The Story of Mortal Kombat (1995) - Review & Retrospective
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- Опубліковано 4 жов 2024
- In this in-depth retrospective, I tell the story of arguably the best video-game-to-film adaption of all time: Paul W.S. Anderson's 1995 action hit "Mortal Kombat". I delve deep into its conception, development, production and legacy, while providing my own thoughts on the film. Starring: Robin Shou, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Christopher Lambert, Bridgette Wilson and Linden Ashby.
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Personally, I believe this first MK movie still stands as the greatest video game based movie of all time
That’s high praise
Yeah it's not even close. Mortal kombat is not a just video game movie, it's an actual very good movie, on its own.
Also, MK1 has the best soundtrack of any video game adaptation, imo. I still listen to it regularly cuz it is so good
Forward Unto Dawn beats it.
Agreed
I think what makes this film so enduring is that it knows exactly what it is. A video game movie.. and it plays to this strength with consistent believability. One thing I love about Mortal Kombat '95 is how authentic it all feels. Even the film's score (not soundtrack) is as richly textured as the settings these characters are fighting in. The artistry and energy on display here make up for the paper thin plotline and sometimes cheesy dialogue. Overall it's a really fun time.. something that the new Mortal Kombat never came to terms with.
The new movie was trying to be both pretentious and campy it was a weird mix.
I think the original trilogy lends itself to films really well, in that it's a bit more straightforward in story while having a nuanced and interesting cast of characters. The later stories and retcons (as well as a much larger cast) would make it a hard watch for the average viewer.
I think Mortal Kombat works best when it knows what it is and what it isn't. It knows it's not Hamlet, but knows it's a neat tribute to Bloodsport and Bruce Lee films.
@@spscottocouldn't agree more. The more they've advanved the storyline, the worse it's gotten.
A Mortal Kombat retrospective by Layton Eversaul gets uploaded on my 3rd shift lunch break? Raiden is smiling on me tonight.
He he he.....sorry
MORTAL KOMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!
This is such a 90s movie and undeniably the GOAT video game film.
100% agree. Mk 95 is still the best
"scorpion is voiced by ed boon" *picture of john tobias* 😂 other than that slight slip-up, an absolutely wonderful review as always! 👍 keep up the awesome work!
There is also the slip up of JCVD being looked at the role of Lui.
He also said lui Kang was inspired by John Claude Van Damme! When it was Johny Cage that was inspired by Van Damme
Blows my mind that a total newbie decided to film the fight scenes in long takes with wide angles. The fights in this movie absolutely hold up because of that
And then he made one of the greatest horror movies of all time 'Event Horizon' and then straight trash with all those God awful Resident Evil movies.
@@zerocool5395 didn't he do AVP also? Say what you want about that movie, major flaws and all it still holds a special place in my memory
I loved the hell out of this retrospective.
I love how you tell your stories. You make these videos interesting, fun and full of facts. Great job Layton, you have an immense talent and now are one of my fav. youtubers!
Thank you! I hope I improve with every video.
The extended fight with Scorpion and the human reptile scene were RESHOOTS? Those are the best fights in the movie!
Yes; when they tested the movie audiences got bored; so Robin Shou choreographed and Shot those 2 extra fight Sequences; thats why those 2 are awesome and the Sub Zero one is Lame
Nice one.
Thanks for short insigh.
Majority of audiences mistaking Kano's cockney British accent in this for an Australian accent still cracks me up. Even more hilarious that they made him Australian after this.
Thought he was Australian until I read this lol
@@wizolufa1452 im brazilian and always thought he was british.
Was just thinking this myself. He even drops his h like Cockneys do eg "Does it 'urt"
I'm from Chile but I learned English in the US, I remember him sounding Australian lol.
Aussie, Kiwi, South African, British, what's the difference? All sound very similar.
I literally don't know a single person that "hates" this movie. MK fan or not. It's just too much damn fun.
At about 40:20 I use a picture of John Tobias instead of Ed Boon. FYI. Also, to all the music fans out there, I forgot to acknowledge the metal bands contributing to the soundtrack. While the film is known more generally for its dance music, it also had metal.
Great retrospective so indepth hey have good bad flicks history on it very silmiar
You should make one for annihilation
Would you ever do one on the crow franchise or on the underworld franchise
*Say what you will about the CGI but you must admit those sets are beautiful*
No joke, I loved this movie. That summer I seriously watched it 17 times! I scraped up any money I could and made my friend walk with me to the theater. I loved even the trailers!! I remember them all.
Same here 😭😭
This movie will always hold special place in my heart. Some freinds and I saw it in theater then had sleepover at my house. We had a blast in the arcade before and went to pizza hut afterwards. Ill never forget that awesome weekend and the excitement in theater hearing that song when movie started😊 i love it now just as much as i did back then
That was by far the best documentary on this movie I've ever seen
Here in 2023 and this is still the best video game to movie adaptation ever made. It is a callback to '70s kung fu films and '80s martial arts tournament films that to me represents an ending to that era. I love 1994's Street Fighter, but this is the type of film it should have been. I believe it's Paul Anderson's best work and it's a shame he didn't do more of them instead of those horrible Resident Evil movies. Aside from not being rated R and pushing the graphic violence like in the games, this movie did almost everything right, and it's flaws make it even more enjoyable. A classic.
The game takes me back to middle school while the movie takes me back to my freshman year of high school. True, it could've been R rated. But the movie makes up for that with great atmosphere, and cool fight scenes.
Still enjoy it to this day. Yeah, it has some problems like the CGI and the fight scenes being too short at times but it had energy, characters with personalities, badass soundtrack, etc. The new one was so forgettable other than Subzero, Scorpion & Kano. Annihilation? Well.....at least you get some laughs. If you want a great MK movie, just watch Riki Oh: The Story of Ricky, you won't be disappointed, trust me.
The latest one really pissed me off. Why make up a new central character? You've got sooo many great characters to establish as the fiah out of water! Why get rid of the tournament? It's the focus of the games! Why make Goro some non verbal LOTR reject? He's the general of an entire world's army! He has brains!
Sigh. Now I must lie down.
This video is spectacular.
However, Van Damme's influence was on Johnny Cage, not Liu Kang. Same with Brandon lee, he was cast as Cage. Not Kang. :)
Yeah, another example in the don’t-trust-UA-camrs pile.
that´s pretty obvious to ANYBODY, except this channel, i mean just look at johhny cage and jcvd as frank dux
You're right, did he not watch Blood Sport? Johnny Cage literally does the same splits punch.
It's a great video, I was thoroughly impressed, but this is such a glaring mistake that it's so disappointing. This guy must be using Chat GPT... I use it on my other channel as a tool, however I do check the script over afterwards and I like to have a good knowledge of the subject prior to making a video. There is no way how I would miss something like this?????
I think what they meant is if JCVD did do the game, he and his character would be the front runner (Johnny Cage). But since declined, the front runner became Liu Kang for the franchise. Just my take.
Trevor Goddard is NOT putting on an Australian accent for the movie; he's speaking in his native East London accent. The confusion arose because he billed himself as Australian to get work. It really bugs me that he's been retxonned to be Australian when he's so clearly British in the film
I’m British and tbh his accent in the film is borderline. I could accept either assertion that it’s East London, or Aussie. He never really strays too deep into either side for it to be conclusive
@@tim_is_random How is it borderline? He's English speaking with an English accent. He sounds exactly the same in Pirates of the Caribbean because that was just what he sounded like
@@philipfoster3359 He modelled his whole career on being “Australian”, even going so far as to claim he was born in Perth. He was acting.
Oh the man I'm the film was acting?? Thank you so much for clearing that up! And here was me thinking Mortal Kombat was a fly on the wall documentary about When MMA Goes Too Far! So perhaps you can explain why In Mortal Kombat, Pirates, and The X Files, where he plays "1st BRITISH Crewman" he uses the same accent, whereas in JAG where he actually is playing Australian and is putting on an accent he does sound Australian
lol calm down dude
Oh this is amazing! I loved the movie as a kid. Might hold the record the amount of times watched. So pumped you decided to give this movie the Review & Retrospective treatment, thanks so much!
Dude, you deserve way more subscribers. These reviews are top notch and rival more “professionally” made docs. Keep up the great work!
I absolutely love this movie! I remember standing in line at 15 years old, for the 10:20 AM showing on the release date. I remember the theater I saw it at, everything!
Nice touch using the MK movie soundtrack throughout this whole video….
Very nicely done and executed 👍🏼👌👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼😉✌🏼(Like 348)
Thank you!
No thanks you
This was so well put together I love the in-depth history details u put in
Like sonny blades actress being a beauty pageant winner etc
Just little things I never new before here in there with the already known things was just refreshing and over!
again this was fantastic
Thanks for sharing it ✌🏼👍🏼
Definitely shared this video
"This is where you fall down."
The greatest, greatest video game to movie. And that theme song is such a jam.
It was the summer of 1995, and me and my two childhood buddies went to the AMC theatre in Coral Ridge Mall Ft. Lauderdale FL. When I say the place was loaded......the place was loaded!
Me and my boys had to separate just to find seats. And from the opening fight with Shang Tsung and Chan Kang. To the final fight with Shang and Liu, we were in love! Truly awesome flick and a great summer!
Thank you for mentioning the soundtrack. We were more hyped about the soundtrack than anything else when this movie came out. KMFDM had us in a groove 🎶
The running for 1:20:00 minutes or something
Is just the best thing about this video!
This was just a delightful worthwhile Captivating experience especially for any 90s MK fan such as myself ❤️👍🏼
Ah... Sunday viewing sorted! Cheers from the UK :-)
Always look forward to your retrospectives, and they never disappoint!! Well done, sir.
Thank you!
This is really excellent - an encyclopedia in video form, smartly presented and paced. A winner is you! 💚
A winner is us!!
A winner is you. FATALITY.
The temple where they did the temples scenes were also the same temples filmed in Bruce Lee: The Man, The Myth if I’m or mistaken😬 🐉
actually the fact that the first movie delivers the game's mysterious and dark vibe without relying on extreme gore and violence is amazing
phenomenal, even.
Sir, keep at it….you’ll explode in popularity when UA-cam gives you the love and utter respect you deserve! You’re very talented.
Also…I think it’s time for a street fighter movie. Imagine how glorious it could be if based on the style of 4 5 and 6? Could be incredible
Thank you! And, yes, a proper Street Fighter movie is long overdue. But the odds are NOT in its favor.
I still have great affection for this film. It's ham and eggs, but ham and eggs cooked just right. Everyone is cast right, fight scenes are pretty decent, and it's fun. A lot of fun
this movie is 90's cult classic masterpiece specially a movie based on video game
i dont care about the CGI cus its 90s, the only issue i have is the very short
fight between Lui Kang and Sub Zero, the rest no problemo
also lest not forget the best ever opening and ending
Mortal Kombat is still my favourite video game film.
I still watch it and enjoy it to this day,,.. Takes me back to when my kids were young and deep onto the video game,. Originally I went to the movies for ghem to see,, and it surprised me of how good it looked and how great the fight scenes looked like the video game.. I ended up loving it myself. I consider it a classic.
Now that's how you do a trailer literally none of the fire scenes were there or give aways and definitely didn't give the entire movie away in the trailer smh we need these old school trailers back !
I absolutely still love this movie I rewatched the movie a few months ago and it still holds except for the special effects 🌟🥳💖💝
This is a great movie. As A kid I was a big fan of the game before this movie came out and once it did it did not disappoint. Still fun to watch all these years later.
I was 16 years old when I this came out, it was the GOAT, and is still one of my favorite movies I will never tire of watching
The most underrated UA-camr ever, I love this guy's videos
I like how this retrospective is almost as long as the movie itself 😂😂
Still love this movie.
Whoever edited/sequenced the intro at 6:05 straight murdered it! Makes me even wanna watch it again
Great review however I would like to point out at 40:22 that is actually John Tobias and not Ed Boon.
Damn it.
@@LaytonEversaul It's ok. But here's a few pointers, I'd like to add.
1. Ed Boon, the guy who voiced Scorpion was also the Announcer from MK1 and the theme used a few soundbites from the MK1 Game and the Mortal Monday Commercial Guy Kyle Wyatt, but when the sequel MK Annihilation came along, with the releases of MK Mythologies: Sub-Zero and MK4 in 1997, they updated it but with Shao Kahn's voice (Steve Ritchie) instead.
2. The guy who played Sub-Zero/Noob Saibot (Bi-Han (that's Ed Boon and John Tobias's names spelled backwards)) in the movie, Francois Petit, was the EMT guy who checked on Mick Foley when he was thrown off the top of the Hell In a Cell, during his match as Mankind with The Undertaker at the KOTR 98 PPV.
3. Only 4 Actors (Robin Shou, Talisa Soto, Keith Cooke and Chris Cassamasa) were able to reprise their roles in the sequel. Whereas Chris is the only MK Live-Action Actor to portray Scorpion 3 times (2 in the films, and one in the TV Series (albeit only in 3 episodes (Warrior Eternal is split in 2 parts, mind you)), Keith Cooke portrayed both Reptile and Sub-Zero (Kuai Liang) in both films.
4. Goro's voice actor is acutally Kevin Michael Richardson who 25 years later reprises his role in the animated Mortal Kombat feature film MK Legends: Scorpion's Revenge in 2020. Frank Welker voiced Shao Kahn in the film's climax.
I watched this a second time. You have real talent as a documentary filmmaker. Using all existing material, you've pulled together exciting layer after layer of the entire production. You're segment on the music score was integral to the success of the film. Fantastic.
The moment we've all been waiting for is finally here!!!! Thank you Layton!
Although they've aged.. less than gracefully, it's easy to respect the music, costumes, production design and of course fight sequences. These days these are guilty pleasures at best but as exactly that they remain a lot of fun. Takes me back to being ten years old.
I was 6 in 1995. Hope All Is Well Bro
Honestly, while it aged it aged well! It’s still better than all the other MK movies still! It’s a guilty pleasure for sure, but the best haha Takes me back to being a kid too haha
Guilty? Nah only if you're a slave of the hive-minded youtubers. This is the coolest movie ever! My guilty pleasures are the generic Marvel movies and the pretentious Nolan trilogy.
@@haissem8 lol
A review of a movie that's almost as long as the movie but a movie which deserves it.
Great doc. One correction: Kano’s accent is a working class London accent called “Cockney”. Non-Brits often confuse it with an Australian accent, although Kano in the recent remake is actually an Aussie. Confusing, I know.
There is truly something special about this first movie, I think it's mostly a case of actual passion being injected behind the scenes. Productions can be somewhat machine-like after the first attempt, and that has an effect on creativity & grounds to innovate. I think one reason the MCU has gone on so successfully is they've started with a template that encourages new approaches. Loved the video, keep it up brother!
Please keep making videos like this at your leisure sir. The quality is top tier.
BEST VIDEO GAME MOVIE ADAPTATION
Thank you for making another video, I really enjoy them.
Damn I had this on VHS as a kid I watched it so many times it crapped out.
the harsh conditions lead to drinking :) greatest conclusion ever
For a great coverage that offered interesting info I didn't know previously and excellent editing, as well as reminding me about this classic gem of a film and soundtrack, this channel earned my subscription.
Shou and Linden Ashby were fantastic. This franchise had so much potential.
Remembering buying mk for snes. No clue what it was. At first I hated it. The shop didn't let me being it back, so I sat down and played again. And played for hours without end. It was just fun. And accessible. Not like the ones today.
The movie came out and it was a weird. Cheesy acting, awesome main theme, but I still had fun.
I can remember coming out of the cinema as
a 13 year old boy Feeling Ten feet tall after watching this.
Great video.. thank you.
This was a fantastic review with great coverage and thoughtful dialog.
You do amazing work!!!
This movie still has not been beat. Its still the best Mortal Kombat movie, and video game movie period.
Another great Review & Retrospective!!! It was almost flawless (the John Tobias pic) lol. As a Mortal Kombat super fan though, I thought it was excellent! Another fun fact: Hakim Alston, who plays the fighting monk who fights Liu Kang, also plays Jax in the live tour.
I look forward to your MK Annihilation Review & Retrospect next :D I assume you will, seeing as you did Jaws 4
Huh? Nothing about how the actors for Rayden, Johnny and Sonya reprised their roles for a pack for Mortal Kombat 11?
I've fallen off the recent games, and didn't come across that in my research for whatever reason.
@@LaytonEversaul Dang, man.
My cousins and I used to love playing MKII on SNES during the summer back in the day. I remember that when I saw the trailer for this movie that I called them up long-distance just to tell them to turn to the channel.
It’s embarrassing when I think back on it.
The Reptile vs Liu Kang scene will NEVER get old. 5/5
I went to a midnight release showing of the movie with my dad and brother, as well as, it seemed, almost every MK fan-friend I knew that lived in the area. Definitely, imo, the greatest live action, video game conversion done at least up to the time of posting this comment.
I will always love that film! As a kid it was EVERYTHING to me.
I rented this movie from blockbusters alot
You are damn good at these retrospectives and reviews. Probably the best on UA-cam. Your information, production, story telling, and research is top notch. Thanks for the entertainment!
This was an excellent review and I cannot wait for your take on Mortal Kombat Annihilation. It is on my top 5 favorite so bad it's good movies and I want to know everything I can about it's troubled production. Keep up the good work!
mortal kombat has one of my favorite teaser trailers of all time and one of my favorite movie openers of all time.
Say what you want about this movie...... It entirely way better than the crap we got back in March
I have a weird memory of being 7 and asking my mom what the word consent meant after hearing Liu Kang say it. So weird that I remember that.
I've watched quite a few reviews of Mortal Kombat, this is still my favorite
Thanks for validating my childhood! 😁
Anytime!
33:07 Brother, you missed an opportunity to mention that this “unlikely opponent” is non other than Hakim Alston who’d later come out in WMAC Masters hosted by Shannon Lee (Bruce Lee’s daughter)
Wow! What an awesome video! Very enjoyable and entertaining. Thank you for sharing this with us.
JCVD turned down the role of Johnny Cage OBVIOUSLY not Liu Kang, Liu Kang is pretty much the same character of Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon except the motion capture actor from the games didn´t want to cut his long hair. JCVD has NOTHING to do with Liu Kang. Johnny Cage is Bloodsport´s Frank Dux all the way, the shorts, the splits, the sash.
It's still far better than the reboot..I was 15 when this hit cinemas, the buzz was unreal!🥊🥊
Great documentary! I was 10 when it came out and not only did I love the movie but it influenced a lot of the music I started listening to in middle school. It was my first time hearing KMFDM, Type O Negative, Fear Factory, and Juno Reactor. I also enjoyed all the techno tracks even though it wouldn't be until later in high school that I would get really into electronic music. It all started with this OST for me. I just finished watching this movie with my 6 year old the other day and it still holds up.
that fear factory song defined the 1990s for me lol
The soundtrack is amazing.
It's definitely shaping what you listen to.
Second soundtrack mka It's also Well choose, it ads a lot to the movies.
I would rather watch this movie ten times before the sequel or the remake
I saw in the theater also. (AFTER) The main theme song fight multiple star fight scene at beginning of film, the theater patrons and I stood up and gave a MASSIVE CHEERS and Applause!
I totally forgot the director is the same of the Resident Evil tripe. It's kind of astonishing how he started with this (a decent-good movie about fucking mortal kombat, of all things, completely unexpected), went on to Event Horizon (still one of my favourite movies ever) and then start dropping with the first RE and falling into the abyss of the sequels.
I still listen to MK OST btw. Got the CD as a kid and it's still so good.
Is the actress playing Jill Valentine in the opening scene in the resident evil game the same actress in MK ?
I'm so glad the enter the dragon similarities are in there. I always scream this to my friends when we play the games, but they don't get it...... how can they not see it!!!
Been binging all your videos. Excellent work. Fun and informative to watch. Appreciate your effort.
Thank you! I'll have another one likely next month ...
Best soundtrack to any movie.
The Liu Kang vs Reptile fight was the best one in the movie
I remember walking out of Three Weddings and a Funeral. Hahahahaha!!!!!
I liked this more than the new one that came out. This one had charm.
"One of the Least Hated Video Game Movies of All Time" Rolling Stone
This was the only movie when you heard the opening theme, everyone in the theater cheered
Another great review!
This still stands as easily the best video game movie to me (and sadly the new 2021 film is a major letdown to me). 5 year old me literally wore the VHS tape out over a short period of time with how much I watched it.
First movie i ever went to and heard the crowd freak out when scorpion and sub zero showed up. Not a perfect movie but was perfect for me at the time and age i was.
Fun fact i watch this movie like every night while i go to sleep
Back in High school I used to watch Beverly Hills ninja every night to go to sleep. Different movie but it had Robin Shou (Lui Kang) in it.
Dude, I freaking LOVED this movie when I was a kid. I STILL love it. I remember renting it from blockbuster and recording it on another VHS player and watching it about a thousand times with my friend Nick Curtis. Before we saw it we would play MK3 everyday after school so when we saw it for the first time, we were literally addicted. It's funny because I remember thinking that video games had reached their peak and could never get any better than that because they used real video samples. Boy was I wrong...