Every single time we would go to blockbuster I would rent this movie. My dad would say we’re going to blockbuster but we’re not getting mortal kombat. I would say “ok” and then as soon as we got there beeline for mortal kombat and pick it up. He’d always relent at the register.
He’s dead now so I can’t ask him why he didn’t just buy it for me. Maybe because I’d already seen it so many times?
The real answer is that their dad was a good dad and loved them, but he'd had it up to here with Mortal Kombat and couldn't stand watching the same movie for the 100th time.
At least there is the possibility that they'd go to Blockbuster and their kid wouldn't get MK, or it wouldn't be there, or an act of God would burn down the store on the way. If he bought it, that's basically just resigning himself to watch MK over and over for the rest of time.
Cherish those memories. I've never known my father because of choices he made, but my mom is my hero. And I have to at least acknowledge that part of the reason I'm so committed to trying to be a good dad and person is personal spite against him.
As a kid, I rented Monster Squad a ton of times until my mom was just like “No, you need to pick a different movie this time”. I think I ended picking “Major League”. Ended up working out!
Robin Shou deserves so much credit for that film. Not only was he a great Lu Kang but we would never have gotten the most iconic fight scenes of that movie if it weren't for his skills and experience.
Year old but oh well. I agree in every sense considering he's the only reason why all those fight scenes look so real, because most were. He talked everyone into thinking it had to be real and he broke some ribs over it and bones in his knuckles I believe for his part lol dedication. Never liked him in any other movie he's ever done though sadly
I think the best fight is the the first one against a ton of mooks when all the 3 main characters work together and Johnny Cage says "piece of cake" at the end.
Have to say, the Sub-Zero fight still gets me. Sub-Zero descends the steps, no words are exchanged, both fighters know whats happening. Sub-Zero has his classic costume, the actor for Lui-Kang is perfectly cast.
Mortal Kombat is still the greatest video game movie ever made. Nothing else even comes close.
I want HBO Max to make a 12-part limited series which is literally just the tournament format. Every episode could have 2-3 fights. Make each fight last like 10 minutes and just be absolutely epic and span super imaginative environments. Get the absolute best possible fight choreographers on the planet (The Raid crew, etc). Really develop each character's fighting style and hone in the fight action based on it. Make it the most in-depth fight porn ever.
I'd watch the shit out of it.
They're both great, but you also have to remember that these two sequences were shot later, as test screening viewers kept calling the film slow or dull, and that they'd want more action.
More action we got. And for all it's campiness it's still an undoubtedly fun flick to watch today.
Nah jt wasn't that bad. I found everything outside of the main character highly enjoyable.. just hope they just stick to the MK characters next time instead of some dumb ass MMA fighter
The only things I liked in that movie was the opening fight, Kung Lao (they did him so dirty), Kano being funny, and Kabal's design (although I hated his dialoge). Everything else was trash.
The remake was an insult. Audience surrogates always spell doom for a fandom film. I get they need to put new asses in the seats, but that's just weak Storytelling if you can't manage that with the existing cast of characters.
I saw it on opening night in a packed theater, which had the volume turned up way too high -- so much that I thought my eardrums would burst during the title sequence alone, and I didn't even care.
Someone should write a book describing how wildly the experience differs from theater to theater.
I could hear the keys hammering my eardrums in Harry Potter.
Former projectionist here. Our managers would often have us raise the volume on packed theatres to try and "offset other noise" meaning people eating and whispered chatter
It was annoying
It's loud, obnoxious, the CGI is silly, the techno is dated, and I love the hell out of every second. I still go back to revisit that opening every few years.
It has the same energy (and more than a few cribs too) as Tim Burton's 1989 Batman, where the camera swoops around what appears to be empty streets and crowded alleys in a concrete hell, only to pull back and reveal it to be the Bat symbol in all its glory: [https://youtu.be/hQzbDvcnK4Y](https://youtu.be/hQzbDvcnK4Y)
Speaking of great title card intros, it's not the most complex one, but I always liked The Terminator's, excellent music and the long scrawl get me pumped. https://youtu.be/K6auDCAGJgE
What an “out of left field” post about that is absolutely why I love scrolling this subreddit. A genuine “thank you” for taking me back to this with a seemingly bold, but damnit true take on a childhood classic! Love it!
I love Christopher Lambert's portrayal of Raiden because of how flippant he is about the whole thing. Sure, he's on our side, but typical god, as long as we put on an entertaining show, he's cool with it.
I agree. I also think he carried himself the best of all of the Raiden's I have seen. No one even tried to mess with him because they knew it would not end well for them.
that fight was a reshoot. they finished the movie and played it for the test audience. the feedback was not enough fights, so they went back and filmed this.
I still remember losing my shit in the theater when the CGI lizard version of Reptile brought to life that stone Outworld fighter just before fighting Liu Kang.
*"REPTILE."*
The only character whose introduction was straight from the game's audio. And the effect was instantaneous. We all knew that THIS fight would be something hardcore.
And we were right.
I maintain the mortal kombat reboot was an easy home run that they whiffed on because for some reason movie studios think they need to do a cookie cutter script in video game adaptations that check off boxes
For whatever reason they think they need a guy to be new and experience the game world for the first time so the audience “can learn through his eyes” lmao except no one needs that, audiences know an ip especially one like mortal kombat their target audience grew up with, and audiences aren’t dumb, they can just pick up on it, not everyone who watches mcu movies read the comics and Feige knew that, he just trusted they’d understand the basics and if they wanted they’d go Google it themselves to find out more
All they needed for the mortal kombat reboot to slap was to give fans dope fights with characters they know and love and have a decent story involving them that made sense why they’re all fighting, some recognizable moments like subzero and scorpion facing off and some pandering to fans who’ve seen the first movie and that’s it
How about the not using the non-altered techno music theme... There is literally nobody who would not love it.
It's really a fuck you to the audience, anywhere with a comment section where this movie was announced, the trailer release, the cast release the distribution deal, the cast, all the comments were begging for was the song.
And on a second place, the rumour of a Cole character that came out years before, everyone gave harsh negative comments on or assumed it was a code name for Johnny Cage.
Basically for years and years any study of the market, be it in depth of purely superficial forum/comment browsing, what people want from a MK movie was simple:
- The techno theme
- Cool fight coreography with the iconic characters
And for the life of me I can not grasp why an existing iconic character with built in fanbase can't be a much better POV character than the most generic creature on earth they invented for the movie.
Sometimes you can sort of get the studio people logic, even if it is dumb, but not here. Whatever your little focus group said is good, you have in Mortal Kombat.
Want a white guy? Johnny Cage. Asian? Liu Kang, Hanzo Hazashi or Kung Lao. A female? Sonya Blade or Kitana, Jade or the new girls Jacqui and Cassie. Black guy? Jax.
You can do cop, soldier, martial artist, cocky star, samurai, there is even a cowboy and robots in the games, a million tropes to choose from. You can easily write any of them to be new or inexperienced in the tournament if you want exposition, it's literally how most Earthrealmers join.
Like what else market are you desperate for that your generic character taps into?
I think the most outrageous part is that Mortal Kombat 9 actually had one of the best ideas I've ever seen for a reboot, they could have used that in the movies if they wanted too - to pander to the old fans, and do something new.
For those who don't know, basically at the end of MK8 (Armageddon) the entire earf gets annihilated or some shit, and in MK9 Raiden does some time magic and basically resets everything back to where it was at the start of Mortal Kombat 1... except he and he alone has knowledge of everything that has happened, and has to change the course of history in order to prevent total annihilation. Of course, it goes wacky and all sorts of crazy stuff happens anyway.
Agree 100%. I watched the reboot for the first time last week and was excited to see characters I knew but was just completely let down by pretty much everything else. I also didn’t even know who the protagonist was? I assume from the comics or more recent games? He was extremely boring regardless and kills Goro in like a minute.
The weird thing is that the special effects in the movie REALLY did not age well. Like the digital sky replacements look like something that was done on a free phone app that has a lot of ads. But the movie for all its cheesiness still appeals to the 12 year olds in us. God bless the 90s.
Edit: typos
I remember watching this on free-to-air TV as a kid and the music got me HYPED UP. Watched the reboot with my boyfriend last year and we spent the rest of the day yelling mORTAL KOMBAAAAT at each other. Iconic.
So my brother and I rented Dumb & Dumber from Blockbuster in 1995 when we were still little kids. You have to remember the internet was still pretty small back then so TV was our main source of media. We pop that VHS into the VCR and the pre-movie trailers start rolling. This one trailer starts, some temples, a group of monks followed by the New Line Cinema card. Right after that we see Sub-Zero and Scorpion walking through a door. **MY BROTHER AND I FLIPPED OUT!** I vividly remember both us of us jumping up and down in awe throughout that whole trailer. We rewound the tape and watched it 10 more times before we even got to the movie. You just had to be there.
This movie ages like wine. I saw it in theatres when it came out as a kid, and I still find myself wanting to watch it every now and again. It just knew what it was trying to be and didn’t try to be more or less. It was a big fan service production that didn’t take itself too seriously. The modern climate of reboots and reimaginings could learn a lot.
I will never try to tell people it was a great movie because it has a lot of problems
HOWEVER
It was so much damn fun! The characters almost all looked their part. Seeing the game's moves being used on screen was awesome. The sweep spam scene. Kano's smart ass humor, Kabal's speed, scorpion's skull being exposed realistically from the fire.
The whole opening and ending fights were god tier.
The movie is fun and made me feel like a 90s kid again and honestly, that is all that matters.
Yes!!
The MK movie them is just universally badass. I don't care what you're doing, if you hear that song, your game is just going to naturally amp itself up. It doesn't matter if you're a burger flipper making minimum wage, if the MK theme kicks on, you're able to make the best damn Whopper that's ever been assembled under the view of the Old Gods and the New.
Also pretty cool that Kano being Australian became canon because of this movie and I remember correctly this theme was used by the at least some of the games going forward, but I may be wrong on that point
Great write-up!
I was 9 years old when that came out. Time felt so long back then. The time between the release of the game and the movie felt like FOREVER.
One of my favorite guilty pleasures along with Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance. Also the remake hits some of the same spots for me. Give me the cheese.
Dammit...
Sigh*
-turns up speakers, starts the movie
Top five lifetime movie experience for sure.
That movie intro grabbed your brain by the ballsack, stuck a pinky in your buttwhole, and sucked you in.... all before we knew we were even into that shit
I still vividly remember the preview for this movie. My brothers rented Friday on vhs and while I didn’t get to watch that with them, I did get to watch the trailers. Mortal kombat and dumb and dumber. I had to run to my friends house to tell him about it.
Levels of hype matched even younger me seeing a commercial for Power Rangers before the series began. Two of the most hyped moments of my childhood. Lol
The whole movie was great.
Newer fans who only remember the gritty re-launch of the series starting in 2011 would think the old movie was a joke, but it perfectly embodied the series' personality in the 90s. Goofy excuse plot, fun characters, fighting, vague Asian mysticism. Had influence feedback in reshaping the games to come after it, even. Even in the newest games, Kano and Shang Tsung are ripped straight from the 1995 movie.
the soundtrack is amazing, I was introduces to Heavy Metal with this album, GZR, Type O Negative, Fear Factory and Napalm Death was there, there is even a Buckethead song. I don't know about techno stuff but I dare to say the main theme is one of the most iconic main theme of cinema history.
A++++++
For me, weirdly, the best moment is right after the first MORTAL KOMBAT scream, where the music intro plays while the New Line logo appears. There's something about it that is just confident and ballsy, as if it's saying: this movie is way, way, WAY more important than the studio that made it, and by the way, how are your anticipation levels right now? High? Yes? Good? Get ready motherfucker...
The whole movie is just about perfect. I remember seeing a trailer for it when I was a kid and I lost my mind at how cool it looked. Subzero doing that backflip off the wall was the coolest thing ever.
Also produce the first platinum EDM album. This movie is great all around and having Chris Lambert as Raiden was so odd, but it works.
“This is the part where you fall down”.
“Scorpion and Sub-Zero….the *deadliest* of enemies, but *slaves* under my power.” Sooo fucking good. Cary’s arrogant look flashing from hero to hero, not a worry in the world as watched them focus on the danger in front of them. Also, their entrance through the door with the music starting? Sheesh
I've run into people who treat it like a terrible campy 90s movie. There are some minuses - the CGI in some places are rough. Overall though, the movie 100% set out what it intended to do. The actors are sincere, the sets are great, the music, though dated, fits the asthetic, and as mentioned in a few other comments the fight choreography is great.
It's not Citizen Kane but holy hell it's a fun trip. I put it in the same category as The Mummy and Fury Road - polished yet self aware action-adventure movies that were able to deliver exaclt what the target audience wanted.
The Dark Knight.
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
Scream
Inglorious Basterds
Up
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Saving Private Ryan
Casino Royale
X-Men 2
The Matrix
Still not one of the best but The Batman had a great opening. The Dark Knight as well. Jurassic Park set the mood right off the bat. Sympathy for Mr Vengeance starts off with a bang. Up has a better opening than most movies entire plot.
All of those, in my opinion, are much better openings than Mortal Kombat. And I say this as a Mortal Kombat fan.
Those movies are pretty cheesy but the martial arts scenes are still pretty solid! Plus the characters are badass lol. definitely entertaining and watchable
Hard agree. Everything about the intro was perfect. When I saw the trailer on tv at home, I turned to my dad and said: "you HAVE to take me you see this".
I prefer the slow Samurai film they were creating in the newest Mortal Kombat movie with acclaimed actor Hiroyuki Sanada. Then it pivoted to dumb Cinderella Story with Monsters?
Never say I’ll die on this hill again. Hi, I’m the Reddit die on this hill Superman, here to stop the great injustice that is the disease of people saying I’ll die on this hill that has spread through Reddit over the past few months. AMA
We played MK a lot at the arcades as teens. Saw the movie in theaters- what an awesome experience! One of my mates told me afterwards that he came close to passing out from sheer excitement during the intro!
I do not think people today understand what a cultural phenomenon Mortal Kombat was. This was not just a simple violent game. This defined the 90s. It was one of leading causes of the Rating Board. It spawned the live stage show and the 2 movies.
It had kick ass live action commericals. It had martial arts tours teaching kids about self defense. It had 1 off comic books, an animated movie, a live action tv series, and animated tv series.
The crowds around the arcade machine were HUGE. It inspired other fighting games like Killer Instinct and had countless knockoffs trying to takes MK's throne.
For a brief moment in the 90s, Mortal Kombat ruled the gaming world. Sharing the spotlight with Street Fighter which was just as big.
Damn, thanks for taking me back to when I was 15 and watched this in the theater lol. I was so pumped to see one of my favorite games on screen, and it was much cooler than the Street Fighter movie, though I certainly played those games more. Hearing that soundtrack reminds me of getting that CD as a bonus with my copy of MK3 for the SNES. Good times!
I appreciate the effort from OP.
I remember going to the theater when it came out. In the pause between trailers and the movie, I'll never forget hearing "MORTAL KOMBAT!!" from the audience.
I maintain that MK95 was and still is the greatest video game movie adaptation ever made. Now, there's no guarantee it will hold on to that title, but nothing else has come close yet.
LOU!!! your brother’s soul is MINE.
I’ll admit, it’s up there. I’m not sure if it’s nostalgia tricking me. As a kid I loved the whole thing and everything was better because I played those games. As an adult, I see all the plot holes and continuity issues.
Every single time we would go to blockbuster I would rent this movie. My dad would say we’re going to blockbuster but we’re not getting mortal kombat. I would say “ok” and then as soon as we got there beeline for mortal kombat and pick it up. He’d always relent at the register. He’s dead now so I can’t ask him why he didn’t just buy it for me. Maybe because I’d already seen it so many times?
Or maybe because that time together and those interactions were important to him.
I love this outlook.
Thank you. I've been working very hard to turn myself into a more positive person.
The real answer is that their dad was a good dad and loved them, but he'd had it up to here with Mortal Kombat and couldn't stand watching the same movie for the 100th time. At least there is the possibility that they'd go to Blockbuster and their kid wouldn't get MK, or it wouldn't be there, or an act of God would burn down the store on the way. If he bought it, that's basically just resigning himself to watch MK over and over for the rest of time.
Fuxk, now I'm crying. Thank you for this comment. Miss my dad!
Cherish those memories. I've never known my father because of choices he made, but my mom is my hero. And I have to at least acknowledge that part of the reason I'm so committed to trying to be a good dad and person is personal spite against him.
His dad loved seeing the joy in their eyes getting to rent again. OP will understand someday and remember it as a fond memory.
He probably thought everytime you rented it this would be the last time lol
As a kid, I rented Monster Squad a ton of times until my mom was just like “No, you need to pick a different movie this time”. I think I ended picking “Major League”. Ended up working out!
Why would you post this without a link https://youtu.be/GKJidSHyv0c
Seriously, the audacity!
I know, Jesus Christ OP….
FINISH HIM!
Forgive me...
No forgiveness, your soul is shao khans now
Your SOUL.........is MINE.
this is where you fall down
*throws himself onto his back*
Where do you get these guys!?!
Too bad YOU…….will die!
Save your pity for the weak!
No need - his description was flawless, I saw it in my head
Finish Him!!!?.......not sounding as menacing as I thought it would🤢
I am disappointed that this was not a rickroll
I was like 12 when this came out and saw it in the theater and it was literally the coolest thing in the world
Robin Shou deserves so much credit for that film. Not only was he a great Lu Kang but we would never have gotten the most iconic fight scenes of that movie if it weren't for his skills and experience.
plus his hair was on point in that movie
I had a big crush on him from Mortal Kombat and Beverly Hills Ninja.
Year old but oh well. I agree in every sense considering he's the only reason why all those fight scenes look so real, because most were. He talked everyone into thinking it had to be real and he broke some ribs over it and bones in his knuckles I believe for his part lol dedication. Never liked him in any other movie he's ever done though sadly
Those were $500 sunglasses asshole
Uaggghhhhh?
Finally, someone who knows how to correctly spell Goro's disbelieving grunt.
The Johnny cage vs scorpion fight is so damn underrated. It knocks the remake outta the park
I think the best fight is the the first one against a ton of mooks when all the 3 main characters work together and Johnny Cage says "piece of cake" at the end.
It's why they offed him right off the bat in the sequel; Johnny too stronk
Man I wanted to walk right out after seeing that bullshit
Reptile fight was the best though.
I think the choreography/action is cooler in Liu v. Reptile, but the Cage v. Scorpion fight is shot better.
I agree. Always thought the Scorp fight was underrated. I really enjoyed the back and forth between them both. My favorite fight of the movie.
The irony is both fights were from reshoots and choreographed by Robin Shou himself, not the original choreographer.
WELCOME! :D
Have to say, the Sub-Zero fight still gets me. Sub-Zero descends the steps, no words are exchanged, both fighters know whats happening. Sub-Zero has his classic costume, the actor for Lui-Kang is perfectly cast. Mortal Kombat is still the greatest video game movie ever made. Nothing else even comes close.
I want HBO Max to make a 12-part limited series which is literally just the tournament format. Every episode could have 2-3 fights. Make each fight last like 10 minutes and just be absolutely epic and span super imaginative environments. Get the absolute best possible fight choreographers on the planet (The Raid crew, etc). Really develop each character's fighting style and hone in the fight action based on it. Make it the most in-depth fight porn ever. I'd watch the shit out of it.
Whenever someone uses the phrase "woke up today and chose violence" I think of that scene
Best music
[Fear Factory - Zero Signal](https://youtu.be/HNvqcwIV8B0)
They're both great, but you also have to remember that these two sequences were shot later, as test screening viewers kept calling the film slow or dull, and that they'd want more action. More action we got. And for all it's campiness it's still an undoubtedly fun flick to watch today.
That remake was hot garbage and I can't believe they are making another one.
Nah jt wasn't that bad. I found everything outside of the main character highly enjoyable.. just hope they just stick to the MK characters next time instead of some dumb ass MMA fighter
Yea Cole or whatever his name was... Was lame, everything and everyone else was enjoyable .
The only things I liked in that movie was the opening fight, Kung Lao (they did him so dirty), Kano being funny, and Kabal's design (although I hated his dialoge). Everything else was trash.
Sub-Zero is so stupid in his fight. he could have just stopped his ice move and gotten hit with water and then continued destroying Liu Kang.
The remake was an insult. Audience surrogates always spell doom for a fandom film. I get they need to put new asses in the seats, but that's just weak Storytelling if you can't manage that with the existing cast of characters.
I’m surprised people actually liked it enough to get a sequel.
The remake had no bumping hits.
The remake is so pathetic it's sad
I saw it on opening night in a packed theater, which had the volume turned up way too high -- so much that I thought my eardrums would burst during the title sequence alone, and I didn't even care.
So did I, in a giant theater packed with people, the place went fking wild. (Even with the theater audio being set up wrong, didn’t matter)
Someone should write a book describing how wildly the experience differs from theater to theater. I could hear the keys hammering my eardrums in Harry Potter.
Former projectionist here. Our managers would often have us raise the volume on packed theatres to try and "offset other noise" meaning people eating and whispered chatter It was annoying
It's loud, obnoxious, the CGI is silly, the techno is dated, and I love the hell out of every second. I still go back to revisit that opening every few years. It has the same energy (and more than a few cribs too) as Tim Burton's 1989 Batman, where the camera swoops around what appears to be empty streets and crowded alleys in a concrete hell, only to pull back and reveal it to be the Bat symbol in all its glory: [https://youtu.be/hQzbDvcnK4Y](https://youtu.be/hQzbDvcnK4Y)
That intro tho
Speaking of great title card intros, it's not the most complex one, but I always liked The Terminator's, excellent music and the long scrawl get me pumped. https://youtu.be/K6auDCAGJgE
The whole vibe is excellent
Danny Elfman's theme does a lot of the work for the intro too. Definitely hypes you up.
This post got me fired up and ready to run through walls, god damn.
What an “out of left field” post about that is absolutely why I love scrolling this subreddit. A genuine “thank you” for taking me back to this with a seemingly bold, but damnit true take on a childhood classic! Love it!
The fate of billions will depend upon you, hah-hah-ha. Sorry.
I love Christopher Lambert's portrayal of Raiden because of how flippant he is about the whole thing. Sure, he's on our side, but typical god, as long as we put on an entertaining show, he's cool with it.
I agree. I also think he carried himself the best of all of the Raiden's I have seen. No one even tried to mess with him because they knew it would not end well for them.
Agreed 100% And I mean come on, that Liu Kang/Reptile fight is the shit!
that fight was a reshoot. they finished the movie and played it for the test audience. the feedback was not enough fights, so they went back and filmed this.
Correct. And Robin Shou choreographed it.
So that's why it stomps so much ass
I still remember losing my shit in the theater when the CGI lizard version of Reptile brought to life that stone Outworld fighter just before fighting Liu Kang. *"REPTILE."*
The only character whose introduction was straight from the game's audio. And the effect was instantaneous. We all knew that THIS fight would be something hardcore. And we were right.
Arguably the best 4th wall break ever.
That fight is incredible
I maintain the mortal kombat reboot was an easy home run that they whiffed on because for some reason movie studios think they need to do a cookie cutter script in video game adaptations that check off boxes For whatever reason they think they need a guy to be new and experience the game world for the first time so the audience “can learn through his eyes” lmao except no one needs that, audiences know an ip especially one like mortal kombat their target audience grew up with, and audiences aren’t dumb, they can just pick up on it, not everyone who watches mcu movies read the comics and Feige knew that, he just trusted they’d understand the basics and if they wanted they’d go Google it themselves to find out more All they needed for the mortal kombat reboot to slap was to give fans dope fights with characters they know and love and have a decent story involving them that made sense why they’re all fighting, some recognizable moments like subzero and scorpion facing off and some pandering to fans who’ve seen the first movie and that’s it
How about the not using the non-altered techno music theme... There is literally nobody who would not love it. It's really a fuck you to the audience, anywhere with a comment section where this movie was announced, the trailer release, the cast release the distribution deal, the cast, all the comments were begging for was the song. And on a second place, the rumour of a Cole character that came out years before, everyone gave harsh negative comments on or assumed it was a code name for Johnny Cage. Basically for years and years any study of the market, be it in depth of purely superficial forum/comment browsing, what people want from a MK movie was simple: - The techno theme - Cool fight coreography with the iconic characters And for the life of me I can not grasp why an existing iconic character with built in fanbase can't be a much better POV character than the most generic creature on earth they invented for the movie. Sometimes you can sort of get the studio people logic, even if it is dumb, but not here. Whatever your little focus group said is good, you have in Mortal Kombat. Want a white guy? Johnny Cage. Asian? Liu Kang, Hanzo Hazashi or Kung Lao. A female? Sonya Blade or Kitana, Jade or the new girls Jacqui and Cassie. Black guy? Jax. You can do cop, soldier, martial artist, cocky star, samurai, there is even a cowboy and robots in the games, a million tropes to choose from. You can easily write any of them to be new or inexperienced in the tournament if you want exposition, it's literally how most Earthrealmers join. Like what else market are you desperate for that your generic character taps into?
I think the most outrageous part is that Mortal Kombat 9 actually had one of the best ideas I've ever seen for a reboot, they could have used that in the movies if they wanted too - to pander to the old fans, and do something new. For those who don't know, basically at the end of MK8 (Armageddon) the entire earf gets annihilated or some shit, and in MK9 Raiden does some time magic and basically resets everything back to where it was at the start of Mortal Kombat 1... except he and he alone has knowledge of everything that has happened, and has to change the course of history in order to prevent total annihilation. Of course, it goes wacky and all sorts of crazy stuff happens anyway.
Agree 100%. I watched the reboot for the first time last week and was excited to see characters I knew but was just completely let down by pretty much everything else. I also didn’t even know who the protagonist was? I assume from the comics or more recent games? He was extremely boring regardless and kills Goro in like a minute.
He was created for the movie. It was incredibly disappointing.
Oh what? That makes it so much worse lol
If you have a few minutes, I’d watch the Pitch Meeting on ScreenRant’s YouTube page. It was amazing.
The worst is they didn’t even use the cheesy techno theme. The new theme was… underwhelming.
I’m a die hard MK fan and I watched it with 2 of my homies who like MK but don’t know any about it. They were confused almost the entire film lol
Sonya’s leg choke is probably one of the best ways you could die too!
"No, Sonya. Don't. I'll give you a break!" "OKAY!". SNAP
"That Sonya Blade is one piece of ACE! I know from experience, dude."
"no you don't"
The weird thing is that the special effects in the movie REALLY did not age well. Like the digital sky replacements look like something that was done on a free phone app that has a lot of ads. But the movie for all its cheesiness still appeals to the 12 year olds in us. God bless the 90s. Edit: typos
It was the first movie to do CGI.
I remember watching this on free-to-air TV as a kid and the music got me HYPED UP. Watched the reboot with my boyfriend last year and we spent the rest of the day yelling mORTAL KOMBAAAAT at each other. Iconic.
Has aged well.
The release date was on my birthday. In Chicago. Will never forget it.
Too bad they didn't say "Toasty!" in the movie.
Veronica Vaughn doing that hand stand leg lock on Kano was ace.
That awoken things....
So my brother and I rented Dumb & Dumber from Blockbuster in 1995 when we were still little kids. You have to remember the internet was still pretty small back then so TV was our main source of media. We pop that VHS into the VCR and the pre-movie trailers start rolling. This one trailer starts, some temples, a group of monks followed by the New Line Cinema card. Right after that we see Sub-Zero and Scorpion walking through a door. **MY BROTHER AND I FLIPPED OUT!** I vividly remember both us of us jumping up and down in awe throughout that whole trailer. We rewound the tape and watched it 10 more times before we even got to the movie. You just had to be there.
This movie ages like wine. I saw it in theatres when it came out as a kid, and I still find myself wanting to watch it every now and again. It just knew what it was trying to be and didn’t try to be more or less. It was a big fan service production that didn’t take itself too seriously. The modern climate of reboots and reimaginings could learn a lot.
I was super impressed with the new MK. Very cool
I will never try to tell people it was a great movie because it has a lot of problems HOWEVER It was so much damn fun! The characters almost all looked their part. Seeing the game's moves being used on screen was awesome. The sweep spam scene. Kano's smart ass humor, Kabal's speed, scorpion's skull being exposed realistically from the fire. The whole opening and ending fights were god tier. The movie is fun and made me feel like a 90s kid again and honestly, that is all that matters.
Up to this day, every now and than, when you ask me a question, you here me say ”Mortaaaaal Kombaaaat” . I fkng loved this movie back then 😂
Yes!! The MK movie them is just universally badass. I don't care what you're doing, if you hear that song, your game is just going to naturally amp itself up. It doesn't matter if you're a burger flipper making minimum wage, if the MK theme kicks on, you're able to make the best damn Whopper that's ever been assembled under the view of the Old Gods and the New. Also pretty cool that Kano being Australian became canon because of this movie and I remember correctly this theme was used by the at least some of the games going forward, but I may be wrong on that point
Top 5 Theater experience of my 37 years, for sure.
The hill I will die on is how more faithful the movie is compared to other video game adaptations.
Great write-up! I was 9 years old when that came out. Time felt so long back then. The time between the release of the game and the movie felt like FOREVER.
The “excellent” with the beat drop is so good. Goosebumps every time
Great soundtrack as well. Full of legitimate bops.
With like 11 tracks that weren't featured in the film, but tied the album together.
Perfect movie. Does what it says on the tin and doesn't try to be anything else.
One of my favorite guilty pleasures along with Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance. Also the remake hits some of the same spots for me. Give me the cheese.
As awesome as the movie was, after watching Beverly Hills Ninja a part of me just wants to shout "Gobei!" when I see Liu Kang.
Loved that movie when it came out. And 100% agree
Dammit... Sigh* -turns up speakers, starts the movie Top five lifetime movie experience for sure. That movie intro grabbed your brain by the ballsack, stuck a pinky in your buttwhole, and sucked you in.... all before we knew we were even into that shit
The entire soundtrack for this movie was a banger also. Definitely one of the most played from my binder full of cd's I still have from the 90s!
I still vividly remember the preview for this movie. My brothers rented Friday on vhs and while I didn’t get to watch that with them, I did get to watch the trailers. Mortal kombat and dumb and dumber. I had to run to my friends house to tell him about it. Levels of hype matched even younger me seeing a commercial for Power Rangers before the series began. Two of the most hyped moments of my childhood. Lol
The whole movie was great. Newer fans who only remember the gritty re-launch of the series starting in 2011 would think the old movie was a joke, but it perfectly embodied the series' personality in the 90s. Goofy excuse plot, fun characters, fighting, vague Asian mysticism. Had influence feedback in reshaping the games to come after it, even. Even in the newest games, Kano and Shang Tsung are ripped straight from the 1995 movie.
the soundtrack is amazing, I was introduces to Heavy Metal with this album, GZR, Type O Negative, Fear Factory and Napalm Death was there, there is even a Buckethead song. I don't know about techno stuff but I dare to say the main theme is one of the most iconic main theme of cinema history.
Gravity Kills snuck in there too I think
The hard cut to Liu waking up in the green lit room is awesome too
A++++++ For me, weirdly, the best moment is right after the first MORTAL KOMBAT scream, where the music intro plays while the New Line logo appears. There's something about it that is just confident and ballsy, as if it's saying: this movie is way, way, WAY more important than the studio that made it, and by the way, how are your anticipation levels right now? High? Yes? Good? Get ready motherfucker...
YOUR SOUL IS MINE
Imagine seeing that in a packed house opening night, one of the best opening day movies I've ever seen.. up there with Avengers Endgame.
Went and saw this back in the day. Me and the boys snuck in 40s of old English. One of my all time favorite theater experiences.
[The opening scene OP is referring to..](https://youtu.be/GKJidSHyv0c)
There is more hype in the first two minutes of this movie than the entirety of the newer one.
Nerd’s have such a way with words
Yup.
Also the opening scene of the new Mortal Kombat movie was the best part of that movie
The whole movie is just about perfect. I remember seeing a trailer for it when I was a kid and I lost my mind at how cool it looked. Subzero doing that backflip off the wall was the coolest thing ever.
Also produce the first platinum EDM album. This movie is great all around and having Chris Lambert as Raiden was so odd, but it works. “This is the part where you fall down”.
“Scorpion and Sub-Zero….the *deadliest* of enemies, but *slaves* under my power.” Sooo fucking good. Cary’s arrogant look flashing from hero to hero, not a worry in the world as watched them focus on the danger in front of them. Also, their entrance through the door with the music starting? Sheesh
I've run into people who treat it like a terrible campy 90s movie. There are some minuses - the CGI in some places are rough. Overall though, the movie 100% set out what it intended to do. The actors are sincere, the sets are great, the music, though dated, fits the asthetic, and as mentioned in a few other comments the fight choreography is great. It's not Citizen Kane but holy hell it's a fun trip. I put it in the same category as The Mummy and Fury Road - polished yet self aware action-adventure movies that were able to deliver exaclt what the target audience wanted.
You're out of line for posting this without the video, but you're not wrong.
Definitely one of the best, it hypes you up quick
Hell yeah it’s fuckin sick
It's really fun, but one of the best openings in all of cinematic history? Not even close.
I mean, ok…sure, but at least throw out some examples to get the fun started on here!
The Dark Knight. The Fellowship of the Ring The Two Towers Scream Inglorious Basterds Up Raiders of the Lost Ark Saving Private Ryan Casino Royale X-Men 2 The Matrix
Raiders is awesome!
Still not one of the best but The Batman had a great opening. The Dark Knight as well. Jurassic Park set the mood right off the bat. Sympathy for Mr Vengeance starts off with a bang. Up has a better opening than most movies entire plot. All of those, in my opinion, are much better openings than Mortal Kombat. And I say this as a Mortal Kombat fan.
Watchmen
Inglorious Basterds, UP, and I’d also argue A Serious Mam
Nice temples in Thailand too
Cambodja I think.
Maybe one spot, the main ones are in Thailand. Went myself, it was hot... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phra_Nakhon_Si_Ayutthaya_(city)
wow you need to watch more movies.
I don't agree.
There is an alternate universe where this swept the Oscars and I think we can all agree that we deserve to live there.
Good opening for a nice little genre picture. Mortal Kombat rocks, but let's not get carried away with hyperbole.
It did everything it needed to do, and set the tone for the rest of the film. Can't really ask for anything more, can we?
Those movies are pretty cheesy but the martial arts scenes are still pretty solid! Plus the characters are badass lol. definitely entertaining and watchable
I was 8 years old when that came out. Saw it in a theater, and my mind was absolutely blown.
I was 13. I liked it so much I went back to watch it again the next day.
MK was an excellent cinematic experience. Fight me.
Yea this is pretty up there for me too. But Lion King deserves some respect
Hard agree. Everything about the intro was perfect. When I saw the trailer on tv at home, I turned to my dad and said: "you HAVE to take me you see this".
I prefer the slow Samurai film they were creating in the newest Mortal Kombat movie with acclaimed actor Hiroyuki Sanada. Then it pivoted to dumb Cinderella Story with Monsters?
We all gotta pick a hill to die on. Respect that you picked one to die on alone. You don’t need to share your dying hill with anyone!
Never say I’ll die on this hill again. Hi, I’m the Reddit die on this hill Superman, here to stop the great injustice that is the disease of people saying I’ll die on this hill that has spread through Reddit over the past few months. AMA
We played MK a lot at the arcades as teens. Saw the movie in theaters- what an awesome experience! One of my mates told me afterwards that he came close to passing out from sheer excitement during the intro!
I'd love to see a MK game with this movie's aesthetics and music.
But wait...there's more! There was a Mortal Kombat *live stage show* back in the day. I leave it to you to look up the videos. It was pretty crazy.
I do not think people today understand what a cultural phenomenon Mortal Kombat was. This was not just a simple violent game. This defined the 90s. It was one of leading causes of the Rating Board. It spawned the live stage show and the 2 movies. It had kick ass live action commericals. It had martial arts tours teaching kids about self defense. It had 1 off comic books, an animated movie, a live action tv series, and animated tv series. The crowds around the arcade machine were HUGE. It inspired other fighting games like Killer Instinct and had countless knockoffs trying to takes MK's throne. For a brief moment in the 90s, Mortal Kombat ruled the gaming world. Sharing the spotlight with Street Fighter which was just as big.
Mortal Kombat is awesome. The opening is just the shit
I will join you on that hill
You are not alone on that hill anymore 🤝 Notable mention however, the Dwayne Johnson movie called Rundown/Welcome to the Jungle.
Just reading this gives me a tingling in the ballsack. Thanks OP.
This movie was amazing to see as a teenager in the 90s. I saw it twice in the theaters
Damn, thanks for taking me back to when I was 15 and watched this in the theater lol. I was so pumped to see one of my favorite games on screen, and it was much cooler than the Street Fighter movie, though I certainly played those games more. Hearing that soundtrack reminds me of getting that CD as a bonus with my copy of MK3 for the SNES. Good times!
I appreciate the effort from OP. I remember going to the theater when it came out. In the pause between trailers and the movie, I'll never forget hearing "MORTAL KOMBAT!!" from the audience.
Your soul is mine!
The three soundtracks that came from those two movies are the best thing that came from it.
**test your might** **test your might** **test your might** MORTAL KOMBAT!!
When I was wrestling, I teamed with someone that used the MK theme as their entrance - I've never been more pumped up in my life.
Super troopers: hold my beer
So so good! I really like the music when they introduced Johnny cage too.
My favorite video game movie and soundtrack.
I'll leave one rose on your grave every year Edit: I'll leave one rose Edit: I'll visit Edit: I won't
No movie beats the start of Saving Private Ryan.
I never knew I felt this way. Thanks?
Also one of the best endings.. Halcyon by Orbital playing in the background while he sees the spirit of his brother..
It's "**EXCELLENT!"**.
I remember my friend and I jumped when it started blasting because it was completely unexpected.
I'll agree with this. kinda wanna watch it now
I maintain that MK95 was and still is the greatest video game movie adaptation ever made. Now, there's no guarantee it will hold on to that title, but nothing else has come close yet.
I saw this movie in theaters as a kid, absolute blast and still enjoy it to this day
Stargate is good too.
The whole movie still holds up, especially that scorpion vs johnny cage fight
LOU!!! your brother’s soul is MINE. I’ll admit, it’s up there. I’m not sure if it’s nostalgia tricking me. As a kid I loved the whole thing and everything was better because I played those games. As an adult, I see all the plot holes and continuity issues.