Arrow Video is finally out this week with its releases of the 1995 and 1997 dual bundle, Mortal Kombat Kollection and they’re a blast to check out. It’s an essential upgrade if you owned both films on standard DVD, especially since the Widescreen and Full Screen presentations on those discs resulted in the movies’ sandwiched looks on TV sets (I had the first film on double-sided disc which I thought was cool at the time).
New Line Cinema and director Paul W.S. Anderson supercharged the moviegoing and gamer millieus with their adaptation of the Midway IP which, despite its diluted PG-13 presentation, gave Mortal Kombat just the energy it needed as a martial arts fantasy crowdpleaser. Casting Robin Shou, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, Linden Ashby, Trevor Goddard Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, and Christopher Lambert, Mortal Kombat followed a storied journey of three protagonists eyed by God Of Lightning and Earthrealm protector Raiden as the ones chosen to win the tenth interdimensional tournament to save the world from the evil forces of Shao Kahn, with Shang Tsung as the tournament’s host.
Requisite set pieces bring allure to the world Anderson inaugurates for the 90s market, topped off with solid wit, gravitas and poise to each character, including then-newcomer Shou in the role of Liu Kang, a devout warrior intent on avenging his brother’s death at the hands of Tsung; Wilson as spec-ops agent Sonya Blade whose quest for vengeance against the elusive Kano (Goddard) for her partner’s death lands her on the tournament island, and Ashby as Johnny Cage, a beleaguered action star led to believe winning the tournament will prove his authenticity as a genuine fighter once and for all.
Lambert’s portrayal as Raiden, with Ashby’s Cage as a close second, lands all the right notes where comedic timing and charm are essential for the film’s viability. Kang is joined eventually by co-star Talisa Soto who plays Kitana, Princess to the realm of Outworld whose alliances remain in question from the moment our heroes spot her. Late actor Goddard’s prime performance as the metallic eyed Kano comes peppered with something entirely as novel as the induction of Cage, setting the bar for future performances in the years ahead with the likes of the late Darren Shahlavi and, more concurrently, Josh Lawson in the latest two WB Pictures releases.
Requisite action sequences are the bread and butter of this film, coordinated by Shou and fight choreographer Pat E. Johnson where applicable, and shot vividly and with intent to bring the film’s stellar martial arts action to life, which also feature performances by Chris Cassamassa as Scorpion, François Petit as Sub-Zero, and Keith H. Cooke as Reptile, with core puppetry by animatronics steward Tom Woodruff Jr. and voice actor Kevin Michael Richardson. The biggest sign-off here was Tagawa’s performance as the maniacal shapeshifter Tsung, who steals every scene he’s in, and signifying just how rich the late actor’ performance continues to be more than thirty years later.
The real moistener in-between all the action, drama and spectacle is the amazing soundtrack assembly. Being able to listen to these songs set against high energy martial arts action in a fan favorite IP told on the big screen set a huge precedent for action films after this, and also made owning a Walkman or portable CD Player wholly worthwhile. I never listened to as much EDM and headbanger metal in my damn life and lo and behold, the OST on these films would be the one to do it, along with George S. Clinton’s rousing, trendsetting score which would herald the franchise for years to come next to voice actor Kyle Wyatt’s legendary contribution to the game’s TV advertisement for Midway.
The talent roster continues, albeit with some casting rotations for the 1997 sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, this time from director John R. Leonetti who sits in for Anderson in the director’s chair. Indeed, the sequel had all the hype it could need to match the potential fans thought it had in the two years since Anderson’s take. This time, our Earthrealm heroes, including Liu Kang, Kitana, Blade (Sandra Hess) and Cage (Chris Conrad), and Lord Raiden (James Remar) are ambushed by Emperor Kahn (Bryan Thompson), his army and his chosen horde of acolytes to fight for him with the intent of stealing Kang’s victory and claiming Earth once and for all.
Forced to leave behind Cage’s body after being killed by Kahn in the attack, our remaining heroes are chased underground and dispersed throughout the globe to enlist more heroes. Kang, after a devastating scrimmage with Cybersmoke (Ridley Tsui) and a brief encounter with Kuai Liang ahead of a tussle with Scorpion (J.J. Perry) who suddenly kidnaps Kitana, is forced back onto his own stoic path of self-discovery to find a way to defeat Kahn. Meanwhile, Blade lands at an underground base to awaken post-op Major Jax Briggs (Lynn “Redd” Williams) whose new bionic sleeves make him stronger and more powerful, and prove otherwise useful against robotic Outworld minion Cyrax (J.J. Perry) when they’re besieged by Kahn’s forces, as well as the sai-wielding Mileena (Dana Hee) later on.
As the story unfolds, Raiden is forced to make the ultimate sacrifice after confronting the elder gods for answers on why Kahn wasn’t impuned for his treachery, before reconvening with the rest of the heroes, including the enigmatic Jade (Irina Pantaeva), to teleport to Outworld in an attempt to rescue Kitana and free a brainwashed Queen Sindel (Musetta Vander) from Kahn’s stranglehold. Ultimately, betrayal strikes as legends and myths are unraveled as fallacies and a major twisted family secret is revealed in the moments leading up to our heroes’ final confrontation with Kahn and his cudgels, including Centaurian acolyte, Motaro (Deron McBee).
Sadly, it can’t be said enough how underhanded this film is in its arrival, from the acting to its overall packaging, with maybe the worst performance and depictions coming from the role of Nightwolf (Litefoot) and the brief, gaudy erection of Baraka (Dennis Keiffer), as well as set design, other casting choices and costume design that invariably dumbs down the experience of what could have been a truly elevated sequel. The throwaways presentations of other characters in the lore, featured and not, don’t really help much here either.
The VFX measures about the same as it did in 1995 with some moments serving as a downgrade, including the notorious “animality” sequence, while the action sequences bring plenty of excitement in the first half before the film nearly fizzles much later as the story plays out. The fight scene between Liu Kang and Smoke is perhaps the best fight scene of the whole film next to some select standout moments, and Raiden’s melee with a squad of Raptors in Outworld is a sight to see, aided in part by Ray Park’s stellar (and quite visible) stunt doubling for Remar. Thompson chews up the scenery almost as equally in the sequel here as does Tagawa in the first, making Thompson’s pick as Shao Kahn a memorable and fun rewatch that deserved a much better script that avoided the camp and cheese this film delivers in whole, unintentional or other.
Capping off the lowbrow editing and creative debasement of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, and for whatever positives a fan can extrapolate from it, there is this: Perhaps the best choice this film made in its aftermath was not finishing the film with a cliffhanger for the incumbent threequel that eventually never happened. Nonetheless, the film comes as a welcome feat in the two-film bundle from Arrow Video in Blu-Ray and 4K UHD, giving buyers ample options, as well as some handy features:
DISC 1 – MORTAL KOMBAT
-4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative by Arrow Films approved by director Paul W.S. Anderson
-Brand new audio commentary with director Paul W.S. Anderson
-Brand new audio commentary with comic book expert and podcast host Dave Baxter
Cage Match, a newly filmed interview with with actor Linden Ashby
-Leveling Up, a newly filmed interview with cinematographer John R. Leonetti
-Quarters to Millions, a newly filmed interview with producer Lawrence Kasanoff
-The Heavyweight, a newly filmed interview with designer and suit performer Tom Woodruff
-Mortal Kombat: A Journey Behind the Scenes featurette
-On-set interview bites with the cast and director and B-roll footage
-Theatrical trailers
-Image gallery
DISC 2 – MORTAL KOMBAT: ANNIHILATION
-4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative by Arrow Films approved by director John R. Leonetti
-Brand new audio commentary with director John R. Leonetti moderated by filmmaker Gillian Wallace Horvat
-Brand new audio commentary with comic book expert and podcast host Dave Baxter
-The Queen of the Night, a newly filmed interview with actor Musetta Vander
-Techno, Taiko, Orcho, a newly filmed interview with composer George S. Clinton
-The Man of a Thousand Deaths, a newly filmed interview with stunt performer J.J. Perry, who played Cyrax, Scorpion and Noob Saibot
-On-set interview bites with the cast and director and B-roll footage
-Theatrical trailer
-Image gallery
I especially enjoyed Ashby’s interview and listening to the rousing journey Vander took to getting cast in the sequel. Perry was a blast to see in his interview tracking his stunt career and experiences on the Mortal Kombat franchise. He’s especially fun to listen to and pretty cool in real life.
Whatever your take is on the reboots, the OG films will always have a place in the martial arts movie fandoms. Arrow’s release of these films are proof of that, and I highly recommend snagging a copy from MVDshop if you can.
