Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge review

MORTAL KOMBAT LEGENDS: SCORPION’S REVENGE: 

POPULAR FIGHTING GAME FRANCHISE GETS ONE RELENTLESS, OVER-THE-TOP, AND VIOLENT ANIMATED FLICK THAT FANS ARE SURE TO LOVE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

WARNER BROS. ANIMATION

Scorpion is out for blood in Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge

            The world of the Mortal Kombat video game franchise gets animated in Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge, the first Mortal Kombat film from Warner Bros. Animation (with a Daffy Duck intro at the beginning of the film BTW!) as well as the first animated Mortal Kombat project since 1996’s Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm. The film is directed by Ethan Spaulding (Avatar: The Last Airbender, ThunderCats (2011), Batman: Assault on Arkham) and unlike the live-action Mortal Kombat movie released in 1995 and its 1997 sequel Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Scorpion’s Revenge goes all-out and successfully obtains the R rating films based on these games deserve, a “Flawless Victory” indeed. 

            Before we dive into the review, I should mention that I wouldn’t really call myself a Mortal Kombat purist. I’ve played a handful of the games with some friends growing up (I specifically remembered playing Mortal Kombat: Deception at a friend’s house when I was like 11 and I had Mortal Kombat II and Mortal Kombat 3 on the Midway Arcade Treasures 2 compilation on PS2), I watched both of the live-action movies as well as the 1995 animated prequel to the first live-action film Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins, and I played some of the later games like Mortal Kombat VS DC Universe, Mortal Kombat (2011), and Mortal Kombat X (Have not played 11 yet though). 

            I’m at least familiar with the basic premise of Mortal Kombat and a good chunk of the characters so it’s not like I’m going into this movie completely blind. Which after watching it would not be the best thing to do. 

            Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is one of those movies made specifically for the fans and if you are a huge Mortal Kombat fan then you are in for a real treat. The film cranks up the gore and intense violence to extreme levels, giving fans the animated equivalent of a steel-cage deathmatch on steroids…with extra fatalities. 

            The film follows Hanzo Hasashi (voiced by Patrick Seitz-Bleach, One Piece, Sword Art Online), a Shirai Ryu Grandmaster in Japan whose family was slaughtered by the rival Lin Kuei clan and their Grandmaster Sub-Zero (voiced by Steve Blum-Cowboy Bebop, Toonami, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children) along with the rest of the Shirai Ryu people and is out for vengeance on those who killed his wife and son. This leads Hanzo to make a deal with a sorcerer known as Quan Chi (voiced by Darin De Paul-Overwatch, Apex Legends, Final Fantasy XV) to fight for him in Mortal Kombat, a tournament in the realm of Outworld hosted by aging warlock Shang Tsung (voiced by Artt Butler) that brings together the greatest warriors from different realms to fight to the death with the prize being the continued freedom of their realm which Sub-Zero happens to be participating in. 

            Determined to get revenge on Sub-Zero for killing his family, Hanzo adopts the name Scorpion and makes his way to Outworld to participate in Mortal Kombat. While there he befriends shaolin monk Liu Kang (voiced by Jordan Rodrigues-Light as a Feather, Lady Bird, L.A.’s Finest), Special Forces agent Sonya Blade (voiced by Jennifer Carpenter-Dexter, Limitless (TV series), The Enemy Within), Hollywood actor Johnny Cage (voiced by Joel McHale-Community, Ted, The Great Indoors), and thunder God and Liu Kang’s master Raiden (voiced by Dave B. Mitchell-Lil’ Bush, Dynasty Warriors (video game series), Superman VS The Elite) as they fight to protect Earthrealm from the wrath of Shao Kahn (voiced by Fred Tatasciore-Invader Zim, Robot Chicken, Wander Over Yonder). 

            The film also features the voices of Robin Atkin Downes (Steamboy, How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, Avatar: The Last Airbender) as Kano, Ike Amadi (Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia, Avengers Assemble, Superman: Man of Tomorrow) as Jax, Kevin Michael Richardson (Family Guy, Danny Phantom, Teen Titans/Teen Titans Go!) as Goro, and Grey Griffin (The Fairly OddParents, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Avatar: The Last Airbender) as Kitana. 

            Overall, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is a bloody fun time for fans of the video games but there isn’t much in here for a wide audience. The plot is pretty standard, and aside from Scorpion most of the characters aren’t very fleshed-out or developed, obviously banking on the fact that these characters were established in other games, movies, and shows and that longtime fans already know who they are. 

            It’s kind of like Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children where it’s filled to the brim with fan-service for those who love the source material, but a casual viewer might find it confusing and/or boring. I hate to say this but the 1995 live-action Mortal Kombat movie that was PG-13 does a better job at providing fan service while also being accessible to a wide audience not familiar with the original game, you don’t have to know about the Mortal Kombat games to watch the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie whereas with this, you might need to play a few games first before you watch it.  

            What the movie lacks in story and characters, it gains in action and gore which is pretty much the highlight of the entire film. This movie is relentless and absolutely chaotic with its violence, very much like the games it’s based on with characters getting slaughtered, dismembered, and beaten to death complete with x-ray shots of bones being crushed or body parts getting ripped off reminiscent of a fatality from the original games, don’t get me wrong the 1995 movie is cheesy fun but THIS is how you do a Mortal Kombat movie and hopefully the upcoming live-action reboot movie will take note of this. 

            There really isn’t much else I can say, if you love the Mortal Kombat games then you’ll probably love this movie. It’s a lot closer to the source material than the live-action movies or animated movies and shows from the 90s and will give you a satisfactory amount of carnage and fan-service, it isn’t perfect but it’s an entertaining, over-the-top animated flick. 

            SCORPION WINS, FLAWLESS VICTORY!