Mortal Kombat is a 1995 action movie, directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. It is based on the popular Mortal Kombat series of fighting games by Midway. It was filmed in Los Angeles and on location in Thailand. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (580x876, 81 KB)Poster from the first Mortal Kombat movie. ... Paul Wank Stain Anderson (born March 4, 1965 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England) is a film director who regularly works in sci-fi movies and video game adaptations. ... // Lawrence Kasanoff is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Threshold Entertainment, Threshold Digital Research Labs (TDRL) and Threshold TV. Kasanoff founded Threshold Entertainment in 1994, TDRL in 1997 and Threshold TV in 1999. ... Ed Boon, on a G4TV interview Ed Boon (born March 30, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois), along with John Tobias is a co-creator of the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... John Tobias (born August 24, 1969 in Chicago, Illinois) was one of the creators (along with Ed Boon) of the groundbreaking Mortal Kombat fighting game series for Chicago-based Midway. ... Christopher Lambert (born March 29, 1957 as Christophe Guy Denis Lambert) is an American-born French actor. ... Robin Shou (Chinese: , born July 17, 1960 in Hong Kong), has made a name for himself in the American movie industry. ... Clarence Linden Garnet Ashby III (born May 23, 1960 in Atlantic Beach, Florida) is an American actor. ... Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (田川洋行, born 27 September 1950 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese American actor. ... Bridgette Leann Wilson (born September 25, 1973), also known as Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, is an American actress. ... Talisa Soto (born Miriam Soto on March 27, 1967) is an American model and actress of Puerto Rican descent. ... Trevor Goddard (October 14, 1962 – June 7, 2003) was a former professional boxer turned actor who died from an accidental drug overdose of heroin, cocaine and the prescription drugs Valium and Vicodin. ... Chris Casamassa (born January 17, 1965) is an American martial-artist, stunt-performer and occasional actor best known for his role as Scorpion in the movie Mortal Kombat which was based on the popular fighting-game series. ... François Petit is the male actor who portrayed the fictional Blue Ninja character Sub-Zero In the 1995 film, Mortal Kombat. ... Keith Cooke Keith Hirabayashi Cooke (born September 17, 1959; also known as and sometimes credited as Keith Cooke Hirabayashi) is a film-actor and an occasional stuntman. ... New Line Cinema, founded in 1967, is one of the major American film studios. ... is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997) was directed by John R. Leonetti. ... The year 1995 in film involved some significant events. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... Paul Wank Stain Anderson (born March 4, 1965 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England) is a film director who regularly works in sci-fi movies and video game adaptations. ... For other uses, see Mortal Kombat. ... Screenshot of The King of Fighters XI (2005, SNK Playmore). ... Midway Games (NYSE: MWY) is an American video game publisher. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ...

The movie received average reviews from critics, most notably a "thumbs up" from Gene Siskel of Siskel & Ebert. It grossed roughly $70 million in the U.S., and an estimated $122 million worldwide.[1] Eugene Gene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was one of the worlds most successful film critics. ... Ebert & Roeper at the Movies (more commonly known as Ebert & Roeper) is a movie review television program featuring film critic Roger Ebert and columnist Richard Roeper, both of the Chicago Sun-Times. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Indian Ocean Territory,[1] the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 2. ...

The film was considered to be the first major success for video-game movie adaptions, coming out a year after the critically disappointing Street Fighter and two years after the disastrous flop, Super Mario Bros. Director Paul W. S. Anderson would go on to work on a film franchise based on Capcom's Resident Evil games. Films based on video games (or sometimes called video game movies) is a fairly new genre, mainly gaining popularity (to some extent) in the late 1990s and 2000s. ... Street Fighter is a 1994 action movie based on Capcoms popular fighting game series Street Fighter. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ... For the original NASA meaning, see capsule communicator. ... This article is about the video game series. ...

A sequel to Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, was released in 1997, but is largely considered to be inferior to its predecessor. Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997) was directed by John R. Leonetti. ...

Plot

Once every generation, there is an ancient tournament known as Mortal Kombat, which was designed by the Elder Gods for the main purpose to save Earthrealm from the dark forces of Outworld. If the forces of Outworld win the tournament ten consecutive times, The Emperor, Shao Kahn (though not explicitly referred by name), will be able to invade and conquer Earthrealm. Thus far, Outworld has won nine straight victories, making the upcoming tournament the tenth, and possibly final one, for Earthrealm. The former Shaolin monk Liu Kang and his comrades, Hollywood movie star Johnny Cage and Special Forces agent Sonya Blade, must risk their lives and overcome their powerful adversaries in order to win the tenth Mortal Kombat tournament, or condemn Earthrealm to eternal damnation. A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a single sport or game. ... Shao Kahn is a fictional boss and recurring playable character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

Although each combatant was handpicked by Raiden to compete in Mortal Kombat, each has his or her own reason for competing in the tournament. Liu Kang seeks to avenge the death of his younger brother Chan, who was killed by Shang Tsung in battle. Sonya Blade is after notorious and cold blooded killer Kano, who is responsible for the death of her partner before Jax. Johnny Cage is competing to prove that he is a true martial artist, and not the fake that the press has made him out to be. Regardless of their individual agendas, they have been recruited and sent to a pier in Hong Kong, where they will be taken to Shang Tsung's island, the site of the tournament. While they are on the boat, the three encounter two of their potential opponents of the tournament, namely the Lin Kuei warrior Sub-Zero and the undead spectre Scorpion, both of whom are being mind-controlled by Shang Tsung. Before any pre-tournament fisticuffs can take place, however, Raiden, God of Thunder, intervenes with two lightning bolts, a blue and a reddish-yellow one, respectively, takes his chosen three aside and explains to them just what they are up against.

Upon their arrival at the island, the Earth Warriors are welcomed by Shang Tsung and the first rounds of the tournament begin the next day. Behind the scenes, however, Shang Tsung expresses his concern to the Mortal Kombat champion, Goro, that Liu Kang is competing in the tournament and that the Emperor's daughter, Princess Kitana, may betray them by allying with him. Despite their concerns, The Outworld warriors draw first blood, with Shang Tsung absorbing the souls of the losing Earthrealm warriors. Worse yet, and much to the horror of Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, and Sonya, they also witness the death of one of their friends, Art Lean, at the hands of Goro, in another tournament battle.

After the devastating loss, the Earthrealm warriors despair, until Raiden provides them with the inspiration to overcome their fears and compete bravely in battle. Johnny Cage, Sonya, and Lui Kang go on to post victories over Scorpion, Kano, and Sub-Zero, respectively. Before Johnny Cage faces off against Goro, Shang Tsung makes the stipulation that, at any time, he himself may choose to challenge any one warrior at a venue of his choosing. Johnny Cage defeats Goro, sending him falling over the edge of a cliff. Shang Tsung then kidnaps Sonya to Outworld, invoking his earlier stipulation. Raiden explains to Liu Kang and Johnny Cage that they must go into Outworld without him, and, because Sonya cannot defeat Shang Tsung in combat, one of them must defeat Shang Tsung. After Liu Kang successfully fends off an attack from Reptile, he and Johnny Cage are met by Kitana, who reveals the truth about Outworld and her lineage, thus confirming Shang Tsung's suspicions about her. The three, disguised as monks, enter the castle tower where Sonya is being held captive. As Kitana and Johnny Cage free Sonya, Liu Kang challenges Shang Tsung to Mortal Kombat. The fiercely fought battle ends in victory for Liu Kang and Earthrealm, and the freedom of the souls of all the warriors beaten in battle and absorbed by Shang Tsung.

Liu Kang and Kitana happily stride arm in arm back to Earthrealm alongside Johnny Cage and Sonya, whose previous animosity towards each other has given way to a blossoming affection. Raiden catches up to them and congratulates them for their efforts in Mortal Kombat. The celebration is cut short, however, by the arrival of Shao Kahn, who threatens the people of Earthrealm. Raiden and the four warriors assume fighting stances as the screen cuts to the credits.

Characters

The following Mortal Kombat characters appear in the movie: This is a list of characters from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series and the games in which they appear. ...

• Liu Kang — Robin Shou
• Johnny Cage — Linden Ashby
• Sonya Blade — Bridgette Wilson
• Raiden — Christopher Lambert
• Kitana — Talisa Soto
• Kano — Trevor Goddard
• Shang Tsung — Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
• Sub-Zero — François Petit
• Reptile — Keith Cooke
• Scorpion — Chris Casamassa (voiced by Ed Boon)
• Jax — Gregory McKinney
• Goro — Kevin Michael Richardson with vocal effects by Frank Welker

For the artist, see Liu Kang (artist). ... Robin Shou (Chinese: , born July 17, 1960 in Hong Kong), has made a name for himself in the American movie industry. ... For the Modernist composer, see John Cage. ... Clarence Linden Garnet Ashby III (born May 23, 1960 in Atlantic Beach, Florida) is an American actor. ... Sonya Blade is a video game character from the Mortal Kombat fighting games series. ... Bridgette Leann Wilson (born September 25, 1973), also known as Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, is an American actress. ... Raiden (also Rayden) is a video game character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Christopher Lambert (born March 29, 1957 as Christophe Guy Denis Lambert) is an American-born French actor. ... Kitana (or Princess Kitana by title) is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Talisa Soto (born Miriam Soto on March 27, 1967) is an American model and actress of Puerto Rican descent. ... Kano is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Trevor Goddard (October 14, 1962 – June 7, 2003) was a former professional boxer turned actor who died from an accidental drug overdose of heroin, cocaine and the prescription drugs Valium and Vicodin. ... Shang Tsung (last name pronounced sung or soong) is a video game character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (田川洋行, born 27 September 1950 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese American actor. ... Noob Saibot is a fictional character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... François Petit is the male actor who portrayed the fictional Blue Ninja character Sub-Zero In the 1995 film, Mortal Kombat. ... Reptile is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Keith Cooke Keith Hirabayashi Cooke (born September 17, 1959; also known as and sometimes credited as Keith Cooke Hirabayashi) is a film-actor and an occasional stuntman. ... Scorpion is a fictional character appearing in the Mortal Kombat video game series. ... Chris Casamassa (born January 17, 1965) is an American martial-artist, stunt-performer and occasional actor best known for his role as Scorpion in the movie Mortal Kombat which was based on the popular fighting-game series. ... Ed Boon, on a G4TV interview Ed Boon (born March 30, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois), along with John Tobias is a co-creator of the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Major Jackson Briggs, better known as Jax, is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Goro is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Kevin Michael Richardson (born October 25, 1964 in The Bronx, New York) is an American voice actor and actor, one of the most prominent voice actors in the field. ... Franklin W. Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. ...

Behind the Scenes

Production

• The Outworld exterior scenes were filmed at the abandoned Kaiser Steel Mill in Fontana, California. The site is now the California Speedway.
• All of Goro's scenes were filmed in Los Angeles.
• It is rumored that Brandon Lee was cast to play Johnny Cage, but this has never been proven. Eventually Linden Ashby was cast in the role.
• Cameron Diaz was originally set to play Sonya Blade, but she broke her wrist during karate practice prior to filming.
• Shooting locations in Thailand were accessible only by boat, and thus cast, crew and equipment had to be transported on long canoe-like vessels. Crew member Gerrit Folsom constructed an outhouse in a secluded area near the set in order to alleviate the problem of repeated trips to and from the mainland.
• The bows of the boats were also fitted with ornamental dragon-head carvings and used in the movie as the fighters' secondary transport to Shang Tsung's island from his junk.
• The ancient Thai temples seen during Liu Kang's dream sequence at the beginning of the picture were previously filmed for exterior shots of Bison's underground fortress in Street Fighter.

Location of Fontana in California Coordinates: Country United States of America State California County San Bernardino Incorporated (city) 1952-06-25 [2] Government  - Mayor Mark Nuaimi [1] Area  - City  36. ... The California Speedway is a two-mile, low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California, similar to that of sister track Michigan International Speedway. ... Brandon Bruce Lee (李國豪 Cantonese: Léi Gwokhòu Pinyin: Lǐ Guóháo; February 1, 1965 – March 31, 1993) was a Chinese-American actor of Chinese, German, English and Swedish descent. ... Clarence Linden Garnet Ashby III (born May 23, 1960 in Atlantic Beach, Florida) is an American actor. ... Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress and former fashion model. ... Outhouse near Crabapple Lake, USA, with chipboard walls, and a fiberglass ceiling This article refers to an outhouse, privy or kybo that is an old type of toilet in a small structure separate from the main building which does not have a flush or sewer attached. ... A boat, like a ship, is a buoyant vessel designed for the purpose of transporting people and possibly goods across water. ... A junk is a Chinese sailing vessel. ... Street Fighter is a 1994 action movie based on Capcoms popular fighting game series Street Fighter. ...

Cast

• Gregory McKinney, who played Jax, served in the United States Air Force Presidential Honor Guard and in law enforcement before breaking into acting. He died of a brain aneurysm on April 12, 1998.
• Bridgette Wilson was jokingly nicknamed "RoboBabe" during production by Anderson.
• Despite the intensity of the fight scenes coupled with the actors performing most of their own stunts, on-set injuries were surprisingly at a minimum, with the only notable occurrence being a mildly bruised kidney suffered by Linden Ashby while shooting Johnny Cage's fight scene with Scorpion (Chris Casamassa).
• Sandy Helberg, who is briefly seen in the beginning of the film as the director of Cage's latest movie, appeared in the 1977 Mel Brooks hit High Anxiety.
• Lloyd Kino (Liu Kang's Grandfather) has made numerous film and television appearances in a career spanning 45 years.
• 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.
• Tagawa and Talisa Soto (Kitana) were also featured in the James Bond movie Licence to Kill, which also included an appearance by Grand L. Bush, who played Balrog in Street Fighter.

Bridgette Leann Wilson (born September 25, 1973), also known as Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, is an American actress. ... Chris Casamassa (born January 17, 1965) is an American martial-artist, stunt-performer and occasional actor best known for his role as Scorpion in the movie Mortal Kombat which was based on the popular fighting-game series. ... Sandy Helberg is an actor who was born in Frankfurt, Germany who has starred in lots of comedy films,especially 3 Mel Brooks films like High Anxiety, History of the World: Part 1 and Spaceballs. ... High Anxiety is a 1977 comedy film directed by and starring Mel Brooks. ... Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (田川洋行, born 27 September 1950 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese American actor. ... Talisa Soto (born Miriam Soto on March 27, 1967) is an American model and actress of Puerto Rican descent. ... Flemings image of James Bond; commissioned to aid the Daily Express comic strip artists. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Grand L. Bush (born December 24, 1955) is an American actor of stage, television and major motion pictures. ... “Mike Bison” redirects here. ... Street Fighter is a 1994 action movie based on Capcoms popular fighting game series Street Fighter. ...

Soundtrack

Main article: Mortal Kombat (soundtrack)

• The movie is renowned for its memorable theme music ("Techno-Syndrome", performed by The Immortals) and the soundtrack album went platinum on the Billboard charts.
• Three songs from Chicago-based group Stabbing Westward (a favorite band of Tobias' at the time) were included in the movie, but were omitted from the soundtrack.
• Goro's theme is a rendition of the band Napalm Death's song "Twist the Knife (Slowly)", except it is played three modulations higher than the standard.
• A music video was filmed for the KMFDM single "Juke Joint Jezebel" and featured clips of fight scenes from the movie, but it was pulled by MTV due to complaints about its violent content.

Mortal Kombat Soundtrack is a compilation album featuring music inspired by different artists to accompany the movie Mortal Kombat. ... The theme music of a radio or television program is a piece that is written specifically for that show and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits. ... The Immortals are a band consisting of Belgian electronic musicians Praga Khan and Oliver Adams, best known for their work in the Lords of Acid. ... Stabbing Westward was an American industrial rock and alternative rock band. ... Napalm Death is a grindcore/death metal band formed in the village of Meriden near Birmingham, England in 1982 by Nicholas Bullen and Miles Ratledge. ... KMFDM is an industrial rock band and the brainchild of founding member Sascha Konietzko. ... This article is about the original U.S. music television channel. ...

Mortal Kombat II relative

Although the movie was primarily based on the first game, there are several elements that were incorporated from Mortal Kombat II. Mortal Kombat II (also referred to as MKII) is an arcade game and the second title in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

• Jax and Kitana were introduced in MKII. Reptile's reptilian nature was also first demonstrated in MKII; he was only seen in human form in the first game.
• Shang Tsung performed his Soultaker Fatality the film. This fatality was first seen in the second game.
• Also, Shang Tsung from the movie is young, as in MKII. In the first game he was an old man.
• Johnny Cage drops an autographed picture of himself near Scorpion's remains after their battle, which references his autograph Friendship from MKII.
• The explosion of Scorpion's burning body after the battle with Johnny Cage references an opponent after killed by Scorpion's Toasty Fatality in MKII.
• Several of the scenes in Outworld, such as the Wastelands and the portal through which Shang Tsung took Sonya, were first seen in MKII.
• Liu Kang uses his Bicycle Kick in his match with Reptile. This move was first featured in the second game.
• The shadow priests, seen with Shang Tsung before the final battle with Liu Kang, were first seen in MKII as part of one of the backgrounds.
• Shao Kahn, who appears at the end of the film, says, "You weak pathetic fools!" - this is one of the lines he utters in the game, when taunting the player.

Miscellaneous

• Mortal Kombat, at $70 million, is the second most successful live-action video game movie in terms of domestic box office grosses (behind 2001's Lara Croft: Tomb Raider).
• On the DVD's French soundtrack, the part of Raiden is voiced by Lambert.
• In the credits, as well as subtitles, Jax's name is misspelled as "Jaxx."
• According to Midway, the first MK game was to be centered around Jean-Claude Van Damme. Ironically, Van Damme would go on to play Guile in the less successful Street Fighter movie.
• In the novelization, Sonya spares Kano.
• A fight scene pitting Sonya against Jade was cut from the script during production, but the film's official souvenir magazine, published by Starlog, made mention of it in the plot synopsis: "As Sonya takes on the kimono-clad Jade, Liu Kang has his hands full with the beautiful Princess Kitana."
• One plot change in the movie is Sub-Zero and Scorpion's role as slaves to Shang Tsung. In the game, however, they are under no such control, and are in fact deadly enemies (although Shang Tsung does make a reference to their feud in the movie).

Categories: Movie stubs | Action films | Adventure films | 2001 films | Films based on video games ... Size comparison: A 12 cm Sony DVD+RW and a 19 cm Dixon Ticonderoga pencil. ... In film formats, the soundtrack is the physical area of the film which records the synchronized sound. ... “Van Damme” redirects here. ... Jade is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Starlog is a science-fiction film magazine published by Starlog Group Inc. ... A traditional wedding kimono The kimono literally something worn) is the national costume of Japan. ...

See also

• Mortal Kombat (soundtrack)

Mortal Kombat Soundtrack is a compilation album featuring music inspired by different artists to accompany the movie Mortal Kombat. ...

External links

• Mortal Kombat at the Internet Movie Database
• Mortal Kombat on RottenTomatoes.com