THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
There really is no denying that adapting the video game franchise of Mortal Kombat into a film was not a good decision in the 1990s because both films sucked and I do my best to avoid talking/thinking about it. The video games however remained relevant as one came out every other year. But before the 2021 live action reboot became a big improvement in comparison to the prior outings, we got a direct to video animated version that definitely stirred up the pot.
PLOT
The film dubbed Scorpion’s Revenge follows two simultaneous stories that intertwine. Hanso Azachi (Patrick Seitz) has everything taken from him when his clan the Shira Ryu, along with his wife and son are murdered by the opposing Lin Kuei, led by the ice manipulator Sub Zero (Steve Blum). He is given a second chance at life thanks to the ruler of the Netherrealm, Quan Chi (Darin De Paul). He promises to resurrect his family if he can compete in the Mortal Kombat tournament and win, along with stealing an amulet that belonged to his master Lord Shinnok. Azachi agrees as he dubs himself 'Scorpion' and is granted newfound abilities that are teleporting and summoning Hellfire. The tournament has high stakes because Outworld has won nine in a row and if they win their tenth, their leader Shao Kahn (Fred Tatasciore) will invade Earthrealm. The only champions that Lord Raiden (Dave B: Mitchell) has in defense are three: A Shaolin monk he trained named Liu Kang (Jordan Rodrigues), Special Forces agent Sonya Blade (Jennifer Carpenter) who is looking for her crime syndicate rival Kano (Robin Atkin Downes), and movie star Johnny Cage (Joel McHale) who mistakes the event as a new movie. All three join the God of Thunder to an island where the event will be hosted by warlock Shang Tsung (Art Butler). Scorpion almost steals the amulet but Raiden convinces him not to. Tsung makes a demonstration of the tournament by having Blade's friend Jackson 'Jax' Briggs (Ike Amadi) fight the reigning champion known as Goro (Kevin Michael Richardson). The eight foot tall, four armed Shokan displays his strength by ripping off his opponent's arms and Raiden intervenes from him being finished, reminding everyone that this is not part of the tournament. The next day, the tournament properly starts. Johhny is able to defeat the Tarkatan Baraka and Sonya defeats the humanoid reptilian creature dubbed 'Reptile'. As for Liu, he is able make Kitana (Grey Griffin), Outworld's princess, yield. Knowing that Earthrealm's champions are winning, Tsung orders the Black Dragon to kill them all. When the three regroup, they encounter Scorpion who kills Black Dragon henchmen in his way. Raiden appears to tell them all that they must return to the temple to face Goro. Before they could do so, they fight more Black Dragon mercenaries led by Kano. As Scorpion aids them, Sub Zero appears. The sole survivor of the Shirai Ryu takes advantage of extracting his revenge when he catches his foe and hurling him off the cliff of a bridge. They both get impaled as they fall into a spike, but it is Scorpion that is still breathing. Thinking he is about to die, Quan Chi appears and admits that he is responsible for the death of his family and clan. It turns out that he disguised himself as Sub Zero, to ensure he would have him at his disposal. As Scorpion pushes himself out of the spike, Sonya and Johnny rescue Jax from Kano. When Liu returns to the temple, he faces Goro. He almost loses but is saved by Scorpion who kills the champion. Tsung explains that it is down between them two to end the tournament. Scorpion instead yields and Liu is made the new champion. Tsung leaves disappointed that he failed the emperor. Without him, the island begins to crumble. Raiden and Liu leave with the others by boat, while Scorpion fights Quan Chi. He finally gets his revenge by cutting off his limbs and burning him with his hellfire. After that, he dies in the crushed debris. At the boat containing all champions, Liu feels that he failed because he could have lost to Goro. However, Raiden explains that his destiny was to defeat the Emperor, not the Shokan. The film ends with Shao telling Tsung to gather their forces, that he will invade Earthrealm anyway.
THOUGHTS
I understandably had doubts that this would turn out okay. Thankfully, I am relieved to see that this animated feature is pretty damn good. Director Ethan Spaulding knew how special this franchise is and he did it just right, making it as violent as hell. I wasn't crazy about the X-ray shots but every time characters were fighting and left blood on the floor, I couldn't be anymore satisfied. I don't want to sound creepy about it but that is what Mortal Kombat is all about. Aside from that, a lot of the characters had improved development compared to their first action counterparts as we get to truly see what they're all about. Scorpion is the star here with good reason, not just being the titular character. What has made him so arguably the most popular in the franchise is because between being a wrathful and unstoppable force who is hellbent on vengeance, he remains honorable. He aligned with Earthrealm as the story progressed because he knew what it's like to get cornered by foes. 'GET OVER HERE' is a badass quote because that's what is said when he's ready to end the fight. Raiden may not kick ass with the rest of the characters around him, but he still stands out here because his wisdom definitely had a better presence this time around. I still have a soft spot for Liu Kang because he remains insightful, no matter what comes his way. Johnny Cage was the perfect choice to be comedic relief because despite coming off cocky, his gullibility gets the best of them. I mean I couldn't keep a straight face that he mistook Jax's ripped limbs as bad effects and Sonya's reaction as method acting. Speaking of Sonya, she is a force to be reckoned with due to coming off headstrong and determined to get the job done. The lesson you learn from her is that you never touch a woman without consent. If you press on, you'll suffer the hard way like Johnny. And as for Quan Chi, he remains a memorable villain like the others because he can be just as manipulative and conniving to get what he wants. He went the extra mile to kill Scorpion's family and clan because that was brutal way to avoid getting 'No' for an asnwer. Despite improving many things, there were flaws in the story I couldn't ignore. Considering that Scorpion lays waste on creatures of the Netherrealm, what happens when you get killed there? Do you go to the biblical Hell or something worse? I normally don't want to overthink things like that but after seeing what Scorpion does before meeting Quan Chi, it made me wonder. I like Sonya but she was kinda out of line calling Liu 'Bruce Lee'. I mean I can't be the only one who thought that sounded racist. I know Raiden was smart to convince Scorpion to not obey Quan Chi, but it isn't true calling him a 'free man'. If he really was free, he wouldn't be assigned to do anything and his family would've been resurrected from the beginning. Also, why does Scorpion take so long finding Sub Zero? Yes he tried to take the amulet but since he's concerned on killing false foe, I assumed he would find him sooner. I feel like I'm the only one who thinks Kano gets wasted again. Yes he raises the stakes by holding Jax hostage and uses his laser eye this time, but it looked too easy to beat him once Johnny and Sonya teamed up. Lastly, I get that Quan Chi is a sneaky guy but why the hell would he try to poison Shang Tsung six feet apart from him when the final round of the tournament is taking place? Yes he gets caught, but Raiden could've spotted him too and he would've a beating before Scorpion. Other than that, this movie is a fun, bloody mess once ignoring all said flaws. Overall, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge is a homerun for being more faithful to its material. If you have waited patiently for an accurate portrayal of the iconic video game franchise, check this out.
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