Opinion: What makes Mortal Kombat (1995) memorable

We found out two weeks ago about Mortal Kombat getting a movie reboot due out in 2021. You know how I feel about reboots. I’ve written about it in a previous post called, The trouble with remakes and reboots. (link). Regardless, Mortal Kombat will once again grace the silver screen and we’ll see a new iteration of our favorite immortal beings.

However, Mortal Kombat (1995) will always have a special place in my heart. So here are four reasons Mortal Kombat (1995) still holds up as one of the most memorable video game adaptations.

Beyond the Tournament

Mortal Kombat (1995) took us from the video game ladder tournament and created an actual world. The 1995 Mortal Kombat movie turned this creation into a universe beyond player versus player gaming. We got a look into the characters that’d we had played for years. We still enjoyed the tournament in the background but experienced the purpose of the fight.

Diabolical Shang Tsung

All of the actors were likable and well placed in their roles. They did a good job taking these larger than life characters and bringing them to life before the video game became what it is today (see Mortal Kombat 11). However, Shang Tsung is the most memorable character in the movie. As the antagonist, he was very hateable and manipulative. Those aspects made Liu Kang’s triumph in the end greater. This is a compliment to the actors and the directors.

Set Design before it’s time

You can also point to Mortal Kombat (1995) as having set design beyond its time. With creations like Goro made with a mix of animatronics and CGI or any of the CGI elemental effects, you can appreciate the commitment that the team working on this film put in. Let’s not forget the tournament set up and the amazing locations and costume designs that were featured in this film.

MORTAL KOMBAT! (Theme Song) by The Immortals

Sure the song was sampled using 2 Unlimited’s song ‘Twilight Zone’ by The Immortals who put together the soundtrack of the movie, but it’s a catching song. Plus, in the ’90s the soundtrack meant just as much as the movie and this song is great! Not to mention, there are a lot of songs that sampled these days and turn out to chart-topping hits. This is one of the most memorable theme songs ever and that adds to the greatness of the movie.