The Summer of 1995 was about as phenomenal in the pop culture aspect as you could get if you were a ’90s kid. We were either singing every line of TLC’s “Waterfalls” or Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know” on the way to the local theater to see the big Summer Blockbuster film. Movies like Clueless, Batman Forever, and Braveheart were some notable hits among our angsty teenage group. However, the BIG ONE everyone was waiting for arrived late in the game before school commenced, ensuring we’d all be spending our first day of class most likely in detention trying to perfect that sidekick to the kidneys. And that film was, of course, MORTAL KOMBAT.
MORTAL KOMBAT was a huge fucking deal for our generation and not just for gamers alone, but rather infiltrated the entire pop culture aspect of our adolescence as the game itself gave us prepubescents the satisfaction of taking our anger out on a video game in the most creative and bloodiest way possible. Or perhaps, if we were in a slightly better mood, a FRIENDSHIP was summoned for shits and giggles.
The rise of fighting video game culture was at an all-time high in the early ’90s, and movie producer Lawrence Kasanof (BLOOD DINER) saw potential in bringing the game to life in a knock-down, drag-out all-action film after visiting some colleagues at MIDWAY GAMES and discovering the game for the first time. However, Midway head Neil D. Nicastro disagreed that the game could be a successful film, given the failure of past movie adaptations of video games. After a couple of months of negotiations, Kasanoff finally acquired a limited option on the Mortal Kombat film rights.
With several well-known directors submitting pitches for the film, the producer chose then-unknown director Paul Anderson after seeing a screening of his 1994 debut film, SHOPPING, which Larry felt demonstrated that he could take an innovative approach to the material. Anderson had no experience with visual effects but was an avid fan of the game and had a rock-hard erection about making a MORTAL KOMBAT movie, so he read every book he could find on visual effects and, in his words, “kind of bluffed my way in.”
I respect the shit out of that kind of trickery.
A couple of fun facts:
Filming began in the Summer of 1994 in both Los Angeles and Thailand and was completed before the year was out, but not without its share of on-set problems; I mean, it’s MORTAL KOMBAT, of course! This wasn’t going to be a flawless victory.
There were many actors considered for the roles of both our heroes and villains, but Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa was the filmmakers’ first and only choice for the role of Shang Tsung. He came to the audition in a costume and read his lines while standing on a chair. Robin Shou beat out Jason Scott Lee and Russell Wong for Liu Kang and Linden Ashby was cast for Johnny Cage after the actor who inspired the character itself, Jean-Claude Van Damme turned it down; but not before mega stars Tom Cruise and Johnny Depp were considered. Cameron Diaz, hot off THE MASK with Jim Carrey was originally cast for Sonya Blade but had to drop out due to a wrist injury, calling in “Dat Ass” Veronica Vaughn, I mean, Bridgette Wilson who was initially passed up and flew out on her last day of filming BILLY MADISON to strap on her combat boots for the film. Steve James (AMERICAN NINJA) was originally cast to play Jaxx, but he died from pancreatic cancer a year before production on the film began, and the role of Rayden was first offered to Sean Connery.
I’m gonna be honest, I’m really glad Sean turned that down because he went on to do really great things on Celebrity Jeopardy.
MORTAL KOMBAT opened in theaters nationwide on August 18th, 1995 and by the gods of Outerworld, us kids were hyped the fuck up to see this movie. But we were also a tad bit skeptical after being jaded with STREET FIGHTER, which was released during Christmas break eight months prior, and being underwhelmed by the lack of faithfulness to the game storylines; to be fair, though, I appreciate the movie a lot more now than I did at the age of twelve.
I, and a few friends at the tender age of thirteen, hopped on our bikes to make the 3-mile trek to our local movie theater-back before there was nothing but chains and theaters only in casinos here in Las Vegas, to the brick-built Red Rock Theater 11 (the 11 meaning 11 screens which was a big deal for you whippersnappers). We bought our tickets and marched to the movie room, Butterfinger BB’s and an ICEE to crack us out in a sugar rush to bear witness to what was, and still is, the greatest video game adaptation ever. And that ain’t just nostalgia talking. All was silent as we were anticipating for the movie to start and then.. This happened. And we all collectively creamed our jeans.
For being a 30-year-old film, the movie, even now as an adult, is still so much damn fun and holds true to the games more so than what is ever given credit for. Like, remember when Mortal Kombat movies had tournaments, which was the whole point of the game? The movie has cheese, but the cheese is necessary in palatable doses. I don’t want to live in a world where Johnny Cage doesn’t utter, “Those are $500 sunglasses, asshole.” I just don’t. And the actual one-on-one fights? Set in backdrops that are recognizable from gameplay is the kind of chef’s kiss that makes me want to burst.
The fights themselves, in particular Cage Vs Scorpion, or Liu Vs Reptile, are full of so much aggression and energy that it parallels the intensity of the game perfectly- especially that of a teenage kid seeing this for the first time back in the 90s. But even as an adult, I still feel those same goosebumps every time the beat drops and Reptile comes full form and at 100 miles per hour. You can read my MK 1995 fight rankings here.
FUN FACT: Robin Shou fractured two ribs while being thrown into the pillar here, but kept quiet about it for fear that the production would be shut down. He told only Keith Cooke, the actor who plays Reptile, asking him not to hit him on the right side of his rib cage, and finished the scene before going to the hospital. What a fuckin’ soldier.
And let’s not forget what was and still is, one of the GREATEST entrances in any movie of all time. I will die on this fucking hill, friends.
People will argue that the lack of character development in the film undercuts any of what I’m saying here. But tell me honestly: Did you watch this movie wanting a biography on Liu Kang or Johnny Cage, or did you want to see MORTAL KOMBAT? A game, now a movie, that slams your balls into the wall with quirky one-liners, fantastic martial arts fights, and canon moves from gameplay that we spent the last few years trying to perfect. I’m guessing the latter, which in point, case closed.
When adapting a beloved and popular game, care should always be taken to craft a story of quality, but it’s also equally important to capture the spirit of the game being made. It is crucial to understand the experience one has when sitting down and playing a game such as MK and all the emotions that come along with it. Excitement, fear, and frustration, all those things were felt when watching the film, and that is no easy task, I can assure you. Watching MORTAL KOMBAT back in 1995 vs. now evokes the same hits of dopamine that make this film such a cult classic. The movie understood the fucking assignment and delivered on all platforms. Except for perhaps that Sub-Zero fight, but, hey, not all of those battles were perfect.
With the 30-year anniversary of one of the greatest things to come out of the 90s and MORTAL KOMBAT II creeping into theaters later this Fall, I felt it was important to put out there the impact this game, and film had on the generation of 90s kids, and is just as popular and relevant today as it was three decades prior. Just do yourself a favor if you haven’t already and ignore the follow-up of MORTAL KOMBAT: ANNIHILATION entirely.
