighting game that changed the Video Game landscape forever: Mortal Kombat. 11 mainline entries and countless spinoffs in, the series is still going strong and is arguably better than ever. But let’s backtrack to 1995, three years after Mortal Kombat first hit the arcade. It was already making waves both in gaming circles and in politics due to violent content the likes of which had never been seen in a Video Game. Naturally, the mix of martial arts mayhem, bloody carnage and surprisingly deep mythology made Mortal Kombat ripe for a live action adaptation. And how does the first attempt at a Mortal Kombat movie fare? Is it as good as Sonic the Hedgehog or at least better than the Super Mario Bros movie?
Let’s touch on the elephant in the room right away: yes, Mortal Kombat is rated PG-13. That means little to no blood, no human decapitations, no spines being ripped out of bodies and no punching holes through someones chest…to say the least. That should bother anyone really. What makes Mortal Kombat so memorable even to this day is the bloody action that has become its claim to fame. To get anything less is like playing Mortal Kombat vs. DC. The Mortal Kombat Movie, however, gets a pass from me compared to that abomination (because that’s a video game, no excuses, lets’ see Liu Kang decapitate the Joker). What the Mortal Kombat Movie lacks in gore it makes up for in atmosphere, good action sequences, a couple of iconic performances and that kick ass techno theme that might as well be the theme song for the entire Mortal Kombat franchise: games and films.
This movie is directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, a name that should be familiar to anyone who’s dabbled in Live Action Video Game flicks. Unlike most of his later Resident Evil films, Anderson does right by sticking to the characters already established in the MK saga. The entire cast of the first game is here, plus Kitana and Reptile, and everyone gets a moment to shine and show off. From Johnny Cage’s Shadow Kick to Sub Zero freezing some poor souls to Liu Kang’s epic Bicycle Kick, I think I can name at least one memorable moment from every character, no matter how small. The cast is bolstered by a pair of great performances by Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa as Shang Tsung and Christopher Lambert as Lord Raiden. Tagawa gets to deliver many of Mortal Kombat’s most iconic one liners that are still being used in the games and just feels like a villain too cool for school. Lambert may spend most of his time delivering exposition and life lessons but his presence, voice and a few nice Lambert mannerisms make him fun to watch. Plus, come on, Christopher Lambert wielding lighting? How can you not see that and believe it’s a role he was meant to play post Highlander.
Despite the lack of blood, the action scenes are well choreographed and have a lot of energy to them. Probably the best fights in the film fall to Johnny Cage vs. Scorpion and Liu Kang vs. Reptile. The Cage/Scorpion brawl makes good use of the hellish setting it ends up in and is shot pretty well. Liu Kang and Reptile seem pretty well matched and get a boost from a kick ass techno track that’s probably the second best song after the MK Theme itself. The rest of the fights are fine if a little bare basic for the action genre. And some aren’t as grand as they could be. This goes in particular for Goro, who looks unbelievable as an animatronic they built for the movie. Buuuut when it comes to the action scenes there’s a lot to be desired from his lack of movements. I’d say Goro could’ve been put to better use if he were CG…but the visual effects can be hit and miss in that department. For example, Sub Zero’s freezing powers-those look cool. Reptile in his natural state, God it looks so bad and heavily dated.
While I do like this film, I’m aware it isn’t by any means perfect. There are a few plot holes and unexplained motivations such as Shang Tsung’s obsession with wanting to fight Sonya in the tournament. Is it because he thinks she’s hot (which she is) or because she could be an easy victory for him? It’s never really explained. Same goes for Kitana’s reasons for wanting to help Liu Kang on his quest. There’s a slight hint at a romantic attraction (and God Talisa Soto is gorgeous in the role). But the movie never touches on Kitana’s deeper motivations seen in the game. For whatever reason, Mortal Kombat also sees fit to add in several new characters who aren’t affiliated with any of the games til that point and haven’t ever popped up in any other MK story. There’s a fighter who looks like Eddie Goro from Tekken who gets a good fight with Liu Kang but who is he and why should we care if Liu beats him or not? There’s also Art, who Johnny befriends during the tournament, who receives and grizzly defeat that doesn’t carry the weight it should, even if he is one of the good guys. This is also a 90’s action flick so there’s some phoned in line delivery and some equally corny dialogue that you’ll either chuckle at in amusement or just wave off as, “seriously, this is how people talked back in the 90s?”
In the wide world of Live Action Video Game adaptations, Mortal Kombat may be far from a “Flawless Victory”. But it’s entertainment value cannot be denied. It at least looks like the game and all the characters you know and love are present and ready to kick ass. The fights are well staged and well paced, even if they overshadow the need for an actual story…besides the basic “win the tournament, save the world.” As a action flick from the 90s, Mortal Kombat is a classic. As a Live Action Video Game Movie…it’s definitely not the most offensive thing out there (looking at you future Paul W.S. Anderson Resident Evil films or any Uwe Boll film). If nothing else, it’s great to revisit that kick ass theme song again…now I’m ready to play the game.
7/10
But while this movie is fondly remembered as a cheesy classic, the same cannot be said for the movie that came after, the one that even the creators of Mortal Kombat themselves say is the lowest point in the entire franchise. Is it though? My review of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation is up and ready to read right here: http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2021/04/mortal-kombat-annihilation.html
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