The best-receivedMortal Kombatmovie is also the most underrated - and proves it shouldn’t be so hard to get the live-action side of the franchise right. Video games are notoriously tricky to adapt to the big screen, and one of the few to succeed during the 1990s was the originalMortal Kombatmovie. This had to water down the game’s bone-crunching violence, but was a fun adventure with some solid fight sequences. Sadly, the 1997 sequel was a total dud, withMortal Kombat: Annihilation’sfinal cut being an unfinished workprintthat producers somehow deemed worthy of release.
It took decades forMortal Kombat 2021to arrive, with the reboot cranking the violence all the way up to an R. However, the reviews for this outing were decidedly tepid, due to its bizarre decision to withhold the titular tournament until the sequel, and the blandness of new protagonist Cole Young (Lewis Tan). Hopefully,the upcomingMortal Kombat 2can right the ship, and the addition of new characters like Johnny Cage (Karl Urban) should help with that.
Mortal Kombat 2: Why Karl Urban is Perfect For Johnny Cage
Karl Urban will play Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2, and he was absolutely the perfect choice.
Scorpion’s Revenge Is Mortal Kombat’s Highest-Rated Movie By Far
This animated Mortal Kombat adventure is a must see
In addition to the live-action films, there has been a run of animatedMortal Kombat Legendsmovies, with the most recent being 2023’sCage Match. The original outingMortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revengeis the best-reviewed entry in the entire franchise with90% on Rotten Tomatoes. This gory adventure revolves around the title character, whose family is brutally murdered by Sub-Zero; Scorpion then sets out on an epic revenge quest, with all this being set against the backdrop of the tournament itself.
Scorpion’s Revengemay just be the bloodiest film based on the video gameseriesto date. Right from the intense opening, the screen is splattered with gore, though the film still takes time to develop its likable cast of characters too. It helps that the animation looks great, while the fights are wince-inducingly visceral. Perhaps accounting for its warm critical reception is that the animated spinoff peppers itself with moments of comic relief and humor (mostly from Joel McHale’s Johnny Cage) just to take the edge off the bloodshed.
What Scorpion’s Revenge Did Differently From Other Mortal Kombat Movies
Scorpion’s Revenge found an original angle to a traditional Mortal Kombat story
On paper,Scorpion’s Revengesounds like a classicMortal Kombattale; Liu Kang, Sonya Blade and other familiar faces take part in the titular tournament to decide the fate of Earth realm and mayhem ensues. What really makes the movie work is its Scorpion framework. Not only does the focus on fan-favorite anti-hero Scorpion make it feel fresh, but it also allows viewers to dip in and out of the tournament without the story feeling samey. Of course,one of the big differences between theMortal Kombatlive-action movies andScorpion’s Revengeis the outrageous amount of gory carnage.
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Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match(2023)
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Over-the-top action has always been a key staple of the property, but even the 2021 remake felt tame compared to what the games can pull off.Scorpion’s Revengelets fans and newcomers know from the opening ten minutes that it will be holdingnothingback in this regard, and it more than earns that R rating. Plenty of characters from the video games appear too, butunlikeAnnihilationorScorpion’s Revenge’sdirect sequelBattle of the Realms, it doesn’t add in a bunch of fan favorites just for the sake of it.
A third movie dubbedMortal Kombat: Devastationwas intended to follow 1997’sAnnihilation, but fell into development hell after the latter’s underperformance before eventually being canceled.
Mortal Kombat Has Struggled With Movies In Live-Action And Animation
Scorpion’s Revenge is a template for how to do Mortal Kombat correctly
On the live-action side,Mortal Kombat 1995remains the favorite; both for its retro charm and because it’s a genuinely good time. That said, it does feel like the PG version of the story, while neitherAnnihilationnor the 2021 redo improves on it. Sadly,even theMortal Kombat Legendsseries proved to be diminishing returns.Battle of the Realmsgot lost in too many characters and subplots, whileCage Matchwas too goofy for its own good.
It’s almost surprising how effortless Scorpion’s Revenge makes a Mortal Kombat adaptation look.
Hopefully,Mortal Kombat 2learned lessons from the original’s reception. The original film proved to be a hit, but from the premise right on down to the lack of truly memorable bouts, the 2021 film left major room for improvement. It’s almost surprising how effortlessScorpion’s Revengemakes an adaptation look. It might remix certain elements but it still feels incredibly faithful, and the actual revenge element adds a personal, emotional arc to the story too.
Mortal Kombatis an evergreen series, so the live-action side is sure to get the mixture right at some point. It would be great for theLegendsspinoffs to get back on the right track too. A fifth outing titledMortal Kombat Legends: Fall of Edeniais rumored to be in development, with the story being told from Kitana’s perspective.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge
Cast
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is an animated film released in 2020, focusing on the character Scorpion. Directed by Ethan Spaulding, the movie explores Scorpion’s quest for vengeance against those responsible for the destruction of his clan and family. As the narrative unfolds, it delves into the violent tournament known as Mortal Kombat, where Earthrealm’s champions must battle against the forces of Outworld to prevent its conquest.
