Mortal Kombat (1995) may not have been a perfect video game adaptation, but it did some things right that should serve as inspiration for Mortal Kombat 2. For how successful Mortal Kombat since 1992, it’s surprising how the franchise has yet to have a definitive film adaptation. The first Mortal Kombat The film was fun and became a cult classic, but it wasn’t a very faithful adaptation and failed to capture the spirit of the original game. There was a sequel, but Mortal Kombat: Annihilation It was one of the worst films ever made.
Mortal Kombat (2021) marked the franchise’s return to the big screen after two decades and looked like it would right the wrongs of the previous two films. From great casting decisions to the R rating, Mortal Kombat (2021) had everything it needed to be the film MK fans have been waiting for since the release of the first game. However, while the 2021 reboot was very faithful to the games in terms of visuals and violence, it was a very flawed film. With a 55% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes Mortal Kombat (2021) left a lot to be desired.
Mortal Kombat (2021) needed a tournament and multiple protagonists
Mortal Kombat (1995) made the most of its premise and characters
Two things done Mortal Kombat (1995) work as a film, even though it is not ideal Mortal Kombat adaptation – the tournament and the dynamics between the protagonists. Although it may seem obvious that a Mortal Kombat the film was supposed to include a tournament, the 2021 reboot decided to try something different and abandoned the competition. Mortal Kombat (1995), on the other hand, lived up to the game’s basic premise and delivered the real Mortal Kombat. Tournament movies can be very formulaic, but when done well, they can be a lot of fun, and the 1995 film proves that.
|
All Mortal Kombat movies |
Rotten Tomatoes critic 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: Snowblind (2022) |
80% |
|
Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match (2023) |
N/A |
Mortal Kombat (1995) also dealt with its ensemble of main characters to improve than the 2021 film. Given that the first MK movie was produced shortly after the first game’s release, it only made sense to have Liu Kang front and center. However, the 1995 film also let Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage shine. The interactions between this main trio – Liu Kang, Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage – were one of the best things about the original film. In Mortal Kombat (2021), however, most of the characters don’t have a moment to shine, and Cole is the only protagonist.
Mortal Kombat’s lost tournament made it difficult to know who the real protagonist was
The story of Mortal Kombat (2021) lacked focus
Mortal Kombat (2021) abandoning the tournament was a calculated risk that sought to avoid tournament film tropes, likely to give the film more time to establish the characters and lore. However, the decision was probably not worth it. Without a tournament, the reboot had no central story or endgame, which made it difficult to determine who the true protagonists were. Cole Young was the main characterStill, other than his connection to Scorpion and his birthmark, there was nothing special about him or his past.
Not only does Mortal Kombat 2 needs to have a proper tournament, uninterrupted for the most part, but it also needs to better balance screen time for Earthrealm champions.
Established Mortal Kombat Characters like Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and Sonya Blade also didn’t have much to do in the reboot. Granted, they each had at least one big fight, but the stakes never felt high enough without Mortal Kombat. Shang Tsung disobeying the rules of Mortal Kombat is nothing new, but doing so in the first film before the tournament itself was a strange decision in the story. Unlike the 1995 film there is no strong connection between the protagonists in Mortal Kombat (2021).
Mortal Kombat 2 should have a tournament and better balance the heroes’ screen time
Liu Kang and other heroes and villains need more screen time
Not only does Mortal Kombat 2 needs to have a proper tournament, uninterrupted for the most part, but it also needs to better balance screen time for Earthrealm champions. Considering that Mortal Kombat 2The cast features many returning characters – including dead characters like Kung Kang – as well as new heroes and villains, giving them all time to shine won’t be easy. Additionally, Mortal Kombat 2 is bringing Johnny Cage, with Karl Urban playing the fan-favorite character.
The new Mortal Kombat the franchise must learn the most valuable lesson offered by the 1995 film and make its protagonists engaging and fun to watch. That doesn’t mean Mortal Kombat 2 should copy the character interactions from the 1995 film, only Earthrealm’s main champions should have more things to do and have more scenes with each other. How the sequel will strike that balance remains to be seen, but the fact that a proper Mortal Kombat tournament is likely happening is good news.