In 1995 - one of the most controversial and popular video game franchises got a live action film to its name - MORTAL KOMBAT. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and based on the fighting game series of the same name created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, the movie dealt largely with the plot of the first game - where a group of martial artists battle in a tournament that will decide the fate of Earthrealm.
Despite the simple plot, slight deviations from its source material, and the campy comedic moments and dialogue it had, the movie became number at the box office at the time it was released - earning over $122 Million worldwide and becoming a cult classic and is arguably considered one of the better video game based films of all time.
With a cast led by Robin Shou as Liu Kang, Linden Ashby as Johnny Cage, Bridgette Wilson as Sonya Blade, Talisa Soto as Kitana, Christopher Lambert as Rayden, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Shang Tsung, Mortal Kombat was a hit thanks to primarily to its martial arts performance, faithfulness to the main story, and that amazing techno song that serves as the theme song that’s catchy to listen to this day.
With a cult following that’s still active to this day, the Mortal Kombat film stands as a perfect example of how to adapt a video game concept and make it into a movie. Despite getting a horrible sequel (Mortal Kombat Annihilation *cough cough*), the film’s legacy was enough to influence the modern era of Mortal Kombat games by NetherRealm Studios - with Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa reprising his role as Shang Tsung for Mortal Kombat 11!
If you haven’t seen this movie, or the animatronic Goro, you absolutely need to. Go and watch it... FIGHT!
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