DOES IT HOLD UP?: Johnny Cage vs. Scorpion In MORTAL KOMBAT (1995)
Mortal Kombat hit at a crossroads in action movie history, a time when audiences may have heard of Hong Kong action but probably had never seen it for themselves. There had been glimpses in the past; from the Golden Harvest produced TMNT movies to John Woo’s Hollywood debut, Hard Target. Hollywood had spent most of the 90s easing American audiences in to the kind of action that Hong Kong was known for and Mortal Kombat was the first to wear its influence proudly. The fight scenes blew our prepubescent minds, but none had quite as much impact as the film’s centerpiece, Johnny Cage vs Scorpion. Does this fight stand the test of time, or should it be lost to history? 20 years later, that spear just looks adorable…. THE SETTING This fight as well as Liu Kang vs Reptile from later in the film, were both choreographed by leading man Robin Shou… […]