REVIEW: Mortal Kombat (Released in 1995) [25th Anniversary]

DIRECTOR: Paul Anderson

PRODUCER: Lawrence Kasanoff

WRITER: Kevin Droney

PERFORMERS: Linden Ashby Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa Trevor Goddard Robin Shou Talisa Soto Bridgette Wilson and Christopher Lambert

There were many things in the 1990s considered our way of life, entertainment was one of them. Then there were video games, and let's face it, they had a way of keeping us occupied till day's end. There was Virtual Fighter, Street Fighter, Final Fight and then there was Mortal Kombat. Of all the games I remember playing the most this was definitely one I remember most out of all of them. It was one of the hottest most popular games around and every time my brother and I played we'd go on forever and ever. Then in 1995, along came this: a feature film adaptation of the game itself! Mortal Kombat has stood the test of time as a cult classic in the form of video game based films.

Those who have seen this film know the premise: it's your typical Good vs. Evil type of story. Epic Fight sequences, ORIGINAL and practical effects and most importantly: good storytelling through chemistry and evolution. For the three main heroes, you see them each fighting so much more than just their selected opponents, but their own inner demons as well. Specifically the character of Liu Kang (Robin Shou) who goes through the most change and learns the real meaning of the phrase "Be prepared" (1 PETER 5:8). Their recruiter (Christopher Lambert), who happens to be a Lightning God and protector of Earth, is in a way their spiritual guide and the Obi-Wan Kenobi of the picture. He's the one who keeps them going, even when he doesn't know the outcome of the tournament's end himself. When you think about it, it's like watching Jesus recruiting his first disciples the whole time he's mentoring them and advising them (MARK 1:16-18).

As a 90's kid myself it's impossible for me to not like this movie, the fact that this was based on and inspired by a video game that's now one of the most beloved franchises of all time in the game department is just genius by itself. There were so many references to the original material and countless apperances from other fan-favorite characters of the games that you actually thought there was nothing the filmmakers could get wrong despite the running time of the picture which I never minded. Films like this back then were considered view worthy regardless of time anyway. The battle scenes were so well choreographed and when you include special and practical effects in the mix, you know what you're in for. Having just previously watched this film for it's 25th Anniversary I was left asking myself 'When are we going to get THESE kinds of effects back in movies again?' Because this is when they were made with 100% realism and 0% chesseness. Granted they have grown and evolved over the years, but when you look at the fight scene between Liu Kang and Sub-Zero, you'll see what I mean. The direction of Paul Anderson is also superb as well as he takes us on a journey of self-worth, self-awareness and confronting our fears that can either make us or define us. For example, Liu Kang while fighting to win Mortal Kombat is seen as the main hero of the story. Though he has these obstacles standing in his way he is constantly evolving his own fear into his own strength. When he faces off against the main villain Shang Tsung (Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa), we see him going from partially reluctant to courageous (ROMANS 12:21)

Just to know what transparency was brought to this picture made it all the more worth while, because although it wasn't as violent or graphic as the game itself, it was still a worthy crowd-pleaser. I was just 12 years old when I saw this in theaters, and apparently still holds a nostalgic feel on me just as it did back in 1995. Of course, the violence had to be toned down because of it's target audience and I bet if it were made today... there would be so much more than what we got in the end 25 years ago. But I was satisfied then just as millions of others were, because if made in today's times it wouldn't have been the same. There was so much things this movie got right based on the fact that it was adapted from a video game like the character traits, the executing moves that popularized the game in the first place and perhaps the array of characters as featured. What came out of this was countless sequels to the game, a theatrical sequel 2 years later, a short lived TV series and countless more. Anything with that kind of evolution in some form or another is enough to prove just how much of a cultural impact things like this can have on our lives. The music in this film is what really stood out to me, I remember owning the soundtrack on a cassette tape and playing it constantly day after day. Even today, the film's main theme song still holds a chord with me because it's just one of those things that you never forget.

In Conclusion, this film shows the respect and devotion to it's original material that it deserves. The only thing it lacks is the well deserved recognition for it's efforts. While maintaining the roots, it even sprouts a few new ones as it continues it's long term effect on those who saw this movie at a young age. This was what began the further adaptation of other video game based films, in the beginning there was Double Dragon and Street Fighter may have been the first but this to me is what set that standard of that. Over the years there came films like Resident Evil, Rampage, Tomb Raider and just recently Sonic the Hedgehog, but this is what propelled those films to be made because after this, anything was possible. You had to have the right story, right characters, settings, VFX (computerized and real) and sequences to make the right kind of film based on a game and this was a real example of how to do that. At the time of it's released it was perhaps more audience favored than critically favored, but in the end scored millions of dollars at the box office, created a fan base and a legacy to be remembered. Happy 25th Anniversary to Mortal Kombat!!! Highly recommended (especially if you played the first three games from the early days). #AnniversaryReviews #MortalKombat25thAnniversary #MK25 #filmsof1995 #videogamefilms