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Cast:
Robin
Shou
Linden
Ashby
Bridgette
Wilson
Cary-Hiroyuki
Tagawa
Talisa
Soto
Christoper
Lambert
Action:
Robin
Shou
Jeff
Imada
Pat
E. Johnson
Tim
Lawrence
Writer:
Kevin
Droney
Producer:
Lauri
Apelian
Lawrence
Kasanoff
Director:
Paul
W. S. Anderson
Score:
 
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MORTAL
KOMBAT
AKA:
N/A
Year:
1995 Reviewer: Phil
Mills
When
the fate of the world is threatened, three human fighters are
chosen to travel to Outworld where they will compete in Mortal
Kombat for the future of all mankind. Liu Kang (Shou)
has trained all his life to be a great fighter and when his
brother is killed at the hands of the evil sorcerer Shang
Tsung (Tagawa) he opts to take part in the tournament and
exact his revenge. Johnny Cage (Ashby) is an actor who's
real life fighting credentials are constantly questioned by
the media so when the opportunity to prove his skills arises,
he jumps at the challenge. Sonya Blade (Wilson) is a
member of an elite taskforce who finds herself tracking a
dangerous criminal into the realms of the Outworld, suddenly
she too must now become a competitor. Guided by the hand
of the Thundergod Rayden, it's up to these three mortals to
test their might and make sure the Earth remains safe.
At
the time of it's release, 'Mortal Kombat' was perceived by
many to be the finest transition from video game to the silver
screen, and examining it 10 years later that still remains a
fair assessment that is relatively unrivalled today. Although
clearly not without faults, the film boasted reasonably high
production values and a decent cast whilst also maintaining
the important factor of keeping the majority of the characters
and story intact from the game (a must if you want to keep the
existing fan base happy). Robin Shou in the leading role
was a risky choice, especially considering he was a relative
unknown, but it proved to be an extremely effective one as not
only does he provide the viewer with a believable hero in the
action department but he is also an actor capable of keeping
his acting talent on a par with his physical attributes.
In the director's chair was the relatively fresh faced Paul W.
S. Anderson who proved here that he could maintain a fast
paced and strong action movie which has been echoed by the
fact that he has now become a highly sought after talent.
It's
fair to say that 'Mortal Kombat' was also one of the main
films responsible for the revival of Hollywood Martial Arts
movies that are still in evidence at present. This was
mainly due to the fact that Shou and the team of fight
choreographers leaned heavily towards the Hong Kong influence,
showcasing some flashy techniques that had rarely been
witnessed in the big budget affairs. However, Shou
wisely chooses not to over-complicate the choreography and
although it is acrobatic and kick orientated, it is nowhere
near the pacing seen in Hong Kong films. Amazingly
though, the most impressive factor about the fights is that
Anderson actually does a surprisingly good job directing the
action as he chooses not to restrict the camera angles or
utilise too many annoying editing techniques.
Unfortunately it can still be said there is perhaps an
over-reliance on slow motion to display the more athletic
moves but that is a minor complaint in an otherwise striking
effort.
Although
not up to Eastern Martial Arts movie standards (but then again
what American film is?), 'Mortal Kombat' remains one of the
most admirable efforts to emerge from Hollywood to date.
It's surprising that Robin Shou didn't receive better vehicles
after this (the sequel and the relatively poor 'Beverly Hills
Ninja' remain his only other notable entries) but I suppose
that no matter how much talent you display, Hollywood is still
very blinkered when it comes to handling an Asian star.
Still, 'Mortal Kombat' has aged well and Shou can be very
proud he has this film in his back catalogue.
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