Summary
Mortal Kombathas been known for decades as a fighting game where blood and guts are as expected as the famous characters Scorpion and Sub-Zero. WhereMortal Kombatsought domination and total Fatality of the fighting game genre, for some fans, it may have succeeded. However, hasMortal Kombatever achieved the ranks of the best movies, animation, and shows?
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There have been a fewMortal Kombatmovies, animated projects, and TV series that have met the eyes of fans. Whether they are for better or worse, theseMortal Kombatmovies are part of theonce “controversial” franchiseand its history, even if some would rather Scorpion take them to the Netherrealm.
8Mortal Kombat: Annihilation
As a sequel to the original live-actionMortal Kombatmovie,Mortal Kombat: Annihilationless than holds up as a movie, and even less so as aMortal Kombatfeature. The film continues from where the first left off, with the victory of Earth Realm and Liu Kang’s victory over Shang Tsung. However, new threats emerge when Outworld’s leader, Shao Kahn, and his generals attempt to merge and conquer Earth Realm with Outworld.
There isn’t much to love aboutMortal Kombat: Annihilation. Although some might argue that it’s ‘so bad it’s good’, most just regard it as ‘so bad it’s bad’. The martial art stunts leave much to be desired, and the special effects are ghastly. Everything from the plot, direction, and acting just leavesa foul fatalityin the mouths of fans.
7Mortal Kombat: Conquest
With 22 episodes,Mortal Kombat: Conquestwas a TV series that ran for just a year between 1998 and 1999. The TV series was a prequel to the movies before it and features Kung Lao as the triumphant victor of theMortal Kombattournament. After his victory, he must train a new set of warriors to prepare for the next tournament, and thwartShang Tsung’s evil plans.
Mortal Kombat: Conquestis very much a slow burn, even for a TV series. The show takes a while to introduce its cast of characters, making the beginning few episodes a tad hard to watch. However, the fights are somewhat engaging, and the finale is fairly thrilling.
6Mortal Kombat: Defenders Of The Realm
Mortal Kombatsounds like the perfect series to feature in animation, due to the eccentric violence and hard-to-master fight choreography ofits unique characters. However,Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realmfailed to live up to the bark with its 13 episodes from 1995 to 1996, but it did a few interesting things along the way.
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Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realmhas a pretty solid cast, with big names like Ron Perlman and Clancy Brown featuring in the episodes. The show itself is far more geared towards children, with action-packed and bloodless fights, and a simple plot involving good guys and villains, fighting and scheming.
5Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind
One of the newest entries intoMortal KombatLegends, this story follows Kenshi in a reimagining of his origins as the blind katana-wielding warrior.Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blindis a more unique tale from the realms ofMortal Kombat, and has a strong character arc with Kenshi testing his limits against the powers of Kano and the Black Dragon clan.
However, although there is nothing inherently wrong withMortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind, it is with its relative safety as an animated movie that makes it less than engaging. The animatedMortal Kombatmovie is simply okay and doesn’t excel where others can.
4Mortal Kombat (1995)
A retelling of the fabledMortal Kombatseries makes its way to live-action with the 1995 movie of the same name. There are some creative liberties with the characters inMortal Kombat(1995), as three warriors are summoned tocompete in a tournamentthat decides the fate of the worlds. It’s easy to digest, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa’s Shang Tsung is a standout. Yet, it falters on many fronts.
For some,Mortal Kombatthe movie may be a classic. However, for new fans, or those that have yet to see the 1995 take onMortal Kombat, they might leave finding themselves disappointed by a lot of moments, characters, and plot threads with typical ‘90s cheese and poor execution.
3Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle Of The Realms
Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle Of The Realmsis an animated movie that features Liu Kang as the protagonist, and the true champion of Earth Realm. The animated movie shows an all-out war with some iconicMortal Kombatcharacters doing what they do best: brutal and bloody hand-dealt murder.
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Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle Of The RealmsLeaves audiences thrilled with some fairly impressive animated combat. A notable standout is the climactic battle between Shao Kahn and Liu Kang. Outside of the fights, it’s a fairly respectable origin story for the heavyMortal Kombatlore from the games.
2Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge
One of the most belovedMortal Kombatcharacters, and perhaps the most recognizable face, Scoprion gets his origin story withMortal KombatLegends: Scorpion’s Revenge. The animated movie is a revenge tale, showing the origins of Hanzo Hasashi, and the tragedy that turned him into the demonic Scorpion.
There’s a great cast of characters featuring inMortal KombatLegends: Scorpion’s Revenge, alongside sometruly brutal violence. Fans should check outMortal KombatLegends: Scorpion’s Revengefor an easy watch and a respectable animated movie in theMortal Kombatuniverse.
1Mortal Kombat (2021)
A reboot of theMortal Kombatmovies,Mortal Kombat(2021) took the franchise into the 21st century, bringing in all the things fans enjoy about the franchise. The plot revolves around Cole Young, a failing MMA fighter, unfamiliar with the legacy of his blood, and his importance amongst the likes of Raiden, Liu Kang, and the hunting greed of Shang Tsungand Sub-Zero.
It’s nice to seeMortal Kombatembrace some of the charm that keeps its identity so iconic. With fatalities, overwhelming and ridiculous violence, and a fair few catchphrases.Mortal Kombat(2021) is not shy about its identity and doesn’t care about keeping things kid friendly. However, the story and its protagonist can feel somewhat underwhelming when dealing with the creative explosion that isMortal Kombat.
