Mortal Kombat Kollection - Arrow 4K

The first Mortal Kombat was one of the first movies I remember feeling the need to own. In 1995, I saved up my $20 to buy the VHS. I didn’t want to just rent it, I needed to own it. But it never showed up on the shelves, despite being available to rent. It was my first lesson in delayed release tactics from the studios (now we’re teased with the expensive streaming option before a film is released on physical media or on one of the subscription streamers). This little trip into my dorky childhood is simply meant to illustrate that the first Mortal Kombat was an important movie for me (Annihilation, not so much), so when Arrow announced the Mortal Kombat Kollection (out now), I knew I had to check it out. 

Mortal Kombat 

This movie is kind of a miracle. There’s just so much going against it. It was a PG-13 version of a famously gory game. Video game movies had famously been awful because the simplistic video game premises of the time needed too much fleshing out. Honestly, how do you make a live action Mario or Double Dragon movie that doesn’t look like a peyote hallucination come to life? But Mortal Kombat kept things simple, and that made it work while still being objectively silly. 

There isn’t a huge focus on back story or anything in Mortal Kombat. Characters are given one thing they want, and that one thing can be achieved through fighting in a martial arts tournament held in a different dimension. Good enough for me. But there was still the gore problem. You can’t have Sub-Zero ripping off a dude’s head with the spinal cord still attached, or Kano ripping out a still-beating heart, etc. If blood was off the table, then Paul W.S. Anderson knew that the fighting had to be great. The choreography is impressive in this film, but most importantly, Anderson insisted on shooting the scenes in master shots, giving them a similar look to the video game. My favorite shot in the film is when Liu Kang and Sub-Zero square off, and the beginning of the fight looks like the video game came to life. Sure, there are still cuts and wacky moves and nut shots (though the nut shot is game accurate), but overall the fighting is great.

But the most important factor is in your face from the beginning of the movie. When “Mortal Kombat!” rings out and that techno score starts, it awakens something inside me. The energy of that score coupled with the competent fighting scenes made me forget all about the gore. That’s why I still enjoy this one more than the 2021 version, even though that one features all the gore. There’s an energy and silliness to this film that transcends decapitations. And I’m so glad that Arrow has given it the 4K treatment.

Transfer and Special Features

It’s Arrow, so it looks great. Though the better the technology gets, the worse some of the CG looks, so Reptile looks a little rough, but the Goro puppet makes up for it.

The commentary with Anderson is fine. He just seems like a nice dude who enjoys his job, so it’s about as traditional a commentary as you’re going to find.

The interviews and archival stuff is interesting, with Linden Ashby’s interview being the most interesting. He reveals that a lot of the comedy was improv, which surprised me. He also acknowledged that they knew they weren’t making serious art, but they were still devoted to make as entertaining a movie as they possibly could.

Random Thoughts / Favorite Quotes

Imagine enjoying yourself at a heavy metal show in Hong Kong and Brigitte Wilson-Sampras walks by and cracks you in the head with a shotgun for no fucking reason.

Those metal-heads are hardcore. They aren't phased at all when a dude fires an uzi into the crowd or when that dude gets blasted with a shotgun.

Fuckin’ Kano has to make an exaggerated grunt when lifting off an air grate. Love that guy.

“Now listen, Peter Jason, we need you to walk just like Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, and that man walks like a 2×4 is stapled to his back! You can't be slouching like you do in Carpenter's movies.”

Sure, Christopher Lambert is an odd choice for Raiden, but it’s less crazy than Liu Kang wearing a leather jacket in Thailand.

“Okay, so you guys just got done roasting all the chickens and whatnot for hours and setting up dinner for all the fighters? Great. Okay, minions, go fuck up all the tables and let Sub-Zero kill one of you.”

Goro: *other-worldly guttural groans and roars for no reason*

Cage: “Sonya, you go ahead, find out what that was. Liu and I will wait right here.”

Cage: “So where's my fight? The same beach-type setting that Liu and Sonya got?”

Shang Tsung: “No no no no, you will fight Scorpion in an eerie forest setting that seems like it's from a different movie. But if you're quick, you can follow him to a haunted pirate ship realm!”

Cage: “Fuck. Okay, but Liu's next fight is going to be harder, right? That first guy he fought didn't even get his name announced.”

Shang Tsung: “He'll be straight up on the beach for his next fight, but it will be against Kitana.”

Cage: “I guess that's better. She's a thousand years old so she'll be tough to beat.”

Shang Tsung: “Oh, no, it will be more like an exhibition match during which she will give tips and riddles about how to win his next fight.”

Cage: “Fuck off! For a tournament that decides the fate of all mankind this is all planned out pretty willy-nilly.”

That “Noooooo!” Sonya lets out when Art Lean dies is a bit much. I mean, did she even ever get properly introduced to him?

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation 

To begin, the most impressive thing about this set is that it got me to watch Annihilation for the second time this year (Blank Check covered it on Patreon a few weeks ago), a movie I swore I would never watch again but have now seen four times. I really hope this is the last time, though, because this film is not growing on me. I know, like all shitty movies from ten years or longer ago, people start to defend it, but I’m not getting on board.

I guess if this came out when I was younger I would feel more fondly about it. But everything just feels watered down this time. The music isn’t as good, the costumes are cheaper, and, worst, the fighting is a downgrade. The re-casting of some characters hurt, as well, and the whole thing is just too slapdash and silly for me. But I guess it’s cool to see so many video game characters get tossed into the mix. 

But four viewings is enough for me, though I’m happy it got the same treatment as the first film for the deluded fans of this one.

Transfer and Special Features

The Sindel lady has some not shocking delusions about the movie, talking about its continued popularity in terms of people just enjoying a good vs. evil story. 

I was surprised by the interview with the composer for two reasons. First, I didn’t know there were two George Clintons involved with music, and at first I thought the famous one composed the music for these films, which, of course, is wrong. Second, I thought for sure the sequel had a different composer since I found the music to be weaker this time around. I honestly don’t know why they didn’t just completely use the first film’s score for this one.

The stunt dude, J.J. Perry, was interesting, or maybe I was just excited because he talked about Van Damme a bit. He’s one of those stunt guys that clearly loves his work, so his interview was the most interesting due to his enthusiasm and memory of his work.

I gave up on the commentary after the director, John Leonetti, claimed that Linden Ashby was in the film. And he also gave a bit of a non-answer when asked why Brigitte Wilson-Sampras didn’t come back. He did admit that Lambert didn’t return because he wanted $2 million. Honestly, I was looking for a reason to bail on this commentary. I don’t think I could ever look my children in the face again if they found out one day that I watched Mortal Kombat: Annihilation with the director’s commentary. 

Random Thoughts / Favorite Quotes

“A brief period of peace.” I'll say; it was literally less than a minute.

“Too bad…YOU…will die.” It's nice that this meme happens in the first five minutes, so you can skip the rest.

“You would never let one of your precious humans die.” Well, we couldn't get Linden Ashby back, so his replacement can die, I guess.

“We must travel quickly. Get in the magic hamster balls and stand crotch-to-crotch with me.”

I remember watching the end of the first film and seeing a giant Shao Khan, and then he's just some stupid dude in this. Don't get me wrong, it's Brian “Buffalo Bob from Joe Dirt and axe-cult leader from Cobra” Thompson. But it’s still underwhelming. 

I always thought the cyborgs in the game were silly. Their presence here did not change my mind.

All of this is admittedly silly, but Scorpion yelling “Suckers!” is just an ice bridge too far.

Final Thoughts

Fans of these two films couldn’t ask for a better set. Along with the special features I already mentioned, there is also a book with new essays about the films, multiple reversible posters and sleeves, all with newly commissioned artwork. Even if you’re like me and only truly love the first film, this set is worth it.