It’s starting to feel like the late 90s. In 2024, we saw the release of Mortal Kombat 1, the latest entry in Uber and the popular fighting game series. And now, MK is back on the big screen as MK is gearing up for the release of Mortal Kombat 2, a sequel to the stunningly solid reboot of 2021.
In light of all these major developments in the world of MK, we thought this was the perfect time to look back at the long, colorful and sometimes bewildering history of film and television franchises. Check out the slideshow below or scroll down to see more about all the fatal kombat adaptations and how closely they follow the source material (or).
Mortal Kombat (1995)
The original Mortal Kombat movie is widely considered to be one of the best video game adaptations ever. That is a highly questionable honor. Still, the film exists as a sure example of how to bring the series to life in live action. It presents a reasonably faithful narrative of the very barebone storyline of the original game, while still depicting elements of Mortal Kombat II and some of the backstory of the tie-in comics. Like many adaptations, it positions Liu Kang (Robin Chou) as the central hero destined to defeat the soul-stealing Shang Tsun (cary-hiroyuki tagawa). For purists, the film’s biggest crime is that it simply doesn’t recreate the violence of the game, instead opting for a pedestrian PG-13 approach.
But what the film is filming is that the essential undercurrent of camp and charm is working with free violence. Mortal Kombat movies are definitely not a crime of taking themselves seriously. It is also a film that introduced the world to Immortals and Techno Syndrome, the most iconic video game music on this side of the theme of Super Mario Bros.
Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins (1995)
There is quite a bit of a tough competition when it comes to determining the worst fatal combat adaptation ever made, but a direct release to this video may only earn you the highest honor. Released before the live-action film and the prequel to the ostensibly above film, this journey begins with a set about embodying the stories of the origins of various MK icons. However, connective tissue is suspicious at best. And, like the live-action film CGI, it’s cutting edge compared to the archaic sub-playstation-quality 3D fight scenes of travel. Hardcore fans may want to see this from pure, pathological curiosity (especially as it is included as a bonus feature on Mortal Kombat Blu-ray), but don’t expect it to actually enhance the fun of the game or movie.
Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm (1996)
The TV landscape of the 80s and 90s was littered with attempts to translate the characteristics of adult-only pop culture into children’s comics. Case in Points – RoboCop: Animation Series, Rambo: Power of Freedom and the Toxic Crusades. We must honestly respect Kenner’s moxie in deciding to sell Terminator 2 and alien toys directly to our kids without waiting for the comics.
Mortal Kombat: USA Network’s Defenders throw territory defenders into the ring. This short-lived series aired in 1996 on the network’s Action Extreme Team block. A bit inexplicably, it tries to serve as a continuation of both the 1995 film and the ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 video game, but the Allage approach is essentially changing that move. The defenders of the realm are tasked with simplifying the complex series of alliances and rivals that define MK Mythos, featuring a team of heroes led by Raiden, and protecting Earthrealm from Shao Kahn’s dimension invaders.
However, territory advocates make one noteworthy addition to the franchise. This series was actually the first to introduce Quan Chi before his roles in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero and Mortal Kombat 4.
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)
If the first Mortal Kombat movie is one of the best attempts to film a video game, its sequel is easily the worst. It is not always possible that annihilation does something fast and loose with the source material. We’ll show you popular characters like Shao Kahn (Brian Thompson), Jax (Lynn Williams), and Sindel (Musetta Vandel). The problem is that the film can’t put any of them together into a coherent, interesting story. There is no much internal logic as to what happens or what characters are displayed.
But even if the plot leads to the first film, the disappearance is plagued by awful effects, overwhelming battle scenes, and seemingly ubiquitous actors everywhere else. It says that almost all of the returning characters have been recast for the sequel, except for Liu Kang from Chou. But if nothing else, at least the soundtrack is pretty good.
Mortal Kombat: Conquest (1998)
The disappearance essentially destroyed the big screen prospects of Mortar Combat for the next 20 years, but in 1998 TNT did not stop airing live-action television series. Instead, the conquest revolves around Kanrao (Paolo Montalban), the ancestor of Liu. Many of the supporting characters in the series are new works, but many MK fan favorites appear in the course of the only season of conquest.
What I can say for conquest is that it was ahead of its time. The premise of the first part is strong, and is a better field in the 1995 film than its disappearance. But even back then, it was difficult to ignore the poor wire foo fight scenes and generally bad special effects. It’s hard not to wonder what would happen if the conquest came in 10 or 2 years.
Mortal Kombat: Rebirth (2010)
Apart from the game itself, the MK franchise was largely dormant in the 00s. Until filmmaker Kevin Tancharoen took the initiative and put together a short, unauthorized, deadly combat film in which the ball began to roll again.
Although produced on a very low budget and not approved by the creators of Warner Bros. or Mortar Combat, Tancharoen’s short film Mortal Kombat: Rebirth is an incredibly professional adaptation. Rebirth is unique in that he downplays the franchise’s supernatural trapping and instead casts Scorpion (Ian Anthony Dale) as an assassin by collaborating with Captain Jackson Briggs (Michael Jai White) and Sonya Blade (Jerily Ryan) to cast Scorpion (Ian Anthony Dale) as an assassin to defeat Shantung’s Criminal Empire and acquires enemies to Nemesis.
Tancharoen aims to serve as a proof of concept of the film’s potential reboot. He got his wish as he was given the reins of the live-action web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy.
Mortal Kombat: Legacy (2011)
Tancharoen returned to the MK franchise the following year. This time we approved the actual approval of Warner Bros. and the full season of Greenlight, a live-action network exclusively for Machinima. While Legacy doesn’t follow the new continuity established in rebirth, Dale, White and Ryan all returned to reprise their Season 1 roles. Instead, Legacy serves as a prequel to the original game, with each season one episode embodying another Korean backstory.
Season 2 proved to be a rather sudden departure. Legacy shifted towards a more story-driven approach, bringing in many new characters and reworking many existing roles. One bonus to that improvement is that Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa was able to recreate the role of Shang Tsung (paving the way he jumps into the game in the form of a Mortal Kombat 11 DLC).
Contradictory in terms of tone and plot, Legacy shows possibilities with a more serious view of the MK myth. It also looks surprisingly robust against the free web series.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge (2020)
Mortal Kombat returned to the realm of animation in 2020. This proved to be a much better adaptation than the advocate of the territory, either beginning the journey or a much better adaptation. Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge helps you get targeted straight towards adults. In fact, the release directly from this video is actually the first R-rated Mortal Kombat movie.
Scorpion’s revenge is an adaptation of the original game’s storyline, but with a twist. Rather than framing the film around the heroic Liu Kang, you’ll see the tournament of destiny from Scorpion’s point of view. The film explores the story of the character’s tragic origins and the beginning of his feud with Sub-Zero. Find out more in Passthecontroller’s Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge Review.
The first film will be a sequel that follows directly into three more videos, 2021’s Legend of the Mortar Combat: Battle of the Territory, 2022’s Legend of the Mortar Combat: Snow Blinds, 2023’s Legend of the Mortar Combat: Cage Match.
Mortal Kombat Reboot (2021)
After years of rumors about another live-action fatal kombat film, the franchise finally returned to the big screen in 2021. The new film is not related to previous projects, but instead acts as a full reboot. Star Mehcad Brooks (playing Jax) describes him as having “basic realism” despite retaining the game’s deadly and other violent traps. This is the complete breakdown of the cast of Mortal Kombat Reboot.
The reboot was simultaneously hit by theatres and HBO Max in April 2021. You can view Passthecontroller’s Mortal Kombat Review in detail. The pandemic clearly affected the film’s box office revenue, but it was so critical and commercially successful Warner green-lit the sequel.
Mortal Kombat 2 (2025)
The rebooted Mortal Kombat series will return to theaters in 2025 in the form of a sequel entitled Simply Mortal Kombat 2. Shao Kahn, Quan Chi by Damoin Herriman and Kitana by Adeline Rudolph. We recently looked closely at some of our cast members.
At this point, there is little doubt that Mortal Kombat 2 will be a better sequel than Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, but that’s not exactly a high bar. The question is whether the sequel can continue the momentum created by the original momentum and pave the way for more of the proposed sequels. There’s still a lot of fight left in this franchise.
Note: This article was originally published on 04/09/2020 and updated on 203/17/2025 with the latest news on the Mortal Kombat franchise.
Jesse is a mild managed staff writer for Passthecontroller. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual bush Follow @jschedeen on Bluesky.
