The best-received Mortal Kombat Movie is also the most underrated – and proves it shouldn’t be that hard to get the live-action side of the franchise right. Video games are notoriously tricky to adapt to the big screen, and one of the few to succeed in the 1990s was the original Mortal Kombat Movie. This had to water down the bone-crunching violence of the game, but was a fun adventure with some solid action sequences. Unfortunately, the 1997 sequel was a complete disappointment, with Mortal Kombat: Annihilation Final cut is an unfinished workprint that producers somehow deemed worthy of release.
It took decades for Mortal Kombat 2021 To arrive, with the reboot cranking the violence up to a r. However, reviews for this outing were disappointingly lackluster, due to its odd decision to hold off on the titular tournament until the sequel, and the blandness of new protagonist Cole Yong. (Louis Tan). Hopefully, the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2 Can right the ship, and the addition of new characters like Johnny Cage (Karl Urban) should help with that.
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Scorpion’s Revenge is Mortal Kombat’s highest-rated movie by far
This animated Mortal Kombat adventure is a must see
In addition to the live action films, there were a lot of animated ones Mortal Kombat Legends movies, with the latest 2023s Cage Match. The original exit Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is the best reviewed entry in the entire franchise with 90% on rotten tomatoes. The gory adventure revolves around the title character, whose family is brutally murdered by Sub-Zero; Scorpion then set out on an epic revenge quest, with all of this set against the backdrop of the tournament itself.
Play Scorpion’s Revenge Might just be the bloodiest film based on the video game Series To date. Right from the intense opening, the screen is splattered with gore, though the film still takes time to develop its likable cast of characters. It helps that the animation looks great, while the fights are visceral-inducing. Perhaps accounting for its warm critical reception is that the animated spinoff peppers itself with moments of comic relief and humor (mostly from Joel McHale’s Johnny Cage) just to take the edge off the bloodshed.
What makes Scorpion’s Revenge different from other Mortal Kombat movies
Scorpion’s Revenge found an original angle to a traditional Mortal Kombat story
on paper, Play Scorpion’s Revenge Sounds like a classic Mortal Kombat tale; Liu Kang, Sonya Blade and other familiar faces take part in the titular tournament to decide the fate of the Earth Realm and the surprise. What really makes this movie work is its Scorpion framework. Not only does the focus on fan-favorite anti-hero Scorpion make it feel fresh, but it also allows viewers to dip in and out of the tournament without the story feeling similiar. of course, One of the big differences between the Mortal Kombat Live-action movies and Play Scorpion’s Revenge is the outrageous amount of gory carnage.
each Mortal KombaH movie |
Rotten Tomatoes score |
---|---|
Mortal Kombat (1995) |
47% |
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997) |
4% |
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge (2020) |
90% |
Mortal Kombat (2021) |
55% |
Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms (2021) |
50% |
Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind (2022) |
80% |
Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match (2023) |
N/A |
Over-the-top action has always been a key staple of the property, but even the 2021 remake felt tame compared to what those games can pull off. Play Scorpion’s Revenge Let fans and newcomers know from the opening ten minutes that it will stop Nothing Back in this regard, and it more than earns that R rating. There are also many characters from the video games, however Unlike Destruction Or Play Scorpion’s Revenge Direct sequel Battle of the RealmsIt doesn’t add a bunch of fan favorites just for the sake of it.
Mortal Kombat has struggled with movies in live action and animation
Scorpion’s Revenge is a template for how to do Mortal Kombat correctly
On the live-action side, Mortal Kombat 1995 remains the favorite; Both for its retro charm and because it’s a really good time. That said, it feels like the PG version of the story, even though it’s not Destruction And the 2021 redo improves upon it. sad, Even these Mortal Kombat Legends Series proved to be diminishing returns. Battle of the Realms Lost in too many characters and subplots, while Cage Match was too goofy for his own good.
It’s almost surprising how effortless Scorpion’s Revenge makes a Mortal Kombat adaptation look.
hope, Mortal Kombat 2 Lessons learned from the original’s reception. The original film proved to be a hit, but from the premise right on down to the lack of truly memorable bouts, the 2021 film left a lot of room for improvement. It’s almost surprising how effortless it is Play Scorpion’s Revenge Makes an adaptation look. It may remix some elements but it still feels incredibly faithful, and the actual revenge element adds a personal, emotional arc to the story as well.
Mortal Kombat is an evergreen series, so the live-action side is sure to get the mix right at some point. It would be great for the US Legends Spinoffs to get back on track too. A fifth edition with the name Mortal Kombat Legends: Fall of Edenia is rumored to be in development, with the story being told from Kitana’s perspective.
Source: Rotten tomatoes