Action Analysis: Mortal Kombat (1995)

BY JOHN CARTER JR

Outworld threatens to absorb Earthrealm as Shao Khan attempts to claim his tenth victory in Mortal Kombat. Raiden, the God of Thunder and Protector of Earthrealm, finds Earth’s best warriors in an attempt to win the Mortal Kombat Tournament. However, Shao Khan refuses to make it easy as he sends his best warrior, the Shokan prince Goro, and his advising sorcerer Shang Tsung to ensure his victory. Will Raiden and his Earthrealm defenders be able to overcome the obstacles in their path, or will they succumb to the soul-sucking sorcerer and his subordinate four-armed monster? 

This story is the starting plot to any Mortal Kombat timeline, whether that be in the games, in live-action films, or in animation. Let’s determine if “Mortal Kombat (1995),” which, for many, was the closest thing to a good video game adaptation, is up to the challenge.  

“Mortal Kombat (MK),” the video game, was originally released in 1992 and was inspired by Action Martial Arts films of the 70s and 80s, such as Bruce Lee’s “Enter the Dragon” and Jean-Claude Van Damme’s “Bloodsport.” Three years later, the franchise would gain popularity after the release of three successful arcade entries (MK 1,2, and 3), resulting in the property getting picked up for a film. “Mortal Kombat (1995)” Stars Robin Shou, Bridgette Wilson, Trevor Goddard, Linden Ashby, Christopher Lambert, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. The film retells the original Mortal Kombat story previously mentioned and is among the first video game adaptations that debuted in the 90s (among the likes of the original “Super Mario Bros. Movie,” “Double Dragon,” and the Original Jean-Claude Van Damme “Street Fighter”) and while the film is certainly filled with problems it was leagues above the others as an adaptation.  

While the film is certainly the best 90s video game film adaptation, it has its highs and lows. Let’s first examine the worst parts of the film to get those out of the way. Firstly Christopher Lambert as the thunder god Raiden is not only the worst portrayal of the character ever but is simply one of the worst performances in acting I have ever seen. It is terrible and it makes me cringe at the fact that the “Mortal Kombat 11” team asked him back to reprise the role for a retro skin rather than, Robin Shou, an actually decent live-action film portrayal of an MK character. However, it isn’t just the performance provided by Lambert but the apparent whitewashing, costume design, and scripting of the character that all demonstrate a poor portrayal of a character that is essentially now one of the main protagonists of MK. 

Other problems with this film include the CGI effects, which for the time would be better suited to being practical effects, especially when it comes to reptiles who could have been portrayed by human action with practical effects for his lizard transformation. Finally, one of the most irritating issues with the film falls with the introduction of elements purposely and without good use. This includes the execution of Scorpion, Sub Zero, and Kitana, and shoehorning the entire realm of Outworld into the last act.

What this film excelled at was frankly more sparse than its negatives but it gave us a taste of what an excellent Mortal Kombat film could be had it honed in on those positive qualities. One of the best performances by an actor portraying a Mortal Kombat character in any medium is Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Shang Tsung. Tagawa is an excellent actor, and his acting deserved better than what this film served. Luckily the actor got that in 2019’s “Mortal Kombat 11,” in which the actor was asked to reprise his role, becoming the secret main antagonist of the game. Shang Tsung’s island, Goro’s puppetry, and Robin Shou’s performance as Liu Kang are also well executed. Robin Shou was meant to play Liu Kang; the actor has way more than build of the iconic character but also presents us with a performance that is representative of the determined young hero from the games. Johnny Cage, Sonya, and Kano are also well-portrayed in the film.

While Mortal Kombat (1995) has its definite lows, its highs make viewers long for a better-executed film. This film is more than a step up from its video games adaption counterparts, like the original “Super Mario Bros. Movie” and gives us a glimpse into the possibilities of future video game adaptations. While the portrayal of Raiden, the CGI of reptile, and the weak use of Kitana and her homeland Outworld are bad, Shang Tsung, Goro, the world design, and the protagonists are all well done. While time hasn’t been kind to Mortal Kombat film adaptations, with even 2021’s entry to the franchise being the best (albeit with a few issues of its own), each entry gets closer and closer to a perfect version of the MK world. If the film could only take some cues from the most recent animated films or the story modes of the most recent games (which could act as excellent films themselves), then we’d have a flawless victory.