Mortal Kombat

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Three reluctant fighters are drafted for an intergalactic martial-arts tournament that will determine the fate of the human race in this special-effects-driven adventure. Inspired by the popular and notoriously bloody video game, Mortal Kombat provides a semblance of a plot as an excuse for rampant mayhem, with the evil alien forces challenging humanity to a kung fu battle to decide the Earth's fate. Following the failure of several previous human defenders, mankind's last chance lies with egotistical action film star Johnny Cage (Linden Ashby), tough but beautiful special agent Sonya Blade (Bridgette Wilson), and vengeance-minded hero Liu Kang (Robin Shou). Under the guidance of inspirational sorcerer Lord Rayden (Christopher Lambert), this unlikely trio faces off against a series of terrifying alien adversaries. As in the video game, the martial arts battles are the true point, with standard fighting combining with magical touches supplied by computer-generated effects. The dramatic content often resembles a Saturday morning cartoon, but Jonathan Scott Carlson's appropriately dank production design and the visually spectacular battle sequences made the film a hit amongst younger fantasy-action fans, spawning a sequel and a TV show. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard), 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Stereo
• Screen: Color, Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: English, French, Spanish
• Features:
  • cc
  • Interactive menus

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  Paul W.S. Anderson

• Producer:

  Lawrence Kasanoff

• Screenwriter:

  Kevin Droney

• Cinematographer:

  John R. Leonetti

• Composer (Music Score):

  George S. Clinton

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Steve Nelson

• Editor:

  Martin Hunter

• Production Designer:

  Jonathan Carlson

• Associate Producer:

  Lauri Apelian

• Executive Producer:

  Robert Engelman

• Costume Designer:

  Ha Nguyen

• Makeup:

  Mony Mansano

• Special Effects:

  Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff, Jr.

• First Assistant Director:

  Thomas Schellenberg, Robin Oliver

• Stunts:

  Fumio Demura, Pat E. Johnson

• Casting:

  Fern Champion, Mark Paladini

REVIEW:

• The big-screen adaptation of Mortal Kombat contains everything that a teenage boy could ever want: martial arts fighting, sexy supervixens, glittery special effects, and eye candy galore. Aficionados of the Rotoscope-rendered video game will relish this comic book movie that stays true to the story line that Kombat Kreators John Tobias and Ed Boone established. Mortal Kombat is perhaps the best video-game adaptation of the '90s (which doesn't say much). While arcade films like Super Mario Brothers, Double Dragon, and Street Fighter all possess little merit, Mortal Kombat is brazenly stylish and delivers its promise of pit fatalities and crowd-pleasing punch-outs. Sensationally loud, indulgent, and over-the-top, director Paul Anderson pulls no punches and captivates his teen adventure with acrobatic karate routines in the vein of Jackie Chan. However, the film still has many flaws -- most notably the canned dialogue and wooden performances from a no-name cast. Still, one can't complain that an adaptation of a relentlessly violent video game is thin on plot and Oscar-worthy performances. The film aims to please with its mix of martial arts and special-effects magic, and was the start of a long-running Mortal Kombat franchise. ~ Adam Goldberg, Rovi