It might be the highest moment of tension in 1995’s Mortal Kombat. While the video game movie positions a wonderful, scenery-chewing Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as its big bad, I doubt many feared how Robin Shou would handle him in the ring. But Johnny Cage fighting Goro? It’s B-movie actor Linden Ashby playing B-movie actor Johnny Cage, and both the performer and character are entering the arena with a six-limbed demon—a bellowing banshee who just murdered a dozen other token “good guys.” The beast even has the cojones to steal Johnny’s signature sunglasses before the bout and crush them in his hand. How scary is that?
Not very, as it turns out.
As soon as the bell rings, Johnny pulls an honest-to-Raiden split, just like he’s Jean-Claude Van Damme, and punches the stony monster directly in the loincloth. At least in ’95, director Paul W.S. Anderson understood the assignment...
Not very, as it turns out.
As soon as the bell rings, Johnny pulls an honest-to-Raiden split, just like he’s Jean-Claude Van Damme, and punches the stony monster directly in the loincloth. At least in ’95, director Paul W.S. Anderson understood the assignment...
- 4/21/2021
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
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Despite a more than 20 year gap in between the last “Mortal Kombat” film and the upcoming release, fans of the franchise have remained loyal to the movies and video games. The latest film in the series will arrive in theaters and on HBO Max on April 16. If you’re not already subscribed to HBO Max a monthly subscription costs $14.99 a month which grants you access to thousands of blockbuster films, hit TV series, and a myriad of classic movie titles, plus exclusive programming including “Mortal Kombat” and a slate of films on the Warner Bros. roster, all of which will be available to stream for the first month after the films are released in theaters.
Despite a more than 20 year gap in between the last “Mortal Kombat” film and the upcoming release, fans of the franchise have remained loyal to the movies and video games. The latest film in the series will arrive in theaters and on HBO Max on April 16. If you’re not already subscribed to HBO Max a monthly subscription costs $14.99 a month which grants you access to thousands of blockbuster films, hit TV series, and a myriad of classic movie titles, plus exclusive programming including “Mortal Kombat” and a slate of films on the Warner Bros. roster, all of which will be available to stream for the first month after the films are released in theaters.
- 3/30/2021
- by Latifah Muhammad
- Indiewire
Matthew Byrd Aug 18, 2019
Mortal Kombat: The Movie is ridiculous, dated, awkward, and the one essential piece of video game movie history.
Many modern video game movies suffer from the delusion that they must be "good." Mortal Kombat didn't have that problem.
Released in 1995, Mortal Kombat followed what some call the unholy trinity of early ‘90s video game adaptations: Super Mario Bros., Double Dragon, and Street Fighter. The legacy of those films are forever entangled, but it's not entirely fair to lump them together in terms of either quality or success. For instance, Street Fighter did fairly well for itself at the box office (it grossed almost $100 million off a $35 million budget) and is actually fondly remembered by some for its irreverent nature and Raul Julia’s show-stealing final performance. Comparatively, Double Dragon and Super Mario Bros. both failed to make their budgets back (the latter is considered to be a...
Mortal Kombat: The Movie is ridiculous, dated, awkward, and the one essential piece of video game movie history.
Many modern video game movies suffer from the delusion that they must be "good." Mortal Kombat didn't have that problem.
Released in 1995, Mortal Kombat followed what some call the unholy trinity of early ‘90s video game adaptations: Super Mario Bros., Double Dragon, and Street Fighter. The legacy of those films are forever entangled, but it's not entirely fair to lump them together in terms of either quality or success. For instance, Street Fighter did fairly well for itself at the box office (it grossed almost $100 million off a $35 million budget) and is actually fondly remembered by some for its irreverent nature and Raul Julia’s show-stealing final performance. Comparatively, Double Dragon and Super Mario Bros. both failed to make their budgets back (the latter is considered to be a...
- 4/17/2018
- Den of Geek
Mortal Kombat
Paul W.S. Anderson
Kevin Droney
1995, USA
After Street Fighter laid the groundwork for the fighting game, Mortal Kombat hit the scene, setting a high-water mark for realistic digitized graphics and pushing boundaries with its high levels of bloody violence, including, most notably, its Fatalities. It sparked so much controversy for its depiction of extreme violence and gore that it led to the creation of the Esrb (the video game rating system). The release of Mortal Kombat for home consoles by Acclaim Entertainment was one of the largest video game launches of all time, with a $10 million marketing campaign that dubbed the date “Mortal Monday.” No surprise, then, that a game this controversial and popular would pique the interest of money-hungry Hollywood executives looking to cash in. Mortal Kombat the movie enjoyed a 3-week run at the top of the Us box office, earning over $122 million worldwide. In addition to toys,...
Paul W.S. Anderson
Kevin Droney
1995, USA
After Street Fighter laid the groundwork for the fighting game, Mortal Kombat hit the scene, setting a high-water mark for realistic digitized graphics and pushing boundaries with its high levels of bloody violence, including, most notably, its Fatalities. It sparked so much controversy for its depiction of extreme violence and gore that it led to the creation of the Esrb (the video game rating system). The release of Mortal Kombat for home consoles by Acclaim Entertainment was one of the largest video game launches of all time, with a $10 million marketing campaign that dubbed the date “Mortal Monday.” No surprise, then, that a game this controversial and popular would pique the interest of money-hungry Hollywood executives looking to cash in. Mortal Kombat the movie enjoyed a 3-week run at the top of the Us box office, earning over $122 million worldwide. In addition to toys,...
- 8/15/2015
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
I don’t know about you, but E3 got me Super stoked to slap Mortal Kombat X into my PS4 next year! In my excitement I went back and watched one of the few video game movies that actually encompasses the feel of the original material. That movie? You guessed it, New Line Cinema’s Mortal Kombat! Well, despite having a lot of input from original game creators Ed Boon and John Tobias, there are a few things in the film that aren’t quite canon, so here is my list of the five biggest things they did differently than the original storyline for the games. I am not including parts from the rebooted timeline, however, since the movie wasn’t based on that timeline. (Also, we’re only gonna talk about the first Mortal Kombat movie, because Annihilation got so much wrong this article would have to be printed in hardback…...
- 6/16/2014
- by Jake Smith
- GeekTyrant
Mortal Kombat
Written by Kevin Droney
Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson
USA, 1995
Self-exiled Shaolin monk and martial arts pupil Liu Kang (Robin Shou) awakens one night from a nightmare in which a strange and powerful sorcerer named Shang Tsung (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) brutally murders Kang’s younger brother before looking directly into the camera and claiming Kang’s very soul. Shaken by the experience, the hot-headed youth returns to his former home among the temples to learn the truth of his brother’s demise. Much to his surprise, there is more at stake than family matters, or so explains the god of lightning, Raiden (Christopher Lambert), who magically makes an appearance. His brother’s death granted Shang Tsung, ambassador of an evil dimension called Outworld, a ninth consecutive victory in an ancient tournament named Mortal Kombat. A tenth successive win for the vile Outworld grants Tsung and his minions ownership of the Earth realm.
Written by Kevin Droney
Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson
USA, 1995
Self-exiled Shaolin monk and martial arts pupil Liu Kang (Robin Shou) awakens one night from a nightmare in which a strange and powerful sorcerer named Shang Tsung (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) brutally murders Kang’s younger brother before looking directly into the camera and claiming Kang’s very soul. Shaken by the experience, the hot-headed youth returns to his former home among the temples to learn the truth of his brother’s demise. Much to his surprise, there is more at stake than family matters, or so explains the god of lightning, Raiden (Christopher Lambert), who magically makes an appearance. His brother’s death granted Shang Tsung, ambassador of an evil dimension called Outworld, a ninth consecutive victory in an ancient tournament named Mortal Kombat. A tenth successive win for the vile Outworld grants Tsung and his minions ownership of the Earth realm.
- 2/15/2014
- by Edgar Chaput
- SoundOnSight
Mortal Kombat (1995)
Stars: Robin Shou, Christopher Lambert, Linden Ashby, Talisa Soto, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Bridgette Wilson | Written by Kevin Droney | Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson
Based on the video game of the same name, Mortal Kombat tells the story of a group of martial artists plucked from Earth by the mysterious Lord Rayden to fight in an ancient tournament that sees otherworldy realms compete for the right to conquer the losing realms. So far Outworld has nine wins against Earth, so… so what!
To hell with a synopsis. Just know this: a bunch of good guy martial artists take on a bunch of bad guy martial artists in a collection of some of the best videogame-inspired fight scenes ever committed to celluloid. All the key characters from the game are here – Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, Rayden, Johnny Cage, Kano, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Reptile, even the ridiculous Goro.
One of the best movies ever made from a videogame,...
Stars: Robin Shou, Christopher Lambert, Linden Ashby, Talisa Soto, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Bridgette Wilson | Written by Kevin Droney | Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson
Based on the video game of the same name, Mortal Kombat tells the story of a group of martial artists plucked from Earth by the mysterious Lord Rayden to fight in an ancient tournament that sees otherworldy realms compete for the right to conquer the losing realms. So far Outworld has nine wins against Earth, so… so what!
To hell with a synopsis. Just know this: a bunch of good guy martial artists take on a bunch of bad guy martial artists in a collection of some of the best videogame-inspired fight scenes ever committed to celluloid. All the key characters from the game are here – Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, Rayden, Johnny Cage, Kano, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Reptile, even the ridiculous Goro.
One of the best movies ever made from a videogame,...
- 8/4/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Chicago – The video game world of “Mortal Kombat” has been reinvigorated for a new generation through Warner’s excellent new release and the company wisely saw the opportunity to provide something for fans who need to put the controller down every once in a while but don’t want to leave the universe with Blu-ray releases for Paul Anderson’s “Mortal Kombat” and John R. Leonetti’s “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.”
Blu-Ray Rating: 2.5/5.0
1995’s “Mortal Kombat” hasn’t aged particularly well but, then again, it was never that great to begin with. Fighting games, even ones with character backgrounds as potentially rich as Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade, don’t exactly translate to the big screen and the cast of Paul Anderson’s action flick is lackluster at best. No offense meant to Bridgette Wilson or Christopher Lambert, but there’s a reason that “Mortal Kombat” wasn’t exactly a breakout hit.
Blu-Ray Rating: 2.5/5.0
1995’s “Mortal Kombat” hasn’t aged particularly well but, then again, it was never that great to begin with. Fighting games, even ones with character backgrounds as potentially rich as Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade, don’t exactly translate to the big screen and the cast of Paul Anderson’s action flick is lackluster at best. No offense meant to Bridgette Wilson or Christopher Lambert, but there’s a reason that “Mortal Kombat” wasn’t exactly a breakout hit.
- 5/11/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
A total of 19 candidates are vying for eight seats on the WGA West's board of directors.
To introduce the candidates to members, the Wgaw will host a "Candidates Night" town hall forum Sept. 3 at the guild's headquarters in Los Angeles.
Members will receive a ballot package that will include candidate statements, rebuttals and the ballot.
Ballots can be mailed in or cast at the Wgaw's annual membership meeting Sept. 22 and will be counted Sept. 23.
The candidates include five incumbants: Aaron Mendelsohn, Mark Gunn, David A. Goodman, John F. Bowman and Kathy Kiernan. The remaining candidates are: Howard Michael Gould, Tim Day, Timothy J. Lea, Bernard Lechowick, Aaron Solomon, Mick Betancourt, Karen Harris, Kat Smith, Howard Kuperberg, Kevin Droney, Ashley Gable, Dwayne Johnson-Cochran, Katherine Fugate and Luvh Rakhe.
To introduce the candidates to members, the Wgaw will host a "Candidates Night" town hall forum Sept. 3 at the guild's headquarters in Los Angeles.
Members will receive a ballot package that will include candidate statements, rebuttals and the ballot.
Ballots can be mailed in or cast at the Wgaw's annual membership meeting Sept. 22 and will be counted Sept. 23.
The candidates include five incumbants: Aaron Mendelsohn, Mark Gunn, David A. Goodman, John F. Bowman and Kathy Kiernan. The remaining candidates are: Howard Michael Gould, Tim Day, Timothy J. Lea, Bernard Lechowick, Aaron Solomon, Mick Betancourt, Karen Harris, Kat Smith, Howard Kuperberg, Kevin Droney, Ashley Gable, Dwayne Johnson-Cochran, Katherine Fugate and Luvh Rakhe.
- 7/23/2008
- by By Leslie Simmons
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The WGA West announced the 19 candidates who are running for eight open seats on the WGA West's board of directors.
The candidates include incumbents Aaron Mendelsohn, Mark Gunn, David A. Goodman, John Bowman and Kathy Kiernan.
The non-incumbent candidates are: Howard Michael Gould, Tim Day, Timothy J. Lea, Bernard Lechowick, Aaron Solomon, Mick Betancourt, Karen Harris, Kat Smith, Howard Kuperberg, Kevin Droney, Ashley Gable, Dwayne Johnson-Cochran, Katherine Fugate and Luvh Rakhe.
A candidates town hall meeting will be held Sept. 3, with ballots due Sept. 22 and counted on Sept. 23.
The candidates include incumbents Aaron Mendelsohn, Mark Gunn, David A. Goodman, John Bowman and Kathy Kiernan.
The non-incumbent candidates are: Howard Michael Gould, Tim Day, Timothy J. Lea, Bernard Lechowick, Aaron Solomon, Mick Betancourt, Karen Harris, Kat Smith, Howard Kuperberg, Kevin Droney, Ashley Gable, Dwayne Johnson-Cochran, Katherine Fugate and Luvh Rakhe.
A candidates town hall meeting will be held Sept. 3, with ballots due Sept. 22 and counted on Sept. 23.
- 6/22/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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