There’s a new Mortal Kombat movie on the horizon for the first time in almost 25 years, and fans are anxious to see how it’ll turn out. While the original 1995 movie got mixed reactions from critics, it was a blockbuster hit that fans loved, so we’ve compared some of its iconic characters, moments, and special moves with the upcoming film.
The footage is taken from the first trailer for the new Mortal Kombat, which was officially released a little earlier than planned due to a version of the trailer being leaked. Some of the scenes mirror moments from the 1995 film surprisingly closely–though the new film is set to include much more blood and gore thanks to its R-rating.
The video compares how both movies have interpreted some of the franchise’s most iconic characters including Sonya Blade, Liu Kang, Scorpion, and Sub-Zero. Antagonist Shang Tsung is shown to be a little more subdued in the new version, while four-armed Goro has benefited a lot from 25 years of improvements in CGI.
Kano is depicted true to the 1995 version, with Australian actor Josh Lawson playing the character who was retconned to have an Aussie accent in the original film. The 2021 film’s version of Raiden is closer to the game version of the character however–though Christopher Lambert’s iconic version of Raiden has since been immortalized in the game as an alternate skin in MK11.
Where the new film really shines is in the upgraded special effects, however, with beautiful takes on Sub-Zero’s ice and Liu Kang’s fire attacks–though the fact that the combat can now be properly R-rated doesn’t hurt either. Mortal Kombat is due to release on April 16, 2021, with the movie coming simultaneously to cinemas and HBO Max.
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