Weirdhouse Cinema: Mortal Kombat Annihilation

In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe accept the challenge of 1997's "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation,” starring Robin Shou, Talisa Soto, Brian Thompson, Sandra Hess and James Remar.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of iHeartRadio.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Hey, welcome to Weird House Cinema. This is Rob Lamb.

Speaker 3 (00:16):
And this is Joe McCormick. And today on Weird House Cinema,
we're going to be talking about Mortal Kombat two. Not
the Mortal Kombat two that came out this year with
Carl Urban as Johnny Cage, the one that came out
in nineteen ninety seven where Johnny Cage dies in the
first five minutes. Today we're going to be doing Mortal
Kombat Annihilation, directed by John R. Leonetti, starring Robin Chu,

(00:39):
Talisa Soto, James Ramar, and Brian Thompson. This was the
sequel to the very first Mortal Kombat film, which came
out in nineteen ninety five, directed by Paul Anderson, one
that we've already covered on the show. We'll talk more
about that previous episode we did, I'm sure as we
go on. So the first Mortal Kombat movie was a

(01:02):
big deal for me when I was a boy in
elementary school. I think it was for for many children
my age. Robi, I think it was also pretty huge
for you when you were you weren't quite as young
as I was when this came out, But you still
you were you were you were big with the first movie.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
Yeah, yeah, I was in junior high, so it was
absolutely the right time to become obsessed with Mortal Kombat.
And yeah, I mean I I've been a fan of
the franchise since the first game. I've played all the
major releases, even though finally even the most recent one,
they made it to where I could like play it
in the cloud on my older console, so you know,

(01:38):
I played around with it, beat it a few times,
you know, tried out my manes. But I've actually viewed
very little of the extended Mortal Kombat media out there
until this week. I think I'd only ever watched the first,
very first Mortal Kombat movie from the nineties we previously
covered on the show, and I think I watched the
first season of the twenty eleven web series Mortal Kombat Legacy,

(02:00):
which I remember enjoying and remember being better than it,
you know, perhaps had any right to be. But I
was never tempted to check out Annihilation because we're about
to touch on Annihilation comes out at a time that
for me, it was kind of like a rocky point
in my relationship with the Mortal Commet franchise. It comes
out around the time of MK four, which was the

(02:23):
pivot to like three D. I think this one has
finally been re released. I think I actually have it
on my console. I could play it if I wanted to,
But it's it's from a rough time in the transition
of these different fighting games, and I don't know, I
just wasn't as into it at the time, and I
wasn't tempted to see this particular film.

Speaker 3 (02:43):
Now, am I correct that the Mortal Kombat games have
gone back to basically a two dimensional fighting system, like
a side side view thing, and that maybe four was
a diversion where it was more like, is techn like
this these games where you'd like you could actually fight
in full three dimensions? Yeah.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
MK four was the pivot to like that three D
kind of tech in style, and you're moving around, you know,
and side to side, front and back. And then they
stick with that for multiple games, at least two major releases,
and then and I'm sorry, I don't have the dates
for all the games right in front of me, so
they're just kind of floating around my head. But they
come out back with the one that's just called Mortal Kombat.

(03:23):
I want to say, was that twenty twelve that I
may have it wrong, but at any rate, yeah, they were.
They came back around to like, let's just do it,
you know, the classic style without that third dimension, and
it was great, Like that was a great game. They
stuck with that MK X incredible, m K eleven awesome,

(03:45):
And then they've eventually come back around to MK one
is what they've called the latest one, and they're still
sticking to it though. You know, they keep adding bells
and whistles, changing things around, trying different gameplay styles, but
they seem to be sticking with what works.

Speaker 3 (03:59):
Okay, So I was kind of like you, except I
never came back. So for me, Mortal Kombat was very big.
When I was in elementary school, I played like the
first three games. I was obsessed with the first movie
when it came out, even got like the CD of
the soundtrack, and it's a good soundtrack.

Speaker 2 (04:15):
This one has a good soundtrack too.

Speaker 3 (04:17):
Yeah, well, it's using a lot of the same tracks
from the first movie. A lot of the you know
those real like hype techno tracks from the first movie
make a reappearance here. So it was really into it,
and then yeah, I just dipped out, like after the
first movie and after playing the first three games with
my friends, I just never came back to Mortal Kombat.
But except we're back now here we are now So

(04:40):
I didn't like keep up with the games like you did.

Speaker 2 (04:42):
Yeah, I kept up with the games. But I haven't
seen either of the two new movies. So I hear
great things about them, and they have incredible casts. Yeah,
but are also tied to these games also, some of
like some of the same producers will be discussing here
a bit.

Speaker 3 (04:55):
So we ended up having so much to say about
the first Mortal Kombat movie that we actually had to
split the Weird House Cinema episode into two parts, which
is kind of hilarious. It's up there with Highland or Two,
The Quickening, David Lynch's Dune, and I think The Wicker
Man as the only other movies we've had to split
into multiple parts. We're gonna do our best to not

(05:17):
do that with Mortal Kombat Annihilation. I think that'll be
somewhat doable because this movie was not as much of
a younger Day's touchstone for either of us. So in fact,
I was trying to think did I see Mortal Kombat
Annihilation when it came out. If I did, it didn't
make much of an impression on me. I certainly remember

(05:38):
watching it in college, after I got into my phase
of appreciating so bad it's good movies, of which Mortal
Kombat Annihilation was a generational example. I think for people
my age, if you ask them, like, you know, what's
a so bad it's good movie that you can think of,
a lot of them will think of Mortal Kombat Annihilation. Andy,

(06:00):
I'm sure saw it, you know, as a kid. As
fans of the first movie or the games, the first
Mortal Kombat movie is a very silly movie. It's a
very silly action movie with what we'll probably read to
audiences who didn't grow up with it as an extremely
dated nineties filmmaking sensibility, and this is there and everything

(06:21):
from like the attitude and the one liners of the script,
to the MTV style editing and techno soundtrack to the
atrociously grainy CGI which I remember the box of my
VHS tape of Mortal Kombat openly called attention to the CGI.
It said, strap yourself in for these amazing morphin sequences.

Speaker 2 (06:43):
Well, as we discussed in that episode. Certainly go back
and listen to our full discussion of Mortal Kombat one.
But you know, it did have some dated CGI for sure,
but it also had a very ambitious, practical goro sure
oh yeah, which didn't quite work all the time the
way you would want it to, but still like they
were really going for it with practical effects as well.

Speaker 3 (07:04):
I'm just trying to acknowledge what I think a lot
of people today will perceive as the movie's flaws, even
though I grew up loving this movie and I still
think the first Mortal Kombat movie really works as just
a silly action movie that's quite fun to revisit. It's
high energy, it has a good sense of humor. You know,
it's fun to go back to.

Speaker 2 (07:24):
Simple structure too, that works really well. It's like there's
a tournament, Folks come to a new location for the tournament,
mysterious figure running the tournament, and then there's intrigue, and
you know, like that's a great build, you can follow it.
It has a natural conclusion because of its tournament structure.

Speaker 3 (07:41):
By comparison, I would say Mortal Kombat Annihilation makes the
first movie look like the Pinnacle of Taste and Finesse.
It's like the first Mortal Kombat is seven Samurai compared
to this. Yeah, so, before we get into the details
of Annihilation itself, I think we should do a recap
of the events of the first movie, because this one

(08:04):
basically picks up right where the first one leaves off.

Speaker 2 (08:07):
Right. If you haven't seen MK one, this one might
not make any sense. And if you have seen MK one,
this one's still not going to make a whole lot
of sense.

Speaker 3 (08:14):
Yes, So the premise is Mortal Combat is the name
of death sport martial arts tournament that draws the best
fighters from around the world. And what these contestants don't
usually seem to understand until after they arrive is that
it's not just a competition to prove who's the best.
It's actually a challenge to determine the fate of the

(08:34):
planet Earth. So in the first movie, we learned this
is a character who's not really depicted until sort of
cameo right at the end. We learn there is a
character named Shao Khan who's the evil emperor of a
sort of war oriented mutant dimension called Outworld, and the
emperor wants to invade and take over our dimension, and

(08:56):
I was thinking, is it ever established why he wants Earth?
What have we got that Outworld needs.

Speaker 2 (09:01):
He's just a conqueror, you know. He's just a giant monster,
barbarian warlord and he's gonna take over realms. That's what
he does.

Speaker 3 (09:09):
He found out that there's an Earth, and he's like,
I want that exactly.

Speaker 2 (09:12):
That's all it is there is to it. Yeah, and
he was the boss in Mortal Kombat games two and three,
and then also you know, one of the later wins
as well.

Speaker 3 (09:21):
Yeah. We'll talk more about the relationship of this movie
to the games in a minute here, but to recap
the first movie, So, the premise is that gods have
decreed that the Emperor will only be allowed to conquer
Us if his best warriors can defeat Earth's best warriors
in the tournament of Mortal Kombat ten times in a row,

(09:41):
and at the beginning of the first movie, Outworld has
won nine tournaments, so Earth has one chance left. The
tournament is run by an evil Outworld sorcerer named Shang Sung,
who has the power of shape shifting so he can
wear the face of anyone he wishes and The warriors
that work for sh Sung include Scorpion, who is a

(10:02):
demonic fighter in a yellow ninja suit who shoots these
little dragon headed grappling tentacles out of his hands and says,
come here, get over here, and he can breathe fire.
And then there is sub Zero, this is a blue
ninja suit demon who has ice and freezing powers. There's Goro,
who is a big, hideous monster and a prince of

(10:24):
outworld who has four arms, and he gets offended really easily.
He loves killing humans by smashing their heads in. Only
known weakness is a punch to the groin. And there's
also something in the movie about Shansung stealing the souls
of everyone he has defeated, so every time he beats
a human fighter, he absorbs their soul and I think

(10:45):
absorbs their power too. Yeah. So meanwhile, you've got several
main characters who are among the people drawn to the
tournament to defend Earth. You've got an action movie star
named Johnny Cage who is modeled on guys like Jean
Claude Van Dam. Do you think that's the main input
on Oh, definitely. He has come to Mortal Kombat to

(11:06):
prove he's a fighter. He's like a real fighter, not
just a Hollywood fraud. There is a Special Forces operative
named Sonia Blade who shows up because she is chasing
a bad guy named Kano, who is a sadistic criminal
with an unexplained body modification where half of his face
is a terminator face. He's just got like steel face

(11:26):
and a red eye. Do we ever find out why
his face is like that? They don't say in the movies.
They probably say in the games.

Speaker 2 (11:33):
I don't even remember from the games, honestly, one of them.
I'll hold this, but basically I'll come back to this.
But one of the great things about the games, the
original games, is they didn't explain everything.

Speaker 3 (11:43):
Yes, you just have like weird character features, and then
I bet later that got like ret conned or back explained,
but people would come up with lore about it. I
remember there's one very memorable scene in the first movie
where Cano disgustingly eats this greasy turkey leg in the
bones on the floor behind. He was great, he was good.

(12:03):
And finally, of course, we've got our main hero of
the Mortal Kombat tournament, who is a Shalon monk named
lu Kang. He comes to the tournament to avenge the
death of his brother, who was previously defeated and killed
by Shehangsung. So all of the human fighters in the
first movie are counseled and sort of mentored by a
thunder god named Raydon who's played by Christoph Lambert. I

(12:29):
don't know. There's a lot going on with Christoph Lambert's Raiden,
but the basic way this character is put together is
that he has a soft spot for humans, and though
he is forbidden from taking part in the tournament himself
because he's a god, he sort of hangs out as
an observer to make sure Shehangsung doesn't cheat. This is
different from the games, where Rayden is just a playable

(12:51):
fighter like everybody else. Other characters in the mix include
an outworld princess named Kitana who also seems to have
sympathy for humans, and she secretly sides with them like
she has this running flirtatious relationship with Lukang and helps
him along the way. So that's the pitch, and in

(13:12):
the first movie there are a bunch of fights where
our heroes successively defeat all the bad guys. Johnny Cage
kills Scorpion, Sonia kills Cano, Lukang kills sub Zero, Johnny
Cage kills Goro in a fight that involves a groin punch,
a commonly cited either highlight or low light of a film.
I don't know where you come down on that one, Rob.

Speaker 2 (13:34):
I mean it's funny. It's a funny moment in the film.

Speaker 3 (13:38):
Finally, Shang Sung retreats to outworld and our heroes have
to chase him to his castle, where Lukang defeats the
Sorcerer and saves the earth. Or so we thought, because
the first movie ends with our heroes in Raydon celebrating
back at a place called the Temple of Light. There
are happy children all running around with streamers flying behind
him in the air. You know, you got the tech

(14:00):
techno beat pumping. I think it's that orbital remix.

Speaker 2 (14:03):
Yeah, yeah, really good track.

Speaker 3 (14:04):
Yeah. And then suddenly the sky turns dark and there's
lightning everywhere, and a giant like Kaiju sized humanoid figure
erupts out of the roof of the Temple, and Raydon
tells our heroes that this is the Emperor, and it's
a pretty creepy looking figure. It's got like a kind
of messed up, scarred face and has this big V

(14:25):
shaped horn on its head, and the Emperor says, you, weak,
pathetic fools, I've come for your souls. It's the voice
of Frank Welker, so it's very gravelly weak pathetic fools.
And then Raydon, with a twinkle of cgi lightning shooting
out of his eye, says, I don't think so. Mortal
Kombat music theme, plays, credits, strong ending, but it really

(14:48):
leans into setting up the sequel. So it's like we
thought it was over, but turns out the battle for
Earth must continue, and this movie, Mortal Kombat Annihilation, is
what we were to resolution four.

Speaker 2 (15:01):
Yeah, this movie MK one just cleanly passes the baton
to Mortal Kombat Annihilation, and as we'll discuss, Mortal Komet
Annihilation almost immediately.

Speaker 3 (15:12):
Drops that, but.

Speaker 2 (15:15):
But does so in spectacular fashion.

Speaker 3 (15:17):
Yes. Now, while the first Mortal Kombat movie seems more
or less to be based on the lore and content
of the first Mortal Kombat game, I think with a
few things maybe brought in from Mortal Kombat two and
with some original additions just for the movie. Also, confusingly,
it seems to me that the second Mortal Kombat movie

(15:39):
is based more on the third Mortal Kombat game than
the second one. Would you agree with this sprout like
a lot of the characters are from Mortal Kombat three.

Speaker 2 (15:49):
Yeah, yeah, definitely. So Yeah, the original trilogy had a
pretty clear build. M K one is Attorney in our
world to protect us against out World. M K two
is Attorney in Outworld with raised state for our world,
and the MK three takes place as out World is
kind of eating our world, absorbing it and has this
real apocalypse vibe like the world is ending because of

(16:09):
Mortal Kombat.

Speaker 3 (16:11):
That's what's happening in the movie.

Speaker 2 (16:12):
Yeah, yeah, so that's what. Yeah, they're definitely drawing heavily
on MK three and digging a little bit into m
K four because this is the This came out in
ninety seven, that's the year MK four comes out, So
we do see a couple of references to that. There
is in fact a deleted ending for this film that

(16:33):
would have set up another movie in which Kwan Chi,
the Sorcerer that is introduced in MK four, possibly in
Subzero Mythologies Side Scroller at any rate, trying to set
him up is the next big bad. But obviously we
didn't get that film and yeah, I want to reiterate
what I mentioned earlier is that I think one of

(16:53):
the great things about those three original MK games is
that they didn't have cut scenes. I'm going to sound
like an old and just ancient gamer here in saying this,
but we didn't have cut scenes. We just had some
splashes of text at the beginning and at the end.
If you beat the game with your character and you
just filled in the rest, you had cool visuals, cool
character design, really cool music, and of course great video

(17:17):
game action, and you just you assembled the rest in
your mind, kind of in the background. And when you
try and tell the story cinematically, the results can be
very uneven.

Speaker 3 (17:29):
Yeah, I would agree with that, And I see what
you're saying. You know, I remember being a kid and
being very interested in the story and the lore of
very sparsely narrativized video games that I would play with
my friends, something about the lack of connectedness in the narrative. Actually,

(17:50):
I made this the idea of the story very enticing
because there was a lot of mystery. There were all
these gaps and you could just you would wonder about, like, oh,
you know, where did Scorpion come from? And then sometimes
you would get like you would get more information by
a little booklet that came with the game, which would
tell you some things but also still would leave a
lot of gaps and something about the mixing of the

(18:13):
different media to give you information about the characters, Like
some stuff is happening on screen in the game, other
things are happening only in this little paper booklet that
comes with the games. So I don't know. It was
just this intoxicating millage of different narrative sources and tidbits
that you would try to put together in your little
kid brain in between the fatalities.

Speaker 2 (18:34):
Yeah, but when you make a movie, you've got to
make definite choices. Yeah, and you know, some of those
can be great, some of those can maybe be a
little lackluster because they're competing with the you know, the
amorphous nature of your imagination.

Speaker 3 (18:47):
Yeah. We briefly talked about this in our episode on
Mortal Kombat one, but worth looking up if you kind
of want to see a very short film version of
what Mortal Kombat Annihilation could have looked like, go look
up the TV ad for the Mortal Kombat two video game,
which has a lot of live action stuff in it lot.
This TV ad looks really cool. Actually, I would say

(19:09):
much cooler than the second movie.

Speaker 2 (19:11):
Oh yeah, I love this. You know, when I was younger,
this was this really got me pumped. I mean, Shall
Khan is in the ad looks awesome, reptile looks amazing. Yeah,
really gets too excited. It's only forty five seconds long though,
so you know it's again an exercise and just give
flashes of what this thing is and then our imagination
will just feast on it.

Speaker 3 (19:32):
Yeah. But the pack in the quality.

Speaker 2 (19:34):
Yeah, so Mortal Kombat Annihilation. Yeah, this was your pick, Joe.
I will say it is a great title because having
watched this film, I did feel annihilated. It did annihilate me.
And we're gonna we're gonna talk a lot about the
things that don't work here, the things that are clunky
or hilarious, But I just wanted the top. I want

(19:55):
to go ahead and stress that as bad as many
things are in this film, there is good here or
two and in particular, I want to give props to
the hard working stunt and fight choreography team. Sure I'm
not saying that the fights, you know, fully edited and presented,
are as good as they were in the first film.
But still they're the stunt people in the fight. People
are working really hard here and at times it is

(20:18):
really enjoyable. We zero in on the action.

Speaker 3 (20:20):
Uh, I not. I just wanted to shout out even
though Rayden's stunt man looks nothing like him, he's doing
a great job on screen. You can just see, like, wow,
that guy who looks nothing like Rayden is like pulling
those flips. They're great.

Speaker 2 (20:33):
You know who that is, right, No, I don't. That's
ray Park, that's Darth Maul. Oh wow, So that's that's
why why Raydon looks so good. Yeah, he's one of
the one of the best at the time doing his
work for him. But yeah, so the stunt work is great.
Uh and all I do like a couple. I like
a number of the performances, I guess, but too In particular.

(20:53):
Brian Thompson as Shall Khan I think is terrific. I
think he's he's doing the heavy lifting here.

Speaker 3 (20:59):
I think he finds the right note for this movie,
which is just go one hundred thousand percent in like
so far into overacting it becomes sublime. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (21:10):
Yeah, I think he realized what this was and what
needed to be done. I also like Sandra Hess playing
Sonia in less definable ways. I just felt like when
she was on the screen, like she was like a definite,
like lively presence, you know, in both in terms of
physicality and the action, but also interacting. I'm not saying

(21:31):
her her character was as vital to everything, but I
thought she did a good job here, sure, And also
terrific locations sometimes you know, underutilized, but you know, they
filmed this thing in Petrick, Jordan, and they returned to
a youth Thailand. They filmed in Wales, so they had
some great locations at their disposal, and at times it

(21:54):
looks amazing.

Speaker 3 (21:55):
Is it in Wales where they have those cool like
rock quarry type locations?

Speaker 2 (22:00):
I think so. I think that's the case. Yeah, But
I may be confusing some of the Whales locations with
the Petra locations, so.

Speaker 3 (22:07):
I'm not sure. I agree that many of the film's
locations are excellent certainly in themselves. The movie often makes
the odd choice to film in a beautiful location and
then put this weird purple filter on everything.

Speaker 2 (22:23):
And the best scenes, the best looking scenes, for my money,
are the ones where we don't have that those weird lights.
Like there are some scenes where Shao Kan and his
horsemen or riding around on location. Again, I'm not sure
if this is Jordan or Wales, but there looks really good.

Speaker 3 (22:37):
Totally. Yeah, it's supposed to be in the you know,
it's in the place that's like the Canyon of the
Crescent Moon in Indiana Jones movie. I mean it's connected
to shots that are actually in Petra. I don't know
if these shots were also there.

Speaker 2 (22:51):
Yeah, those seem great. Those it could be from another
like Barbarian Sword and Sandal movie.

Speaker 3 (22:56):
Yeah, yeah, that's great. They got a lot of people
on horseback. It must have been expensive to share.

Speaker 2 (23:02):
Yeah, and they weren't using their their a CGI budget
to like produce extra horsemen. I don't think we were
there yet because yeah, the bad parts of this film
are bad, particularly the CGI, which we're gonna have a
lot to say about, and so especially based on the CG,
I'm going to give a rare watch something else. After
viewing Warning on Mortal Kindbaut Annihilation, I had to immediately

(23:24):
put on Werewolf Woman afterwards, because you don't want this
to be the last movie you see. There could be
some sort of freak accident, something could happen to the world. Well,
you could lose power. Mortal Kombat Annihilation cannot be the
last film you watch before you die. You might not
be able to pass over into the afterlife. That's just
my warning here.

Speaker 3 (23:45):
The last thing I remember before I was kicked to
death by motaro is is Raid and saying like, you
have to work together. You are a family. Yes, yeah,
all right, Joe, Wait, that is that the elevator pitch
for the movie.

Speaker 2 (24:02):
I was about to ask you, but I think he
nailed it already.

Speaker 3 (24:04):
Mortal Kombat when you're here your family, right.

Speaker 2 (24:08):
Yeah, yeah, because clearly they're family. Clearly this is yeah. Clearly,
that's what they're establishing.

Speaker 3 (24:12):
It's like a boss saying, you know, we're a family, yeah,
or you know, the other way I was thinking of
it is Mortal Kombat. This time it's less personal. It
does seem it's less personal for Lukang at least. It's
like the first movie is trying to avenge his brother.
Lukang is ostensibly the main character. He kind of spins
the whole movie trying to figure out what his motivation is.

Speaker 2 (24:34):
You know, I'm not sure he finds it, and Robin
Show has top billing here, like he's the star of
the film, and like again, like he wins the character,
wins all the tournaments, like he should be the main character,
and he's just kind of an afterthought in many ways.
I guess he does get that final battle.

Speaker 3 (24:49):
But still, yeah, we'll talk about Robin Schee in a minute.
He immensely charismatic and likable actor. Always like, just as
soon as you see him on screen, you're like, this
is the good guy. I'm on this guy's side. Except
in this movie, it really feels like he is trying
to find ways to not be noticed by the camera,
despite the fact that he's the main character.

Speaker 2 (25:09):
Yeah, yeah, all right. If you're wondering, well, how can
I be how can I annihilate myself by watching this film? Well,
you can stream this film with loads of other better
Mortal Kombat choices on HBO Max. That's where I watched it.
If you want to go the physical media route, though,

(25:30):
there's also an Alliance Blu ray. There's also a Mortal
Kombat triple feature Blu ray disc where it gives you
it's it's a weird pairing. You get Mortal Kombat, Mortal
Kombat Annihilation, and then Mortal Kombat Legacy, one of the
series is on there, so you know, those are your choices. Basically,
you know, rent it if you have a rental store

(25:50):
in your area.

Speaker 3 (25:51):
I also watched it on HBO Max, which I noticed
has tons of Mortal Kombat stuff on.

Speaker 2 (25:57):
H including the most recent two films, So yeah, there's
a lot you can really geek out on your combat there.

Speaker 3 (26:04):
So maybe they got a deal on putting Annihilation on
there because they've got all the new stuff.

Speaker 2 (26:09):
I mean, it's more Mortal Kombat content that's on there.
All right, Let's talk about the people who made this film,
starting with the director.

Speaker 3 (26:25):
John R.

Speaker 2 (26:26):
Leonetti born nineteen fifty six American cinematographer and director who'd
worked as a cameraman and then cinematographer back through at
least nineteen eighty one, but this was his first turn
as a director. He had served as cinematographer on Mortal
Kombat one, and then he followed Mortal Kombat Combat Annihilation
up with some directorial work on a couple of TV

(26:48):
shows in ninety nine and two thousand and one before
returning to the director's chair for the Conjuring Universe film
Annabelle in twenty fourteen. Okay, so I think you know
the Conjuring Universe more than than I do. I kind
of giggle every time I read the Conjuring Conjuring Universe.
But there have been like a number of films they've

(27:08):
been tremendously successful. So this is a very successful I
guess you would say modern horror franchise.

Speaker 3 (27:15):
Yeah, Rachel and I watched most of them up to
a certain point. I think they've been making more of
them since we stopped engaging, but we were watching all
of them for a while. I remember we watched this
one also. This was one of my not one of
my favorites.

Speaker 2 (27:30):
Yeah, but part of the universe, and this director is
tied to the Conjuring Universe. His subsequent directorial work has
consisted of twenty sixteens Wolves at the Door, which I
think is a Manson movie. It may or may not
be part of the Conjuring Universe, or it's Conjuring Universe
adjacent unclear. Didn't see that, twenty seventeens wish Upon, which

(27:51):
is a horror movie, twenty nineteens The Silence, which is
some sort of like flying Creature Feature and twenty twenty
two's a Lullaby More Horror, not Conjuring Universe. Leonetti's horror
connections are strong, though. He was a cinematographer on twelve
episodes of Tales from the Crypt and was James Wan's
cinematographer on twenty ten's Insidious, twenty thirteen's Insidious Chapter two,

(28:15):
and twenty thirteens The Conjuring, So yeah, he was in
the Conjuring Universe from the good go all right on
the writing end of things, let's see Mortal Kombat co
creator Ed Boone still has a video games credit, and
John Tobias, also one of the MK video game originals,
has a story credit. Story credits also go to producer
Lawrence Kazanoff, who was also EP on the latest two

(28:38):
MK films, and also a story credit goes to producer
Joshua Wexler. The actual screenplay credits go to two other individuals.
First of all, we have Brent Friedman born nineteen sixty two,
American screenwriter with some really fun be cinema credits, maybe
some not so fun, but his credits include eighty eight's

(28:58):
Evil Alter, nineteen nineties Hollywood Hot Tubs, two, Educating Crystal.
This is a comedy, to be clear. Nineteen nineties Syngohennore Sinnghenore.
This one's come up before, but I haven't seen it
a creature movie. Oh, and then nineteen ninety one's the
nineteen ninety one Dan O'Bannon Lovecraft film The Resurrected, which

(29:21):
I have seen not in a long time, but I
remember that one's being really strong. Okay, you know, let's
see ninety three's American Cyborg Steel Warrior ninety threes ticks. Oh,
that's what we've seen. Yeah, we haven't discussed it for
weird house, but we watched it in a pretty weird
house time. Let's see ninety three's Necronomicon Book of the Dead.

(29:43):
One we almost covered on here but then decided it
was a little too icky. And let's see, Oh, the
nineteen ninety four satanic Chuck Norris film hell Bound. This
is this is one you've seen, I think.

Speaker 3 (29:53):
Joe have I.

Speaker 2 (29:57):
I know it's come up, and I don't know if
we've discussed it in terms of you haven't seen it,
but you've it's come up when we talked about Chuck
Norris films.

Speaker 3 (30:03):
Oh wow, for some reason, I'm not remembering it at
the moment. Maybe if I looked it up it would
jog my memory.

Speaker 2 (30:09):
I think it has a speculative element to it.

Speaker 3 (30:12):
I know of another Chuck Norris speculative horror movie called
Silent Rage, which is the one where Chuck Norris battles
a Frankenstein monster. Oh. Pretty, that one's pretty wild. I
haven't seen that in a long time. But the thing
about Silent Rage is it has a very cool kind
of minimalist electronic soundtrack worth looking up, like the sort

(30:35):
of the main theme from Silent Rage. It's a little
little tinkly kind of electro music, but it's it's cool.

Speaker 2 (30:41):
All right. Let's see. This is a screenwriter also did
pre Hysteria two and three and ninety four ninety five.
Let's see. He was on the ninety six through ninety
seven TV series Dark Skies and then this film followed
by loads of TV credits including Star Trek, Enterprise, Star Wars,
The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, as well as some
video games credits. Then we also have a screenplay credit

(31:02):
to Bryce Zabel, CNN correspondent turned screenwriter. His TV writing
credits include Dallas La law and dark skies. Now getting
into the cast. We're going to start at the top again,
Top Build. This is Robin Schu. I think I said
shoo earlier. Robin Schu playing Lou Kaning born nineteen sixty

(31:22):
again playing the true hero of the franchise, the canonical
winner of the first three MK games, and the Top Building.
Returning actor. Here Hong Kong American actor and martial artist
Robin Schu. He was born in British Hong Kong, raised
in la and while at California State University, traveled to
to mainland China to study wushu martial arts. He finished

(31:44):
his schooling in the US, but then traveled back to
Hong Kong, where he got to do stunt work in
Hong Kong cinema. So legitimate Hong Kong cinema roots here
with this guy, and this spilled over into some small parts.
I think he shows up in like, let's see, there's
like a nineteen eighty eight Sue Hark film, The Big Heat,
and he has a role in that. He's in ninety three,

(32:04):
he's undefeatable. But then he gets cast in Mortal Kombat
and this is his big break. He followed this up
with Let's see he's in Beverly Hills, Ninja, an episode
of The Outer Limits in ninety eight, Death Ray Street Fighter,
The Legend of Chun Lee in two thousand and nine,
Deathrays two and twenty ten, Deathrays three, Inferno in twenty thirteen,
and he's also done some writing and directing. It's best

(32:27):
I can tell he was active through twenty fifteen.

Speaker 3 (32:31):
Robin Chew is just great for Lu Kang. He's, you know,
he's very handsome, naturally, very likable, just as I'll think
of him as one of these people who has powerful,
good guy aura. He's just like shining on the screen,
one of these people who's like that's the hero. Yeah.
And also he you know, of course, is like really
strong with the stunts in fight choreography. So he's very

(32:54):
good in the first Mortal Kombat movie. As I said earlier,
in Annihilation, it feels like he is actively trying to
make his screen presence smaller, like he's kind of hoping
people won't notice he's in the movie, which is difficult
because he is the main character. Though he does feel
kind of reduced in importance from the first movie.

Speaker 2 (33:15):
Yeah, Like I don't know, maybe part of it is
Annihilation is trying to make it more of a is
that family vibe, It's trying to make it a nonsense piece. Ye,
And it's that's an interesting take. When your structure, your
plot structure should be a death tournament. It should be
battles to the death. At the end, you really should
only have like two people fighting. But at any rate,

(33:36):
you've got to do something different with the film. I
realize that.

Speaker 3 (33:38):
I mean, he's still strong in the fight scenes here
and still has the good guy aura, but yeah, it's
I think the weaknesses are largely in the writing. But
also she is just feels less committed to this film.

Speaker 2 (33:52):
He still has his own fight choreography, I believe, and
again when he's fighting, he's absolutely great.

Speaker 3 (33:57):
Yeah. I would also say the way this character is
written is much more one dimensional and stripped of wit
and humor compared to the first movie, and the same
is true of many characters like Sonya and Raiden. The
first movie is just more openly funny. The way that
Mortal Kombat Annihilation is funny is almost all entirely unintentional.

(34:20):
But in the first movie that you know, you think
of like Johnny Cage and Rayden as the main comic
relief characters, but the other characters get to be funny too,
Like if you go back and watch Mortal Kombat one, Robin,
she has a lot of funny moments, Like he has
like comedy lines.

Speaker 2 (34:36):
Yeah, and in this all the comedies invested in one character,
as I'll discuss.

Speaker 3 (34:40):
Yeah, all right.

Speaker 2 (34:42):
He's not the only returning actor though. Telissa Soto also
returns playing Katana born nineteen sixty seven. It was a small,
mysterious role in the first Mortal Kombat film. She gets
it to like a teaching battle with Luke Kang I believe,
and she'd previously appeared in eighty nine's License to Kill
as the main girlfriend wife of Benjamin Bratt, who she

(35:03):
met on the cast of two thousand and one's Pinero. Again,
interesting that one of another one of our returning cast
members who has like second billing here is also kind
of lost in the shuffle. Basically, her only real plot
line is that she has a difficult relationship with her mother.

Speaker 3 (35:23):
Yeah, yeah, similar thing. Her role is actually if you
just look at like the number of lines and the
number of scenes she's in. Her role is expanded in
the second movie from the first and yet somehow she
still feels kind of reduced.

Speaker 2 (35:38):
It's expanded in the way that if you pour a
glass of water on the floor, it certainly covers more space,
but it's not.

Speaker 3 (35:47):
Very very deep.

Speaker 2 (35:50):
Okay, so those two are returning. Christoph Lambert does not
return to play raidin Alas, Yeah, which you know Christoph
Lambert was in her. He was essentially a trickster god,
you know, by virtue of being Christoph Lambert. So we
don't get him the second time around. Instead, James Ramar
plays Rayden born nineteen fifty three. We talked about him

(36:12):
previously on the show because of course he is the
star of the Warriors and again his fight double and
this is ray Park of Darth Maul fame. So when
he's fighting looks amazing. When he's acting, you know, I really,
I really enjoyed James Ramar in various works. I mean,
he can be great. He's great in The Warriors. I've

(36:34):
really enjoyed some of his late career pieces. Recently, he
had a solid role in the series it Welcome to
Darry and he plays the blind prophet Tyresius. And Christopher
Nolan's The Odyssey Mortal Kombat Annihilation not his finest, doubting.

Speaker 3 (36:50):
True for many members of the cast here. Yeah, he's
a great actor. I enjoy him often. So the problem
is not that he cannot act. I'd say the problem
is in the script, in the situation, like he doesn't
have a lot of options here.

Speaker 2 (37:07):
Yeah, and the character is I don't want to go
on too tangenty, but the characterization of Raid in the
games and the films has been kind of interesting because
in the original Mortal Kombat games, he's initially presented as
you know, I think he's played played by a non
Asian actor in the MOCAP, but it's supposed to be
or I always got the vibe that he was he
was an Asian figure. And then he's played by a Frenchman,

(37:32):
and then he's played by a sort of a gravelly
voiced American, and then in the video games, eventually with
if we get into the cut scene heavy stuff, he's
also kind of like a gravelly voiced American before eventually
they kind of pivot back to having him be more
Asian centric in the video games, and then in the
more recent Mortal Kombat films he's played by the talented

(37:54):
Japanese actor todde Nobu Osseno, who a number of you
are going to recognize from TV Showgun, the recent Showgun
series as well as if you're into Grimey or cinema
Ichi the Killer. He's one of the main characters in that.

Speaker 3 (38:09):
Yeah, that's interesting. I hadn't really followed through the games
like that, so I wasn't aware of that, but you
can see I guess that kind of like shifting in
that kind of anxiety through the games, and certainly in
these earlier movies too, where it's like, are they trying
to be more appealing they think to American audiences by
having like a you know, a white American actor in

(38:30):
a role that originally I think is supposed to be
an Asian thunder god of some sort.

Speaker 2 (38:35):
Yeah, kind of a combination of a little bit of
the Japanese thunder god and then also clearly taking a
lot of influence, a lot of inspiration from the Three
Storms in Big Trouble a Little China.

Speaker 3 (38:48):
Oh yeah, So you know, I was thinking about how
the characterization of Raydin is so different in this movie
compared to the first movie, you know, to say nothing
of you know who an actual thunder god in the
Mortal Kombat universe would be but different in both writing
and in performance. You know Christoph Limbert's Raiden is you

(39:08):
mentioned earlier he's a trickster god. I think that's right.
He is a lovable but slightly edgy weirdo who cares
about humans but also treats them with a mean sense
of humor. Uh. And he's like I was saying, he's
along with Johnny Cage, one of the main comic relief
characters in the first movie, The Rayden and Mortal Kombat

(39:29):
Annihilation is always one hundred percent serious. There is the cop,
he's raiding the cop.

Speaker 2 (39:34):
Yes, he's lawful, good like, and he ends up playing
out like this in the games later, Like there's a
there's a bit in one of the cut scenes from
one of the later games that has become kind of
a meme where it's just Rayden saying, I must consult
the elder gods, and he does that in this film.
He's like, I have to go, I have to go
check with the bosses. I must consult the elder guy.

Speaker 3 (39:53):
Raydon is just a tattle tale in this movie. He's
there's no intentional comedy from him that I Remember he
doesn't have that dangerous edge like Christophe Lambert did. He is.
His main two functions are I'm gonna go tell on you.
I'm telling the elder gods on you. And being a
font of corny, superficial monologues about how we're all a

(40:16):
family and we have to take care of each other
and you just have to believe in yourself.

Speaker 2 (40:20):
Yeah yeah, and getting his butt whipped by Shall Khan,
which happens I think twice.

Speaker 3 (40:26):
No, the first time he kind of gets the upper
hand on shell Con but then he I don't know,
he can't can't seal the deal for some reason.

Speaker 2 (40:33):
Yeah. We'll have more to say about Raidin as we
proceed here. So we don't get the same Sonya Blade
as the previous film. Instead we get Sandra Hess born
nineteen sixty eight Swiss fashion model and actress, whose previous
credits included nineteen ninety twos in Sino Man. She played
a cave woman in that and also Beastmaster three The
Eye of Bracus. That is not one I've seen. We

(40:55):
talked about Beastmaster two on the show before and Beastmaster,
the first beast Master film is one of my favorites.
But her subsequent roles included TV work on such shows
as High Lender and Sliders. She was a main cast
member on Pensacola Wings of Gold and also General Hospital
in two thousand and eight. And again I can't quite
put my finger on it, but I thought she was

(41:16):
good here, mostly playing the straight man to Jacks's one liners.
But she's often one of the only good things in
a given scene.

Speaker 3 (41:24):
She is biting into the role more than a few
of the other main actors. Like we mentioned, some of
the other top build are kind of trying to hide
from the movie. She's just there. She's, you know, more
unashamedly participating in the role. But again, she does not
have a lot to work with script wise, I think.

Speaker 2 (41:43):
Yeah, now playing Jax, who is the big muscle man
with At times in the games, there's like he has
cybernetic like like alterations to his arms. Other times he
just straight up robot arms. I think it varies depending
on how we're casting it. But Jackson is played by
Lynn Red Williams born nineteen sixty two, pro football player

(42:06):
turned American gladiator, like straight up American gladiators from back
in the day. Ooh, I watched it I think a
lot of you are in the same age range as us.
You watched it, you probably reorganize your living room and
got out nerve blasters so you could do that final stage.
They would do well. This guy was Saber on American Gladiator.

Speaker 3 (42:25):
Well, hold on a second. I didn't realize this connection
because I didn't know a cast member had been on
American Gladiators. In this movie. The characters many times have
they introduced this technology in the film That is a
transportation method where the characters get into giant hamster balls.

Speaker 2 (42:43):
Oh my goodness, and like paddle.

Speaker 3 (42:45):
Around on these hamster balls through tunnels in the earth.
Those are like those American Gladiator balls.

Speaker 2 (42:50):
I forgot that that was one of the games. Yeah,
I have to for me, American Gladiators. That one I
was kind of bored with. I like the one where
they fight with the big sticks and then the final
stage with the where's the obstacle course where you're trying
to like blast the tower or whatever. That's the one
that I mainly mainly dug because that's the one you
could really reenact in your living room without hitting but

(43:12):
anybody in the face with a stick. But anyway, Lynn
read Williams here. This is his most notable role. I
don't think he has a ton of acting credits, but
Jax exists in this film to do three things. To
beat buff, to spit out funny one liners, and to
punch a centaur in the taint. And you might not

(43:32):
like Mortal Kambat Annihilation, but I think Williams does what
he's asked of him well in this film.

Speaker 3 (43:37):
Got to respect him. A lot is riding on Williams
here because again he's the only character who is explicitly
supposed to be funny in an otherwise deadly serious affair.

Speaker 2 (43:48):
Yeah, and you know, and the humor, I think it
lands more often than it doesn't.

Speaker 3 (43:52):
I don't.

Speaker 2 (43:53):
I there's maybe one or two places where it was
a little bit cringe, but on the whole, I think
it's fine.

Speaker 3 (43:59):
He has a really funny line actually where he is.
It's the scene where he gets mad at Sonya and
he's walking away from her and he's like, I have
to go to the bathroom and I don't have any
toilet paper and I don't know how to use these
metal arms. That part legitimately had me laughing. And you know,
I mean lots of the movie did. But that part

(44:21):
was supposed to be funny and it worked.

Speaker 2 (44:23):
Yeah, and he does as well discussed He does get
this whole They have this weird plot with his arms,
like his arms. I always thought they were just robot
arms because he gets his arms ripped off, right, But
in this we get this personal struggle where the arms
are like the like the magic item you didn't really need.
You didn't need the magic, the cybernetic arms, the robos

(44:43):
in you the whole time exactly.

Speaker 3 (44:44):
The robot arms are just holding him back there. It
almost portrays them. And there are a couple of things
you could look at in the movie this way as
like a confidence booster for a middle aged man, you know,
like he's going out and buying the sports car or
something like. Raydon has a midlife crisis in the movie,
and maybe Jacks's robot arms are supposed to be also

(45:06):
his midlife crisis.

Speaker 2 (45:07):
Yeah, all of this wrapped up in a movie aimed
at like thirteen year olds. Yeah, all right, it's time
to talk about our main villain. Shallcon all right? Brian
Thompson born nineteen fifty nine American actor of stage and
screen who, by virtue of his six' four, high muscular
build and very square. Jaw has definitely made a career

(45:29):
playing a lot of action movie.

Speaker 3 (45:31):
Villains in, general.

Speaker 2 (45:32):
Heavies his credits go back to nineteen eighty, four when
he played one of the trio of punks that makes
the mistake of running Into Arnold SWARZENEGER'S t eight. Hundred
In The, terminator the punt leader is played By Bill.
Paxton of, COURSE i was just gonna say, That, yeah
is He is he the? Guy it's Not Bill paxton

(45:53):
who gets his heart pulled?

Speaker 3 (45:54):
Out is?

Speaker 2 (45:54):
IT i don't remember what happens To paxxton. THIS i
know That thompson's Character sin's punk is the one that,
says wash day, tomorrow nothing, clean, right and Then terminator kills.
HIM i don't know if he rips out his hard
or he like punches into the, gut but he does
not last.

Speaker 3 (46:09):
Long it's funny BECAUSE i don't remember him looking huge
in that, scene but he looks huge in this. Movie.

Speaker 2 (46:15):
YEAH i, mean he's standing next To, arnold so so
it would be hard to look, huge, right but here
he does look pretty big and, yeah and it does
have a muscular. Physique After, terminator he did some STANDARD
tv heavy, work but also played the villain role in
the nineteen eighty Six GEORGE. P cosmanto's Thriller, cobra Starring

(46:38):
Sylvester stallone And Brigett. Nelson he played the night, slasher
WHICH i guess, is you, know some sort of serial.
KILLER i haven't actually Seen. Cobra and then he appears
at The German hinchman In The Three amigos the same.
Year but he's had a long career after, this of,
course playing a lot of, heavies a lot of action schlock,
villains AND i was really delighted when he popped up

(47:00):
in the twenty twenty one Film The tragedy Of, macbeth
directed By Joel. Cohen he plays one of the assassins
in that so terrific. Cast in this film he has
just a small role as one of the duo of,
assassins but he's really good like it. Was you, KNOW
i think he has a grizzly beard in, it you,
know definitely a much older actor, now but you, know great,

(47:22):
voice great, presence did a great job in that.

Speaker 3 (47:24):
Picture, yeah, so as we were saying, earlier he just
goes headlong into this. Movie most of his lines in
the film are. Shouted did you notice, THAT i would
say literally sixty seventy percent or more of his lines
he is shouting at the top of.

Speaker 2 (47:41):
His, lungs absolutely like he knew the. Mission. Yeah so,
AGAIN i think as far as human performances, go he's
my favorite thing about this.

Speaker 3 (47:50):
Film. Yeah it just constantly like you P p Name.

Speaker 2 (47:53):
Martin, yeah and IF i remember, correctly he also had
some degree of a martial arts, background like he had
done some martial arts, Training so in his fight, sequences
especially the final, fight, like there's a believable physicality to
all the interactions until things get entirely. Unbelievable but we'll get.

Speaker 3 (48:12):
To that in a bit, Now, rob you're going to
have to explain something to me BECAUSE i was so
confused about this on my first rewatch where in one
of the early scenes With Chao, khan it Introduces Chau khan's,
dad and even Though Chao khan is supposed to be the,
emperor he's really like subordinate to his, dad and he's

(48:33):
also very sad because his dad is like not approving of.

Speaker 2 (48:36):
Him hm, hmm, yeah this is AND i don't know
that he ever refers to him by this, name which
makes me wonder if he didn't like add this later
and they're, like oh, yeah let's make this Character, shinnock
Because shinnock in The games is this fallen elder god
and is basically the best developed uber big bad of the.
Franchise so he's the main boss IN mk four and

(48:59):
then they bring him back IN mkx and he's really
really great in, that so major, villain like you, know
believably a step Above Shao khan in terms of like
evil and. Power but here he Is Shao khan's scheming
father and also still an elder. Guy so he's played
here by The german Actor Rainier schoen born nineteen forty,

(49:23):
Two german actor With german language credits going back to
nineteen fifty. Seven he appeared in the nineteen seventy Five
Clint eastwood mountain climbing Film The Eiger, sanction and during
the mid to late eighties he seems like he begins
to pop up in a number Of AMERICAN tv shows and,
films Including america with A k in eighty, Seven Handmaid's
tale in ninety, seven episodes of VARIOUS tv shows Including Star,

(49:47):
Trek The Next Generation Babylon babylon Five. Murder she, wrote,
BASICALLY i think he was just on the call. Sheet
anytime you needed A german in a small part in
one of these, productions this guy was there.

Speaker 3 (49:59):
For you do a very sinister Sounding german. Accent. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (50:03):
Yeah more, recently he was in twenty Eleven's. Priest he's still.
Around has remained pretty active as an actor and a voice,
actor particularly when it comes To german language dubs Of american.
Blockbusters so you look him, up you'll see like credits
For transformers movies and. Stuff and he also had a
pretty interesting it looks like a pretty interesting musical career In,

(50:24):
germany releasing at least three albums in nineteen, seventy nineteen seventy,
seven and then in nineteen ninety.

Speaker 3 (50:30):
Five IF i had to judge by these record, covers
it would look like their country, Albums, yes or book or.

Speaker 2 (50:37):
SOMETHING i didn't have time to get a sample of,
these BUT i love the nineteen seventies album. Covers look
him up on discogs if anyone wants to see. This
but it also his general appearance and the look of
these albums reminded me a bit of The jeremiah sand
character In. Mandy it looked like these could be albums

(50:57):
created by that fictional folk sing her turned cult.

Speaker 3 (51:00):
Leader, OKAY i was gonna say more in the outlaw country,
vibe BUT i could see that. Too.

Speaker 2 (51:06):
Yeah, yeah he's carrying a woman like a, monster like
a nineteen fifty comic monster in one of. These but
nobody seems frightened by the.

Speaker 3 (51:15):
Scenario he's Like Jackson brown As Tor. Johnson, yep all,
right we have another character, Here. Sindel this Is katana's
mother and generally a bad, guy one of the. Villains

(51:39):
but it gets complicated even in the. Games it's, like
is This it's like she seemed like a villain IN
mk two when we first or was IT mk? Three,
NO i think she WAS mk Three at any. Rate
she has kind of like a bride Of frankenstein.

Speaker 2 (51:51):
Vibe in the. Games she, screams she's a, banshee she floats,
around and she is in this picture as. Well she's
played By Mussetta vander born nineteen sixty.

Speaker 3 (52:00):
THREE i think she's possessed in some. Way she's like
under the spell Of, shagan because remember she wakes up
at the end and then she's. Good But also she
looks different when she wakes up at the. End it
has removed The Elsa Lynn chester shock of white hair
from her, hair and her hair is, shorter so like
the being being unpossessed gave her a haircut. Somehow, yeah,

(52:23):
Yeah i'm not.

Speaker 2 (52:24):
Sure this character is often a mystery for, me but you,
know always visually. Interesting but the actress Here Mussette, Vander
South african dancer and, actress whose previous credits included nineteen
eighty Seven's, gore in WHICH i think she played a,
dancer dancing roles in the nineteen eighty nine music videos
for a couple of them For Alice cooper and For Rod.

(52:46):
Stewart she's in nineteen ninety Four's Oblivion oblivion, two in
ninety six ninety Five's Project Metal, beast which is a
cyborg werewolf movie That i've been tempted to look at
for a weird. House she also right, now, yeah who's
it got in? It Barry. BOSSWICK i want to, Say, okay,

(53:07):
yeah it looks kind of, rough But i'm here for
the general plot. Idea she pops up in episodes Of,
Highlander buffy The Vampire, Slayer babylon, five all in nineteen ninety,
seven and her Post Mortal kombat credits get even more.
Interesting she plays a Lady, elara WHO i believe it
is supposed to be A benijesert in the nineteen ninety

(53:27):
eight video like the cut scenes for the nineteen ninety
eight video Game dune two, thousand as well as it's
two thousand and one, Sequel battle For.

Speaker 3 (53:34):
Dune is that a real time strategy?

Speaker 2 (53:36):
Game? IT i think it's real? Time, YEAH i NEVER
i was never in the place to play, these BUT
i think they're real time and not turn.

Speaker 3 (53:45):
Based, yeah oh, okay but either, way it's like a
top down strategy.

Speaker 2 (53:49):
Game, yeah, yeah, definitely with different units for the different.
Factions these. Were they were widely popular and people still play.
Them she's also in nineteen ninety Nine's Wild Wild. West,
oh big block. Buster she's in two thousand and Five's,
mansquito which is not a. BLOCKBUSTER i think that was
like A i don't know if it was A Sci
fi original, picture BUT i remember seeing it advertised on

(54:10):
The Sci Fi channel a lot to WHERE i still
think About mansquito. Sometimes but she's probably most memorable for
her dubbed role In what is probably her best. Film
two Thousand's Oh, Brother Where Art? Thou in which she
plays the lead, siren that trio of sirens that comes
after our characters in this take on The. Odyssey the

(54:31):
singing voices for this trio were played were provided By Emmylou,
Harris Alison, kraus And Gillian.

Speaker 3 (54:37):
Welch.

Speaker 2 (54:38):
Wow, yeah but she's the main. One she's the one
that makes out With clinty.

Speaker 3 (54:42):
From sindel To siren in three.

Speaker 2 (54:44):
Moves that's, yeah, yeah BUT i love that's a couple
Of cohen connections, Here, brian that's true And Moseette.

Speaker 3 (54:52):
EVANDER i wonder how often The Cohen brothers set has
people reminiscing about their time on The Mortal Kombat annihilation.
PROJECT i like to think that The coen brothers are
both both fans of The World combat. Franchise let's see
who else we. Got we're kind of getting in the
territory now where they're just throwing characters in to be
throwing them in Because, jade the green Female ninja shows.

(55:15):
UP i don't think she does a lot in. This
maybe we'll remember this more when we get into she's a,
betrayer she's a double.

Speaker 2 (55:23):
AGENT a double. Agent, okay so she's there to move
the plot along as, needed.

Speaker 3 (55:28):
And really she betrays but it doesn't come to. Anything
she just eaten by a gargoyle.

Speaker 2 (55:34):
Tries to nudge the plot. Along that's, right she just
get eaten by cgi gargo played By Irena panteva born
nineteen sixty, Seven russian model and actress Of siberian Bouryat.
Heritage she was also in two thousand and One. Zoolander all,
right we also Have, motaro the outworld, centaur played By

(55:56):
darren McBee born nineteen Sixty his other credits include nineteen
eighty he Ates Elvira mistress of The, dark ninety four
Is Immortal Combat, Whoa and then he plays like a
background thug in two Different batman movies ninety five Is
Batman forever And batman And robin in ninety, seven along
with you, know VARIOUS tv.

Speaker 3 (56:15):
ROLES i can't remember the individual thugs from those, movies
but there are a lot of. Them, yeah you know
that costume thugs In batman. Movie he was, said some
diglow paint. On.

Speaker 2 (56:27):
Yeah here he does a lot of, snarling like aggressive
snarling As. Motaro who is you? Know not your typical,
centaur but he has like it's like a mentar centaur
with extra. Spikes this was like the sub boss IN mk,
three and even IN mk three looked really, cool kind of,
awkward and doesn't really pop up in many of the

(56:49):
other games BECAUSE i think it's difficult to integrate like
this quadrupedal form into a game where bipedal characters fight each,
other and you see a bit of that. Here like
Centaur cindars in general are really hard to put off
in film pull off in, film and this is no.

Speaker 3 (57:06):
Exception, yeah you're right about the snarling the, sneering and
the snarling go way past the end. Zone here he
is like, sneering and you know there were times when
the camera comes to him and he's already, sneering like you,
know he's just been, sneering and you wonder how long
is he holding that sneer in between? Takes and, yeah.

Speaker 2 (57:26):
Yeah So i'm really looking forward to discussing his battle
Of Jack's So i'm gonna say anything else to say
About mataro until. Then but we also Have. Shiva So
shiva is in. This shiva is A shoka warrior Like,
goro Like Kintaro forearms played By Margine holden born nineteen sixty.
Four we previously talked about her because she was in

(57:48):
ninety Two's. Nemesis she was one of The i'm gonna
guess a cyborg in that.

Speaker 3 (57:53):
Movie were there some? CYBORGS i think there were a.

Speaker 2 (57:55):
Few, cyborgs but she had some fun, credit AS i
discussed For she's an eighty nine strip To kill. Two
she's In bill And Ted's Excellent. Adventure she's in eighty
Nine's Doctor kaligari And John Carpenter's, vampires as well As
ghosts Of. Mars they managed TO i think THEY i
think they did the forearms bit digitally. HERE i couldn't

(58:17):
tell if if it's digital or, practical but one thing is.
Clear they did not trust the effect to be able
to really give her a fight. Sequence so she doesn't
do much in this film except for. Snarl.

Speaker 3 (58:28):
Yeah she gets like smashed by a giant bird. Cage,
yeah before she really gets a chance to. Fight she
does verbally spar with, people primarily With, motaro where they
argue with each other and she she's, like you belong
in the. ZOO i guess because he's got a centaur.

Speaker 2 (58:45):
Body well again the, GAMES i think the centaurs and
the chowkun are like natural, enemies SO i guess they're
they're doing, that but nothing really comes to.

Speaker 3 (58:55):
It.

Speaker 2 (58:56):
Okay, also Night wolf is in this played by The
cherokee actor and Rapper. Lightfoot lightfoot also appeared in ninety.
Five is The indian in The. Cupboard AND i think
he's Been this guy has been very successful outside of
media as. WELL i think he's like a very successful
businessman and in the. World Night wolf here very cool

(59:17):
character in the. Games doesn't do much, here he's his
whole role is to teach Lu king how to do an, animality.

Speaker 3 (59:24):
Which is can you explain for the non game players
what is An animaloty.

Speaker 2 (59:28):
Animality was like a kind of a, funny gimmicky thing
that was introduced in, GOSH i can't. Remember it was
M k two or M k, three probably, three where
you can have your character turn into a glowing animal
and then do a fatality as that. Animal it's, been you,
know it's been a regular part of the franchise pretty
much since. Then but a weird thing to latch onto

(59:49):
and like, this let us incorporate this into the plot let.
This let's let this be the major thing that our
hero needs to learn in order to overcome the.

Speaker 3 (59:58):
Villain the first thing that Night wolf says in the
movie is he attacks Lu kang as a, wolf and
then he reversed where wolf transforms into a, man and
then he, says pretty. Cool huh it's my. Animality.

Speaker 2 (01:00:14):
Yeah, yeah that's not the finest. Moment But lightfoot is fine,
here given a given much to. Do Johnny cage is,
back played by a different. Actor this, time It's Chris
conrad born nineteen. Seventy barely in this, movie as we've
referenced more, recently, though this actor has appeared in series
such As patriot AND Dtf Saint. Louis, earlier he had

(01:00:38):
bit parts in movies like ninety, Fours clear And Present.

Speaker 3 (01:00:40):
DANGER i read That Lyndon, ashby who Played Johnny cage
in the original, movie read the script and for some
reason declined to return to this. Film.

Speaker 2 (01:00:50):
YEAH i mean if his script the script he read
was the shooting, Script, yeah why? Not he's been it
for like three seconds and then he's killed By Shah. Khan.
Yeah and then the score once more is By GEORGE.
S clinton born nineteen forty. Seven not to be confused
with funk Legend George. Clinton this is The chattanooga born
film composer who gave us scores for movies such As
American ninja two in eighty, seven Hell Bound, Embrace brainscan

(01:01:13):
in ninety, Four delta Of venus in ninety, five And
Beverly Hills ninja in ninety. Seven but the soundtrack is pretty.
Solid once, more we get that Og Mortal kombat. THEME
i think we jump right into it at the. Top
this is a great.

Speaker 3 (01:01:27):
Track my.

Speaker 2 (01:01:29):
Music app decided to play this for me WHILE i
was doing it WHEN i was jogging the other, day
AND i was, like this is a solid choice, algorithm
really great beats. There the soundtrack here also includes some
work from electronic mainstays such AS Bt Juno reactor And
The Future sound Of, london one of my, favorites plus

(01:01:50):
some heavy and industrial vibes FROM, Kmfdm megadeath And. Ramstein
is It ramstein And? RAMSTEIN i never know how to say.

Speaker 3 (01:01:57):
It i've always Said, ramstein BUT i don't really.

Speaker 2 (01:01:59):
Know, yeah you know it when you hear. It they
that the sound as the group that is.

Speaker 3 (01:02:05):
Very similar sonic texture to the first film, actually and,
it LIKE i, said it reuses a lot of the,
tracks so it's mostly gonna be techno, pulses you, know
strong hype techno music and then aggressive metal, guitars you,
know hitting like a hard. Chord and so like you
get at the beginning of the movie as the credits,

(01:02:25):
play you, know you're seeing cgi fire and dragonheads AND
i think it's the same techno theme from the Original Mortal.
Kombat it's the one that's got the sonia punching or
getting punched grunting sound as the ride symbol. Trigger, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:02:45):
That.

Speaker 2 (01:02:45):
One it's great track. Again, yeah put it on anyone out,
There put it on your next, run your next. Job
how you will not be.

Speaker 4 (01:02:51):
Disappointed so are you ready to talk about the?

Speaker 3 (01:03:02):
Plot, oh we're doing. It it has. Begun so the
film opens with a montage of scenes from the first.
Movie you get you, know Lu kang walking into The
temple Of light complex and a cool leather, jacket earth
fighters beating Up shangsung's demon. Ninjas and, Meanwhile James ramar
is giving a voiceover As. Raiden so the monologue Says

(01:03:24):
Mortal kombat is not about, death but rather the, yeah
it is very much about, death but rather the preservation of.
LIFE a slaughter house is not about, Death rayden, says
Lu kang and a few chosen fighters from The Earth
realm Defeated outworld Sorcerer Shang. Sung according to the rules

(01:03:47):
Of Mortal. Kombat their victory preserved the safety Of earth
for one more. Generation our chosen ones were returned to
Lu kang's home On, earth only to enjoy a brief
period of. Peace for someone From outworld has a different
point of, view.

Speaker 2 (01:04:04):
Different point of, view giving a little he's being too.

Speaker 3 (01:04:07):
Fair, YEAH i see things a little. DIFFERENTLY i will Conquer.
Earth but so we see basically the same thing we
saw at the end of the first, movie though it
looks worse. Now so you got gathering storm, clouds purple,
clouds you, know purple have we already talked about. This
purple seems to be the color Of.

Speaker 2 (01:04:25):
Outworld there's that One outworld fight. Stage it looks always
was one of my favorites In Moratl kombat, too AND
i think that's the reference point. Here very, purple, purple dark.

Speaker 3 (01:04:36):
Lighting, yeah, yeah so there's, lightning the temple towers begin to,
crumble everything's starting to look very, purple and then a
giant ring of fire in the sky opens up and
it squirts out some human shaped figures on, fire of,
course and they fall to earth and they start hopping
and leaping around and doing flips in the, air and
it's literally raining, ninjas raining. Ninjas they're just doing, flips

(01:04:59):
and some of the shots are very funny because they're
just hopping like, rabbits and you don't see them leaving the.
Ground the camera is just pointed up at the sky
and you see these flaming ninjas just arcing overhead like,
grasshoppers you, know and. Swarm but, anyway so there these
are The emperor's bad. Dudes it's the sort of an
army of interchangeable martial arts. Henchmen most of them are

(01:05:23):
in some combo of baggy black, pants black, boots wrist.
Bracers many are bear, chested a lot of times heads
wrapped in some kind of black. Cloth and then our, heroes,
meanwhile are standing there watching. This so you got Lu,
Kang Princess, Katana, Rayden Sonia, Blade Johnny. Cage they assume
they're fighting stances and they're all looking around like what

(01:05:44):
is this all? About, then we get a look at
the more distinct named bad. Guys Shau kan is going
to call these his, generals but then also confusingly sometimes
identifies only one of them as the. General so there
is a guy in a similar ja suit to the
Original scorpion and Sub, zero but kind of more padded
technical look with red. Accents and this guy is Called. Ermak.

Speaker 2 (01:06:08):
Yeah in the, games he's like a whole bunch of
human souls and a trench. Coat, essentially here you don't
really get a sense of what his whole deal.

Speaker 1 (01:06:15):
Is.

Speaker 3 (01:06:15):
Nice, yeah he's just a red ninja in THIS i, think, well,
no he. Does he like creates duplicate, warriors like at
the end when he's Fighting, sonya he can make other warriors. Appear,
yeah there's a huge centaur with ram horns on his.
Head he's the guy. Sneering this Is. Motaro there's a purple.
NINJA i think this Is. RAIN i don't know What

(01:06:38):
rain's deal.

Speaker 2 (01:06:38):
Is he's like an elemental prince or. Something he's like
a good guy, eventually but at this time not really
all that. DEVELOPED i think he was like a secret
character and obviously a prince.

Speaker 3 (01:06:48):
Reference, okay oh, yeah probably didn't get that until. Now that's.
Good and then there's the lady with foe arms Like
goro from the first. Movie again this Is. Shiva and
then another guy squirts down of the sky and this
is The emperor Of, Outworld Chao. Khan he is wearing
A lord Of bones skull, mask helmet with a big
metal chevron sort of suggesting horns that's coming out of the.

(01:07:11):
Forehead it's mounted on a big red. Gem he's got
lamellar armor on his, body with black leather, suspenders no
shirt of, course you, know pecks are out and a big,
cape which is always good to wear for martial. Arts
and then he appears on top of a brick wall
and shouts the earth was created in six, days so

(01:07:32):
too shall it be? Destroyed and there's. Lightning The outworld
goons are still just doing random, flips and then he,
says and on the seventh, day mankind will rest in.
Peace i'm not going to do the shaukon delivery on every,
line but just imagine most of the time he, talks
it's like, that you. Know it's the Very Chris well

(01:07:53):
predicts kind of loud.

Speaker 2 (01:07:54):
Projection, yeah and this Is Brian thompson's, voice, like this
is Not they might, have you, know augmented his voice
a little bit to make him sound More, shalcannie but uh,
no this is this Is this is him for the most.

Speaker 3 (01:08:05):
Part, yeah So earth gonna be destroyed in six. Days
Johnny cage, says this is not. Good Lu kang says
Lu kang starts talking about, like, hey didn't we just
Win Mortal. Kombat you, KNOW i thought our victory was
supposed to close the portal To. Outworld do we really
have to do this?

Speaker 2 (01:08:20):
Again?

Speaker 3 (01:08:20):
Yeah and Then raydon turns around and, says what closes
can also open? Again?

Speaker 2 (01:08:29):
True, true that is how doors.

Speaker 3 (01:08:31):
Work. Yeah, yeah uh so our heroes talk about, this
but their conference is interrupted by a blood curdling. Shriek
it is a woman, screaming and then it seems to
kind of echo through everybody's. Bones and then there's a
hard electric guitar chord that, plays and a new character
walks out onto the promontory With Shao kan's, generals and
this Is, sindel An outworld queen in a purple outfit

(01:08:54):
with long black hair with shocks of white. U and
Then Princess katana looks up at her and, says, mother you're.
Alive sindel puckers her, lips points At katana and, replies too,
bad you will. DIE i think this exchange is somewhat, famous.

Speaker 2 (01:09:14):
And you know all of this, Too LIKE i think
this is all essentially in the. Games but it's one
of those things, like, well once you say it out,
loud it sounds kind of, stupid you, know once you
actually put it in a narrative, structure and maybe doesn't
work as.

Speaker 3 (01:09:28):
Well so Both raydon And Shao khan do some flips
and they end up face to face this. Movie just
remember constantly flips are happening all Throughout Mortal Combat. Annihilation
imagine we're not going to narrate every time there are.
Flips there's just flips every scene as people doing.

Speaker 2 (01:09:43):
Flips, yeah and SOMETIMES i guess they're augmented with some
sort of computer effect that makes them feel even more
detached from. Reality so it's just. Flips it's just like
you don't even they don't even feel grounded in the real.

Speaker 3 (01:09:55):
World, Yeah raydon, says as long AS i have the
power con and you will never rule this. World Shao khan,
says as long as the portal remains. Open your world
becomes my world and then they start, Fighting rob do
you have thoughts on this? Fight minimal?

Speaker 2 (01:10:11):
Fight so they both pull off sort of wonky versions
of their signature moves and we get some wonky flips in.
There that's about.

Speaker 3 (01:10:19):
It Chao khan's moves include a kind of rush tackle
where he turns into YELLOW cgi like just kind of
a smear and then, hits and then he also can
shoot green star polygons in the. AIR i like how
during this fight everybody else is just sort of doing
moves at the air at each other from the. Distance

(01:10:40):
so Like raydon And Sha khan are actually, fighting but everybody,
else Like motaro the, centaur is just kind of punching
and pumping in the air At lukang And KATANA i
guess to scare. Them and so eventually in this, Fight
raydon seems to be getting the better Of Shao khan
Until Sha kan pulls a dirty. Trick he he gets
thrown a whip by one of his lackeys and then

(01:11:02):
he Whips sonia's ankles and drags her to him and
puts a foot on her. Neck Johnny cage tries to
rescue her by doing a flying kick where he turns
into a. SHADOW i think that's a move from the
game and s o, kick But Shao kan swats him,
down and Then Johnny cage's aviator sunglasses fall to the
ground dramatically in slow, motion like not the, sunglasses and

(01:11:25):
then The emperor does a sick elbow drop On Johnny,
cage and then he demands That raydon's surrender or he's
going to kill this. Earthling raydon tries to. Negotiate he, says,
like if you Hurt Johnny, CAGE i will zap all
of your generals with this ball of. Lightning But Shao
kan calls his. Bluff he, says you would never let
one of your precious humans, die and then he Commands

(01:11:48):
raiden to bow at his. Feet it, seems maybe for
a second Like raydin's gonna do it unclear what's happening,
here because suddenly The emperor just, says you, fool and
then he Snaps Johnny cage's. Neck major character is now.
Dead AND i think the point of this was to
let you know that the stakes are really on this,
time like kill off a major character in the first five.

Speaker 2 (01:12:08):
Minutes, YEAH i mean otherwise it would work. Here it
just kind of feels like we didn't have space for this.

Speaker 3 (01:12:13):
Characters, yeah we're gonna go ahead and just write them.
Out we get some, tender tearful mourning From, sonya who
was in love With Johnny cage from the first. Movie
did we establish?

Speaker 2 (01:12:23):
THAT i don't, Know maybe maybe she.

Speaker 3 (01:12:26):
Has that line in the first movie she's, like don't
you dare do this to protect Me Johnny? Cage but,
anyway so he's dead, now and she's said and Then
Shao kan stretches his arms out in crucifixion pose and,
says in six, days you will all bow to. Me
it has. Begun it has begun Is shangsung's line from

(01:12:48):
the first. Movie and then a big horned outworld monster
statue rises up out of the ground With Johnny cage's
body cradled between its. Horns there's some kind of transformation
of the physical matter Of earth taking, place Like outworld
is intruding on this. World so if That's, outworld by the,
way are we in? World?

Speaker 2 (01:13:10):
Mmm, no we're just. Starting, okay, yeah, okay but this
is the first time we get some sort of like
big cgi gargoyle crawling out of the. Scenery this is
going to happen again and.

Speaker 3 (01:13:22):
Again shaukan instructs his forces by, saying annihilate. Them there you,
Go and then our heroes run away into a secret
passage in a, temple Which rayden closes behind them with.
Magic so now that they have made it to temporary,
safety our heroes are going to discuss their. Predicament mostly
it's just raid and explaining. Things you. Know raiden, says

(01:13:44):
your planet and outworld have started to merge into one.
Realm he, says think of it as hell On. Earth
other topics discussed include Lu kang complaining he reiterates his
ideas like didn't we just win a tournament to prevent
this from? Happening good, Point raidin, says quote, obviously con
has cheated and broken the rules he can do. That

(01:14:08):
kitana is surprised her mother's. Alive she thought her mother was.
Dead Then raidin, says IF i am, correct your Mother
sindell is the key to all of. This, now how's
she going to be the? Key raidin says he thinks
that The emperor has quote resurrected your mother to keep
these portals open. Indefinitely no further elaboration on how that.

(01:14:30):
Works just accept. It, Yeah But raydon also has a,
solution he, says by Reuniting kaitana With. Sindell so he's
going to reunite mother with. Daughter the spell is going
to be broken And sindell's soul can rest in. Peace
this will close the. Portals BUT i was just, thinking
you've got to reunite them. More they just reunited in
the previous scene And sindell threatened to kill.

Speaker 2 (01:14:52):
Her they got to have quality time together and they're
not just, meeting you, know out in the. Open they've
got to spend some time and really like pair that.
RELATIONSHIP i GUESS.

Speaker 3 (01:15:01):
I think maybe that is the idea is like you've
got To you've got to teach her to love again or.
SOMETHING a big question is like why are the elder
gods allowing this to. Happen raidin doesn't. Know he's gonna
go find. Out so the hero's bicker for a bit
over which one of them is going to Kill Shao.
KHAN i Think sonya wants to because you, know he
killed her, Lover Johnny. Cage of course Lu kang wants.

(01:15:23):
To raydon tells them. Enough he, says you're not. Ready,
essentially he's, like you got to level up your character
before you can fight the final. Boss, also he says
with the portals, Open Shao kan's extermination squads will be
hunting you everywhere you. Go he also. Says raydon, Says
i've got no powers in, outworld and as the two

(01:15:45):
realms continue to, Merge i'm going to gradually lose my
powers On. Earth so we've got to act. Fast now
here's where we get the hamster. Balls they go into
the subterranean realm and get into a thing called a,
velosphere these big balls that he umans can get. Inside
they travel through tunnels to reach anywhere On earth within.
Hours katana says the inner winds propel, you which sounds

(01:16:08):
like a flatulence, joke and then she also says you
will be moving so fast it will be as though
you're not moving at. All you have to think About,
yeah think about that one for a. Minute and Then
raydon assigns some. Missions so this is what the characters
are going to have to. Do sonia has to go
find her Old Special Art Special, Arts Special ops Partner.

(01:16:28):
Jacks he, says, alone you're, vulnerable but if you work,
together as a team you can do. Much and Then
lukang And katana are going to have to travel to
The Hopie mesa to become stronger by learning from a
warrior called Night. Wolf, meanwhile raidin he's going to go
file a tech support ticket with The Elder. Gods, yeah
so they all get in the giant balls and roll.

(01:16:50):
Away and there's a funny thing about the, balls which
is that when you ride in, them two humans are
basically like stretched out in the middle of the, ball
like pressed together face to, face which makes more sense
when It's katana and Lu kang. Traveling there's already this
vague suggestion of romantic potential between. Them but it's just
kind of awkward Been sonia and raid and have to

(01:17:12):
climb into a ball. TOGETHER i don't. Know by the,
WAY i want to, say a lot of things in
this movie look, bad but the velosphere stuff is practical
model work, Mostly AND i thought these, effects they don't
look like amazingly, realistic BUT i thought they were tactle
in a kind of charming, way kind of like a
cross Between Mighty Morphin Power rangers And mystery science Theater.

Speaker 2 (01:17:33):
Props, okay, YEAH i can see that.

Speaker 3 (01:17:35):
Yeah, yeah, anyway there is a there's a scene of,
oh the scene after This shaukan at. Home this is
the one where, okay so we get like a zooming
exterior shot of this Giant outworld, Castle Gray skull thing
is big tower going into the sky like a lot
of things In. Outworld there is a fluorescent purple aura around,

(01:17:57):
it like A uv. Light and then we come inside
The throne room And Shao khan is sitting there now
out of his Bone storm, costume and it's Just Brian
thompson looking like a regular muscular human man with a shaved,
head sitting by himself in a BLACK t shirt and
brooding and at a certain, angle you could really mistake

(01:18:18):
this for a shot from A fast and The furious,
Movie like he looks Like Vin diesel chilling in his auto.

Speaker 2 (01:18:23):
Shop, yeah he's way dressed down for this. Scene BUT
i think too much because in the, Games Chau khan
always has that helmet on and that's his. Signature And
i'm not one of those one of those. Fans it's
gonna be like, like oh, you this is Like Judge.
Dread Judge, Dreads dread's helmet never comes, off should never come.
Off Brian thompson has the look and feel Of Shao

(01:18:45):
khan enough that he can take the mask in the
helmet off however much he wants. To in this, picture,
like he still looks Like Chau, khan but when he
dresses down all the way it's a bit of a.

Speaker 3 (01:18:56):
Stretch the BLACK t shirt look is pretty. Funny, ALSO
i was not prepared For Chao khan to seem like
he's experiencing. Melancholy is that something that ever happens in the.

Speaker 2 (01:19:07):
GAME i don't think. SO i, mean he's just rage
and violence in the. Games he's just you, know it's
like a.

Speaker 3 (01:19:13):
Demon he's a little bit pitiful in the. Scene so
the next thing that happens is a guy with a
goatee in a black cultthood silently walks into the throne.
Room Then Chao kan notices him and, says, father the
merger has. Begun earth is under attack and it is.
Glorious he shouts this like arms raised in the, air

(01:19:34):
And Sha kan's father Is this is the Character shinnock
we were talking about. Earlier, NOW i was not familiar
with him from the games BECAUSE i never made it
that far in the. Series but here he does not
have the CHARACTERISTICS i gather he has in the. Games
he's just a guy in this cult robe with A german.
Accent and the other thing is like he is like

(01:19:55):
The denethor. Meme it's Like borimir would have Killed raydon,
already just very, disappointed coldly disappointed. Father, yeah he's like
the Mom lucille un arrested.

Speaker 2 (01:20:06):
Development.

Speaker 3 (01:20:07):
Yeah And Shao kan is you, know he's he does
a flip for no reason and then he Says radon
is of no concern to, us But shinnock is. Mad
he he Like, dolly zooms forward and he, says you
let him. LIVE i have no use for, excuses and So,

(01:20:27):
rob can you clarify what's the Chau kan is the
emperor of out, world but his dad is still his.
Boss is his dad like the executive?

Speaker 2 (01:20:35):
EMPEROR i guess within this. Film, SURE i don't remember
how it really works in the game so, much but,
basically After Cha khan is, defeated Like shinnock is. Ascendant
SO i never got that could be very wrong in
THIS i never got the sense That Cha khan was
a direct underling Of. Shinnock's but like once Chau kon is,

(01:20:56):
defeated like the Power vacuum Allows shinnock to really try
and the main.

Speaker 3 (01:21:00):
Boss, Okay, Well shinnock gives more exposition. Here he, says
because we've broken the rules of the tournament to keep
the portals, open we're. Vulnerable so if The Elder gods
learn of our plot, quote we shall both suffer the. Consequences,
NOW i was, thinking it seems like a pretty big,
plot like merging outworld With. EARTH i would think The

(01:21:22):
Elder gods would figure that out sooner or. Later but
do they have a lot of worlds to?

Speaker 2 (01:21:26):
MANAGE i think, so there are a lot of Different,
yeah there are other realms that are explored in the.
Game so, yeah they're busy and you, know and also
they're a little they're like gods in, general like they're
a little. Standoffish so, like let's see how this plays.
Out we don't want to actually get involved unless we have.

Speaker 3 (01:21:41):
To, now they say if they complete the six day
destruction Of, earth they will become, Invulnerable but until then
they are, vulnerable so they can't take any. Chances they've
got to Find rayden and His Mortal fighters and kill
them at. Once and Then shinnock, says To Shao. Khan he,
says do not underestimate the power of the human. Spirit

(01:22:01):
a little confidence in humanity From. China so Lu kang
And katana they go on an. Adventure they're trying to
find The Hope mesa to learn from Night, wolf The
jedi who instructed me Uh and on the way they

(01:22:23):
stop in a weird misty cave inside a mountain to
talk about how you know if anything should happen to
me And i'm never gonna lose you kind of, Stuff
and then there are a couple of fight. Scenes so
Lu kang first faces a cyber.

Speaker 2 (01:22:38):
NINJA i, think is this one called? Smoke this would
be smoke since it's it's gray in. Color gray cyber
ninja's also become like the generic cyber ninja's later on
in the, Franchise but at this, POINT i think it's
supposed to be. Smoke and, yeah we Get kang Versus,
smoke and we get some cool, moves some logical fight progression,
here but it's way too, brief and also there's there's

(01:23:00):
not really any narrative weight. Here it's just new character shows,
up fighting, ensues and then it eventually.

Speaker 3 (01:23:06):
ENDS i like how the cyber ninjas have hair sort.
Of they have what's like a top ponytail of braids
on their, heads except the braids are not their modem. Cables.
Yeah so the cyber ninjas in the movie can shoot
missiles out of their chests and. Smoke at one point
powers up to blast one at Lu, kang and then
Lu kang does what multiple characters in the movie do

(01:23:29):
when like some devastating weapon is being launched at, them
which is they sort of move into the path of
the missile so they can at the last minute do
a backflip and jump out of the.

Speaker 2 (01:23:40):
PATH i mean that's not going to work in the.
Game you do a. Backflip he was just gonna land
on top of. It oh, yeah depending on how fast
it's going going to jump. Forward.

Speaker 3 (01:23:48):
Yeah and then a new contestant enters the. Picture it's
new Sub, zero so he flies in from out of.
Nowhere he freezes smoke with his freeze. Powers so this
is a guy where during a costume like the original Sub,
zero but he has a scar on his. Face and
THEN i Think lukang saves this guy from getting shot

(01:24:09):
by the Frozen things. Rocket So lukang is confused when
he meets Sub, Zero he's, LIKE i killed you at the.
Tournament but the new Sub zero takes off his mask
and reveals that the other Sub zero was his older.
Brother why did the Sub zero help, them he, says
quote because legend has it That Princess katana is the
key to Stopping cohn's. Plot legend has. It, Yeah, okay,

(01:24:36):
anyway he. Explains he, says two days, ago kN Reprogrammed
smoke to come after you instead of. Me So i'm
thinking of con in, there like he's in the command line.
Programming these are these?

Speaker 2 (01:24:48):
Robots, yeah a little copy and, Paste, yeah just rearranging
the central programming for these cybernetic.

Speaker 3 (01:24:55):
Ninjas so Sub zero is going to help, them he,
says he's going to help. Them but then before they
can if there is another outworld fighter, attack and this
time it Is scorpion back from the. Dead so rob
you had some notes on this.

Speaker 2 (01:25:07):
Fight, yeah this is at this point in the. Film
this is the best fight so. Far so we do
get those wonky, flips but it's a fight you can.
Follow it makes cool use of a. Set this is
kind of like you, know weird subterranean. Bridge there's some
back and forth on that some fun. Effects the benefit

(01:25:27):
also here is that this is a known rivalry In Mortal.
KOMBAT i, mean if you play the, games you Know
scorpion and Sub zero are are you, know they're always
fighting each other or they're teaming up with each, other
but they have this long, relationship so we we buy
into it on that, level even though their rivalry is
not really all that firmly established in this. Film but,

(01:25:49):
yeah they fight for a bit and then we get
this great moment at the end where who is it is?
It does he Kidnap sonya or is Kidnap? Katana sonya
is off.

Speaker 3 (01:26:00):
With Rage that's, right she's on the. Checks, yeah he
Kidnaps katana Because Shao khan needs her put her in the.

Speaker 2 (01:26:05):
Birdcage, yeah and of course we know scorpions catchphrase is
get over. Here.

Speaker 3 (01:26:09):
Yeah instead he yells, sucker. Sucker it's suckers with A.

Speaker 2 (01:26:16):
Z absolutely, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:26:19):
Suckers then, disappears he like disappears With katana into this
glob of pink cgi. Goo so uh Oh katana is
a prisoner now uh and how are they going to
unite her With sindella according to the, legend but Uh
lukang wants to go After, katana but Sub zero convinces
him that it's a. Trap that's What kahn wants. Instead

(01:26:41):
lukang has to become stronger so he can face what's,
ahead so he has to go train with Night. Wolf
does Sub zero like return to his home planet at this?

Speaker 2 (01:26:48):
Point like do we see a good?

Speaker 3 (01:26:50):
QUESTION i don't, Know, YEAH i don't. Remember does he come?

Speaker 2 (01:26:55):
Back? Yeah he kind of felt Like scorpion doesn't really
come back, either Does he's kind of like Score pen
And subzero just pop in for brand recognition and.

Speaker 3 (01:27:03):
There so the next thing is we See sonya's mission
to retrieve her Partner. Jack's sonya And raiden come out
of a. Cave they're staring at a chain link fence
that SAYS Us Armed Forces Medical Research, Facility, Oahu, hawaii
and there's a lot of like dead grass and things
that are on fire in the distance with smoke in the.
Air sonya, asks is it like this? Everywhere And raiden's

(01:27:27):
like pretty? Much so every we learn that every hour that,
passes the Outworld merger becomes more complete and more Of
earth is, destroyed so the sky is starting to get
real purple and, there so they're going to part. Ways
they make plans to meet back at The temple of
The Elder, gods And sonya runs into the. Facility so

(01:27:49):
here's this whole sequence where she has to rescue her
old friend and, Partner. Jacks jacks is A Special forces
operative who for some, reason has just been through a
surgical procedure to turn his own into metal robot. Arms
he's still got flesh arms under, there but he's got
metal robot arms on the outside of his regular. Arms
so it's This Resident evil style nineties biotech lab and he's,

(01:28:13):
there and we're gonna Meet, jack says we talked about.
Earlier is the movie's main comedic. Character, he you, know
is all like one liners and goofy reaction. Takes HE
i think he actually at one point, says now that's
What i'm talking. About So sonya wakes him up after his,
surgery like all the doctors and staff are, gone you.

(01:28:34):
Know she's, Like jack's good to see. You the extermination
squads are, coming and he gets up from the table
and then they're. Here so we're gonna have more battles
With outworld ninjas and a yellow Cyber. Ninja we've already
fought a gray Cyber. Ninja now they're gonna have to
fight a yellow Cyber ninja Called.

Speaker 2 (01:28:51):
Syrax, yeah So jax Versus cyrax With sonia Versus ninja's
kind of happening in the. Background pretty fun, sequence, though of,
course with some wonky cgi and H AND i hate
to say it BECAUSE i love the Cyber. Ninjas Cyber
ninjas have always been some of my favorites in the.
Game But cyrax here looks really. AWKWARD i get a

(01:29:12):
real crot robot.

Speaker 3 (01:29:13):
Vibe, yes he's got a.

Speaker 2 (01:29:15):
Beak yeah, Yeah but but real highlight of this battle
is Actually sonia gets to pull off a version of
her fatality. Here so she picks up some sort of
like weird mad science crystals and blows a kiss at
one of the, ninjas which immolates. Him and then and
then and, yeah that alone is pretty. Great so they

(01:29:38):
found a way to make that happen because in the
games it's pretty, nonsensical like why Can sonya blow kisses
that catch people on?

Speaker 3 (01:29:44):
Fire i'm, sure but, yeah so she just she has
like chemistry dust and, yeah yeah under the. Fire, Yeah
cyrax also talks in this. Fight did the cybernin just
talk in the.

Speaker 2 (01:29:55):
Games you, know they're kind of robocopy in. There they're oh,
okay they have things they have you, know they have
missions they're carrying. Out SO i guess they kind of
talk as much as anybody talks in the old.

Speaker 3 (01:30:05):
Games, okay, well, Yeah cyrax when he, appears he says
death is the only way. Out Shao khan will be,
pleased and Then jack says shaw what So? Yeah, oh,
also what's the deal With? Syrax he can shoot out
like a flesh dissolving. Acid is that what that? Is
like these little balloon marbles that dissolve your flesh and

(01:30:28):
then make you just. Disappear you, fall you turn into
cgi bones that fall on the, floor and then the bones.

Speaker 2 (01:30:33):
DISAPPEAR i don't think he did, that and he did
like laser nets and the old. GAMES i think in
the latest game He cyrax the gender Flip, cyrax and
she has some sort of some sort of like you,
know non violent military putty that she shoots like she
can like glue you to the floor and also like you,

(01:30:56):
know tear your body in half with it because It's Spider.

Speaker 3 (01:30:58):
Man, yeah, okay uh one did you notice through the
fight scene With. Cyrax the soundtrack keeps playing dial up modem.
Sounds that's how they. Were. Yeah, yeah then After cyrax,
dies this is, Important sonya And jack's watched this little
tiny emblem in its body magically turn into a little

(01:31:19):
songbird sized dragon and fly.

Speaker 2 (01:31:21):
Away, yeah, ridiculous like terrible. Effect and and it's just
going to keep.

Speaker 3 (01:31:27):
Happening now there are throughout the movie there are going
to be these scenes of the bad guys squabbling inside
the war room in the. Outworld keep, like so Shau
kan's generals are just arguing with each, other you, know
it's like my squads would, have you, know claimed thousands
of souls On. Earth, well my squads would have claimed,
millions so they you. Know and and Then shiva keeps

(01:31:48):
Telling motaro that he belongs in a. Zoo they're always
about to come to blows with each, other Until Chao
kan shows up and puts an into. It. Uh there's
like literally one part Where eva And motaro start strangling
each Other simpson, Style, yeah and then Chau kan is like,
silence but he uh at. There at one, Point Hao

(01:32:11):
kan walks in here and he says To, rain, like,
hey what's your, Report, rain, says, oh he fills us.
In you, know there are only a couple of characters
From Mortal kombat three who don't appear as characters in this.
Movie they get mentioned. Here rain's, like two Of earth's
best warriors have already been, Taken cabal And. Striker, Now

(01:32:32):
kabal's the guy in the game who has. HOOKS i
think he's, like, yeah cool hooks and a weird. Mask
And striker is.

Speaker 2 (01:32:38):
Just a cop And Freddy krueger. Face, yeah, Oh Freddy krueger. Face,
Okay striker is just kind of a dumpy, cop you,
know with the. Gun he's a. COP i don't think
he was ever anybody's favorite.

Speaker 3 (01:32:47):
Character yeah. Uh and Then rain says he took them
alive instead of killing, them and Chau kan is mad about,
this so he picks up a giant hammer and he
Knocks rain into a pit of. Fire so, anyway he,
says NOW i need a new, general and you, know
all of the Others, Motaro, Shiva irmax start fighting over

(01:33:09):
who would be the best. General they're insulting each, other
bragging about their, capabilities and Shall con is, like, no
you're all. Bad sindel is my new. General So sindel's
on the way. Up then we Get lukang's encounter with Night.
Wolf you, know he's wandering in the middle of the
desert by himself at. Night he finds himself in this
camp site with flaming torches under a full. Moon he

(01:33:30):
gets attacked and tackled by a. Wolf then the wolf
jumps off of him transforms into a. Man this is
the character Night. Wolf Night wolf, says pretty, cool, huh
it's my, Animality and then he Looks lukang up and
down and he, says so Your raidn's. Prodigy i've seen. Better,
haha don't sweat. It i've seen worse, Too and then

(01:33:52):
they kind of bluster at each other for a. Bit
lukang brags about how he Won Mortal, combat but Night wolf,
explains you know that tournament had. Rules now anything, goes
it's war between the. Realms and then kind of a
call back to the first, movie or maybe just a,
coincidence Night wolf says that to Beat Shao, Khan lukang
is gonna have to pass three. Tests there were three

(01:34:13):
tests in the first. Movie he. Remember the first, test he,
says is, courage and to test, This lukang will have
to go into a dream state and find his. Animality
so Night wolf knocks him, unconscious and then he has
a bunch of dreams of like a gauzy Ethereal katana
SAYING i had faith in, You, lukang but you failed.

(01:34:34):
Me and then he dreams a bunch of other, people
various friends and, villains telling him that he, failed you Lost. Katana,
meanwhile we see Night wolf sitting by a campfire and,
saying find the power inside, you feel your, animality And
lukang dreams that his eyes developed snakelike vertical. Slits in the,

(01:34:55):
meanwhile like you just hear voices echoing, fail, Fail, Fail
and then he wakes up in the, snow and here
we meet a new. Character there is a beautiful woman
standing in the snow in a kind of animal skinned.
Bikini she introduces herself As, jade and then she, says.

Speaker 4 (01:35:12):
Of all the, horrors and of all the, horrors.

Speaker 3 (01:35:14):
The darkness holds to die. Alone that is my worst. Fear,
okay that's just like basically the first thing she. Says
and then she starts kind of getting On. Lukang she's embracing,
him caressing, him starts kissing him on the, lips but
suddenly he remembers oh, Yeah, kitana so he cries, out,
no my heart belongs to. Another and Then jade suddenly

(01:35:37):
transforms into a totally different. Costume this is a green
outfit with like metallic. Lipstick she's wielding a big bow
staff or, spear and she briefly beats Up lukang and taunts.
Him this is that teaching battle you were talking about.

Speaker 2 (01:35:50):
Earlier, yeah, yeah we had one of these in The
Last World kindbat movie as, Well and it's a pretty
much a standard trope in martial arts films in, general
from good ones to bad. Ones but the thing about
a teaching battle is they do run the risk of
having low stakes and minimal, heat and this one certainly.

Speaker 3 (01:36:06):
Does, yeah so Lu, kang you, know he, fights and
when he finally gets the upper, hand she, says you're
even more pure and faithful THAN i. Heard you passed the, Test,
Lukang SO i think it was the test of tempting.

Speaker 2 (01:36:20):
Him, yeah the last temptation of Lu.

Speaker 3 (01:36:23):
Kang, yeah, Okay and then Lu kang says this was
just another one of Night wolf's crazy. Tests we could
have killed each, other and Then jade, says but we.
Live so did you notice that we never got to
the third test that was the second, test and then
we never find out what the third test was.

Speaker 2 (01:36:41):
The third test as he survived that CONCUSSION i both
gave him by hit him and hitting him in the
back of the.

Speaker 3 (01:36:46):
Head, yeah So jade is on the good guy's. Team
now she's going to take him to The temple of
The Elder. Gods and meanwhile in here we also check
in a bit At Shao kan's. Palace we see we
See katana in the bird cage dangling for the. Ceiling
Shao kan tries to get her to drink from a,
chalice but she just spits it in his face and

(01:37:06):
The emperor he's, mad but he won't kill her because he,
says a struggling worm on a hook lands a bigger
catch than a dead. ONE i guess that's. True Now
here we get some adventures Of sonya And. Jack's they
wander around a blighted landscape And jackson is doing a
running commentary on house that things seem bad like he
did not like getting in the spinning ball which occurred off,

(01:37:28):
screen and he talks about. That sonia says the merge
of The realms is almost, done And jack, says you, Know,
sonya you keep talking about merges and realms and all,
that but it don't mean squat to, Me and so
they argue And jack's gets mad at. Her this is
the part where he gets mad and he tries to walk.
Away he's, like you, know you wake me, up you

(01:37:49):
drag me out of the. Hospital ninjas are trying to kill.
ME i don't understand. Why and this is the line
where he, SAYS i wrote this. Down he, Says i'm
stuck in the middle of nowhere BECAUSE i don't even
know WHERE i. AM i need to use the. BATHROOM
i got no toilet, TISSUE i got metal things on my.
Hands sonia.

Speaker 4 (01:38:07):
Blade it's, Good, yeah it's.

Speaker 2 (01:38:12):
Good like these two are never.

Speaker 3 (01:38:14):
Boring these two are always amusing on the, screen for.
Sure So sonya wanders off by. Herself jax is presumably
figuring out how to wipe with his arm, enhancements and
While sonya is, alone she gets. Attacked she gets attacked
by a character Named, molina who is a ninja in.
Pink she's wielding two si as weapons Like raphael The Ninja.

(01:38:37):
Turtle she flies out of a rock and tries to
Kill sonya AND i don't. Know this is the fight
where they fight in the mud they get covered.

Speaker 2 (01:38:44):
In, yeah it's a mud, fight but it's not very,
long but it's probably one of the tightest mini fights
in the. Movie some great martial arts doun't work, here
some cool, kicks some inventive, choreography and of, course you,
Know molina is a very cool care OR i think you.
Know in The, games we find out she's actually like
a twisted clone Of. Katana so these two have beef

(01:39:07):
in The, games and we can if we come into
the film knowing The, games we bring that excitement with,
us and so it doesn't last, long but it's.

Speaker 3 (01:39:14):
Good After sonya Beats, molina she's got a black black
tattoo on her, shoulder kind of like the one On,
cyrax and it comes alive and flies away in the
same way we saw. Earlier, meanwhile Behind sonya's back there
is this reptile statue and it suddenly morphs into a
terrible looking cgi meat, dinosaur looks like something out Of

(01:39:37):
beyond The Mind's, eye and it is about to Bite
sonya's head, off but Then jax appears and starts punching
it with his metal, arms and this drives it back
into the, earth and it does not look. Good it's,
like for a, SECOND i couldn't actually Tell jax was
supposed to be hitting, it you.

Speaker 2 (01:39:56):
Know Off, mike we were talking about the effects in the,
film AND i had to remind myself That. Spawn spawn
came out the same year AND i have memories of
THE i haven't Seen spawn in, many many years and,
DECADES i, guess BUT i remember from the last TIME
i watched any clips from it that some of THE

(01:40:16):
cgi was maybe a little shaky and had an age that.
Well BUT i had to pull up a scene from From,
spawn and in at least in the scene THAT i,
watched the one Where clown turns into the, violator it
was like it was pretty, solid held up pretty pretty.
Well so much better than what we see.

Speaker 3 (01:40:31):
Here, yeah compared to, THIS i, mean it looks amazing
And spawn And spawn has you, KNOW i don't. KNOW
i haven't seen that movie SINCE i was much, younger
But i'd be interested to revisit. THAT i wonder how
it holds.

Speaker 2 (01:40:42):
Up oh, yeah it's got a great. Cast.

Speaker 3 (01:40:53):
Anyway we should also check in With raiden because, remember
he's got a, file a complaint with the older.

Speaker 2 (01:40:58):
Gods he's been in the waiting, room like a beetlejuice
style waiting, Room oh my, god waiting to.

Speaker 3 (01:41:03):
Consult so he's walking around in this sacred desert with
his arms outstretched like a painting Of. JESUS i don't
know why he's posing that. Way it looks like he
should have a bunch of children crowding around him or.
Something but, Anyway raydon goes into this big marble arena
and he summons the elder gods to complain at, them
and they appear as these fuzzy balls OF cgi light

(01:41:26):
and talk with computer voices like it sounds like they've
been drinking the too far. Juice AND i think there
is an air, god a water, god and a fire,
god BUT i didn't see any sign of an earth.
God the elder gods Tell raydon he's got three. Questions.
Go raydon, says why was this treachery? Allowed they, say,
basically it's none of our. Business it's up to mortals

(01:41:49):
to change their own. Fate second, question he's not using
his three questions. Well the second question is a reiteration
of the. First it's like you're really gonna let this,
Happen and then they tell, him, unprompted that he is
correct and Thinking Princess katana is the key to Defeating
Chao khan and closing the. Portals third question is how
DO i know the portals will stay? Closed they, say

(01:42:12):
only When chaokan is destroyed will the future be. Safe
and then also they Ask raydon do you love humans
enough to sacrifice your? Immortality so do you want to
be de godded so that you can go fight for the?
Humans And raydon looks like, determined like, yeah maybe he's
going to do. That, Yeah so our heroes all meet

(01:42:33):
up at The temple of The Elder gods and joined.
Forces here we've Got, Sonya, Jacks, lukang And. Jade and
then here we have one of those scenes that you
were talking about earlier that actually looks pretty. Good you
kind of had this army come riding in through the
canyon of The Crescent moon and they're on, horseback so
we got real, horses cool, costumes though some of the
rider's faces are covered in black cloth with no, gaps

(01:42:57):
WHICH i think works better in shadow like obscured by a,
hood like you, know to suggest a face just hidden in.
Darkness in broad, daylight the full black face covering does
look kind of. Funny But shaukan And sindel are riding
at the head of this army and our. Heroes they
run away and they meet up With raydon and he

(01:43:17):
teleports out of the air doing a flip of, course
and he lands telling them never give up. Hope and
Now raydon has a whole new. Fit he has cut
his hair short and bleached it. Blonde he looks Like.
Sting it's a bit Like metallica in the nineties when
they all cut their hair. Short it's, like, oh something

(01:43:37):
different is going on. Here he swapped out his long
white robes for a black, vest shirtless. UNDERNEATH i was
looking to see if he has a single ear ring,
now but alas and not one of. Those but it
it is just very midlife. Crisis he looking like a
redo of somebody's. Look he looks like a forty five
year old who suddenly decided to try to look like

(01:44:00):
a twenty year. Old, yeah and he's going to a
three to eleven.

Speaker 2 (01:44:03):
Concert, yeah you know, This this version Of raydin has
a leather. Jacket, This, yeah this is so ridiculous BECAUSE i,
mean this IS i don't think this is in the
games at, all and it's just such that's neither here nor,
there because it just it just it makes the character
look so much. Stupider it's, like you, know white haired Wise,

(01:44:23):
Raisin Raisin. Raydin but now this New, raidin who we
could Call, RAISIN i, guess is just it just feels
like he's lost his, way like this IS i guess
the idea is it is a midlife crisis because now
there can be a middle to it because he's, mortal
he can, die and so he's having to process that

(01:44:44):
and in perhaps some strange ways like all.

Speaker 3 (01:44:49):
So, yeah so Lu kang admits That katana was taken
By Shao. Khan he, says it's all my, fault and
Then rayden, REPLIES i wrote this. Down he, says, quote
this is not about. Blame we're together in. This each
of us must help and support the others like a.
Family what's the deal with your? Arms?

Speaker 2 (01:45:07):
Yeah raydon has some really weird lines in this section
two which made me initially think, like is this the
Real raidon or is this like Dark? Raidon is there
is he's gone? Rogue but, no just he's. Spicier, NOW i, Guess.

Speaker 3 (01:45:20):
Yeah what's the deal with your? Arms and Then Jacks's
jax takes. Offense he's, Like i've known you one, Minute
you're already insulting. Me But rayden's, LIKE i mean no.
Disrespect he, says you have real, skills but those arms
are not your. Strength they're your.

Speaker 2 (01:45:36):
Weakness we'll have to explore this in fight format later. On.

Speaker 3 (01:45:40):
Yeah he also tells them faith in yourself is all you,
need AND i say that to all of. You so
next they're gonna they're gonna open a portal To outworld
and they're gonna go to the castle and Rescue. Katana
we also get a part here Where Shao khan instructs
his forces to destroy everything and See sindel like scream
Bomb petra In jordan and they destroy. Everything the heroes

(01:46:04):
go through the portal and Then Shao kan And sindel
both just sit on their horses laughing villain. Laughing ha
ha ha ha. Ha so, anyway our heroes go To
outworld and we're getting more of that purple purple. Everywhere jack,
says my skin is burning And i'm freezing. Inside it's
LIKE i got microwaved or, something And raydon's, like, yeah

(01:46:25):
you never get used to. That it's. Outworld and then
Lu kang looks up at something and, says is that
WHAT i think it? Is and we cut to it
and it's just obviously The golden gate bridge floating in
the purple? Air does it at least In New york or?

Speaker 2 (01:46:40):
Something is?

Speaker 3 (01:46:41):
That? How, well it's all, twisted everything's like jumbled from
We later we'll see The Eiffel tower floating in the purple.
Air So jade explains that there is a secret passageway
they can use to get Into Shao kan's. Castle she,
says it was the ONE i used to. Escape oh
she came from. There didn't know, That so they head for.

(01:47:03):
That we know That Chao kan is setting a trap
to kill the mortals here In, outworld and he's very
confident that it will. Work he explains everything to his,
dad and his dad, SAYS i will take your soul
myself if you fail me, now and the camera gets
like right up In Chao kan's nostrils as he barks
At katana that the merger will soon be. Complete, god

(01:47:25):
there's so much talk about. Mergers it sounds like people
are talking about. Business. Yeah, yeah so there's kind of
a long action oriented stretch here we can maybe summarize
kind of. Quickly But raiden battles a bunch of ninjas
sent By. Sindel she's standing on top of a, pillar
whipping her hair around and. Screaming Lu kang runs off
to Rescue, katana and along the way he battles a

(01:47:48):
new character who appears from the. Games this Is, baraka
who's sort of A Freddy krueger monster with knife.

Speaker 2 (01:47:53):
Arms barako is always one of my. Favorites in the first,
game he's created By, LIKE i think they Glued lee
pressed on nails on A nosfaratu, mask but still the
base Is nosfaratu with swords coming out of his, arms
so you, Know Junior, High i'm totally on board for. That,
YEAH i think he's pretty cool. Character it looks pretty goofy.
Here and oh and then we also just kind of

(01:48:17):
Kill shiva off as a side thought and just an
afterthought in this as. Well like, AGAIN i, think however
they did her, arms they realized they couldn't really put
her in a fight, sequence so we just dropped that
cage on top of her and she's.

Speaker 3 (01:48:30):
Dead, yeah oh in those.

Speaker 2 (01:48:32):
Ninjas ninjas have never looked more goofy than they do
in that battle with, right, though there was some good
stunt work in, there to be.

Speaker 3 (01:48:39):
Clear somewhere in here there's a funny part Where Shao
khan is giving a scene chewing speech to a bunch
Of outworld warriors dressed in black. Hoods they're on a
mountain with The Eiffel tower floating in the. Backgrounds it's
all like you will bear witness To earth's final. Day
two realms will be, one and it's one of These
i'm thinking of this as a genre of, scene one

(01:49:01):
of these tonally and situationally weird villain Speeches i'm reminded,
of like the speech By General hucks or a speech By,
bain a kind of rallying of troops that don't seem
to need any.

Speaker 2 (01:49:14):
Rallying yeah, yeah in both these, cases you know. That
i'm also reminded of of the best example of this
sort of thing that actually, works and that Is Thulsa
doom getting his followers revved up to commit mass suicide
or burn the, world you, know or some combination of the.
Two at the end Of conan the, barbarian but that

(01:49:34):
that actually has purpose and you know he's riling them
up for a. Reason but, yeah at this point it's, like,
yeah aren't we already destroying slash merging the? World shall
we should be good to?

Speaker 3 (01:49:44):
Go? Right, well like the speed the people that the
that he's giving the instructions to just seem like totally,
committed undifferentiated like henchmen who are not doesn't seem like
they need any.

Speaker 2 (01:49:57):
Motivation, yeah we're here on pain of, anyway like we
were fully. Motivated let's just do.

Speaker 3 (01:50:03):
It so, yeah you, Know raydon and his mortals are
gonna bout my feet that kind of thing. Here and
then in this, Scene chinnak finally puts a hand on
Chaw kan's. Shoulder it gives him a little, smiles the
first sign of fatherly.

Speaker 2 (01:50:15):
Approval, oh this is arrested.

Speaker 3 (01:50:18):
Development so there's a ritual scene here Where katana is
being reunited with her, Mother. Sindel sindell's lying unconscious on a.
Slab raydon, says only your love can reunite her soul and. Body,
katana your love can break the power con has over
her and closes portals On. Earth So katana kisses the Unconscious.

(01:50:39):
Sindel she wakes. Up for a, second it seems like
it's gonna, work but Then sindel breaks out in a maniacal.
Laugh she, SAYS i never loved. You you are such
a pathetic. Child here, Also jade reveals that she was
a double agent working For Chao khan the entire. TIME
i don't know what the effect of this. IS i
don't think it comes to. Anything she, says it's over,

(01:51:01):
Mortals you've been, tricked and then she. Disappears and then
later there's a scene At Shao kan's palace where he's
mad at. Her so THE cgi monster just bites her
head off and then the monster Burps. Yeah, meanwhile where
the heroes were trying to do the, Ritual sindel dashes
their hopes by telling them the merger. Again more about
the merger nearly, complete she, says the legend was a.

(01:51:23):
Lie the portals stay open this whole. TWIST i was
not really following The whether the legend is true or,
NOT i don't. Know But sindel she's, like basically like
whatever plan you were trying to, do it's not really
going to. Work and then she starts twirling around kind
of lazily looking and transforms into. Light and then after,

(01:51:43):
this our heroes debate what to do. Next there is
moderate despair Until sonia realizes That raydon, Himself raydan has
a tattoo on his, shoulder exactly like the ones she
saw On cyrax And. Molina now you might, think is
that part of his new, Look but, No he's always
had this tattoo, apparently so maybe it's actually functional that

(01:52:06):
he's not wearing a shirt, anymore you, know because somebody
has to be able to see the. Tattoo, yeah a
lot is being sacrificed for this tattoo, nonsense WHICH i
don't know doesn't feel overly important to the, plot but.
Okay sonya says that, Tattoo i've seen it before on
a robot and a. Woman they both tried to kill.

Speaker 2 (01:52:25):
Me it was worth it for that. LINE i got
a real chuckle out of that.

Speaker 3 (01:52:28):
Line raidin explains the tattoo is a family. Crest it
belongs only to his. Bloodline raydon's got a blood. Line
anybody who wears it can safely pass through the, portals
and he says the robot and the woman only had temporary. Passes.
Quote they did not share my. Bloodline the robot didn't
share his blood. Line but this leads to the big.

(01:52:51):
Reveal the big reveal is That rayden's father is actually
an elder God. Shinok shinok is his father And Shao
khan is his. Brother and then it pans around it
everybody And jax is looking at the floor shaking his.
Head but there's there's some kind of, choice, yeah some

(01:53:11):
kind of prophecy where Either raydon Or Shao khan has
to kill the other one so that they can ascend
to the. Throne so they've fought before And raydon, won
But raydan could not bring himself to kill his, brother
so he gave. UP i guess he went and became
a thunder god. Instead so it's kind of like how you,
know second sons of nobility they have to go join
the military or the. Clergy here you can go become

(01:53:34):
a thunder god if you can't be the ultimate elder.
God So raidin also, says you, know he still can't
kill his. Brother even, now seems Lu kang is their only.
Hope so we're going to the final. Showdown it's all out.
Now Lu, Kang Katana sonya And jack's are going to
Face Shao khan and his. Generals we got some stuff

(01:53:55):
in the, Background manhattan. SKYLINE i Think temple Of. Light
Chau khan is, there and he says prepare for a final.
Battle raydon also pops up after, all even though he
said like he couldn't take part in this, fight he
shows up and he argues With. Shinnock shinnock Thinks raydon is,
weak But raydon shouts that it is not weak to value,

(01:54:17):
life and So shinnock, says you, know last, chance come
to my side and rule all the realms with your.
Family raydon, says, no these, weak pathetic, mortals they are my.
Family so Shau kan Blasts rayden with some green energy
and kills him And. Raydon his last words, Are i'm
proud to die a mortal like You. Burgh so here

(01:54:47):
we get the pair ups in the final. Battle rob
you can take your pick of things you want to comment.
On But sonya is gonna Fight, irmak The Red. Ninja
jax Fights motaro The Sinaur jack's, says mister ed is
My kaitana Fights sindel her, mom and Lu kang fights Show.

Speaker 2 (01:55:05):
Kan, yeah so all these are happening at. Once but but,
yeah these are gonna be our final. Fights let's. See
let's let's start With jack's Versus. Motoro better than it
had any right to. BE cgi is is going to
be a continual, factor but still looks better THAN i.
EXPECTED i think that the horse part of The centaur
was maybe a mix of of like actual physical extension

(01:55:31):
and then also some computer generated, stuff so ambitious and
doesn't completely fall, flat didn't look, abysmal has some nice
beats in the. Fight the arm thing is ridiculous, though
Where motaro's, like you don't need those, arms the real
strength is inside. You, Yes mataro is like getting them to, yeah,

(01:55:52):
yeah oh, Okay so in a way it's kind of
a teaching battle for some ridiculous. Reason jackson also gets
to Punch motaro in the tink part of the. Centaur
that's you, know it's neither horse nor. Man and, yeah
and So jacks ends up ripping off those those robot
arms so that he can use his real strength in

(01:56:12):
order to defeat the.

Speaker 3 (01:56:13):
Centaur and he. Does, yeah let's, see we Get sonya Versus,
irmak the Red. Ninja irmak generates Other ninjas to fight
and Then jacks has TO i Think jackson sort of
motivated to go Help, sonya which is why he has
the strength to beat Up.

Speaker 2 (01:56:28):
Motaro, yeah And sonia gets to kick butt here and
gets a very nice fatality combo on The Red. Ninja
she does a headstand into a leg scissors punched to the,
face then a hurricane rana and then a heel twist
next snap to finish him.

Speaker 3 (01:56:43):
Off so.

Speaker 2 (01:56:44):
Nice.

Speaker 3 (01:56:45):
Yeah also in here we got A katana Versus. Sindel
this this one is not in terms of choreography very.
Interesting they're just kind of. Bopping there is some banter
like they smack and Then sindel, says is that any
way to treat your? Mother and Then katana, says my
mother is, dead and Then sendel says and soon will
be her. Daughter, okay kind of works out to. That

(01:57:08):
but let's talk about Lu kang Versus. Shakan this is
the real final. Fight this is our main pair.

Speaker 2 (01:57:13):
Of this is the main, event and when they're actually physically,
fighting this is pretty darn good because you have two
great physical performers, here both with martial arts training of
some sort or. Another, certainly Lu KANG i think has
the MORE i Think shoe has the more extensive training,
here but still you can tell these guys are both.
Physical you, know they're putting on a good. Show but

(01:57:35):
of course they're going to have to bust out those
animalties because it is written it is legend or, whatever
so which means these two are going to instead of
just continuing to like to punch each other and kick
each other and throw on some, holds we're going to
proceed to have some of the WORST cgi ever committed
to a theatrically released. Film As Lu kang turns into

(01:57:58):
a quote dragon and Then Shao khan turns into something
That i've seen loosely, described AND i think in the
credits it is described as a, hydra but you would
be hard press to guess what either of these TWO
cgi monstrosities are.

Speaker 3 (01:58:12):
That the Dragon lukang turns into looks so. Dopey it.
Is it's got like, stumpy short like legs and small.
Wings it just does it's not impressive looking at, all
like a pointy. Gargoyle yeah. Yeah and the hydra That
Shau kan turns into is kind of a pink and,

(01:58:33):
white gross like silent hill flesh. Hydra yeah, yeah just,
terrible so, again very believable physical match up, here and
instead of just getting a great, fight or even just
a passable, fight just just a few nice hits and moments,
here instead it becomes this cgi just, blasphemy just the

(01:58:53):
worst thing you'll ever see. Again should not be the
last last theatrical that you see before you pass out
of this. Realm, now in the middle of this, fight
when Lu kang gets the upper, Hand shannak's supposed to
come in here and cheat because he's gonna like Shoot
lukang and kill, him yeah something, Yeah but then suddenly

(01:59:14):
a couple of figures, appear these two random old people
in frumpy. GOWNS i think these are the elder. Gods
they put a hand On shinanok's shoulder and he's, like,
oh never, mind, Okay i'm. Boiled and so everything now
has to be decided the fair way In Mortal. Kombat
so it's a fair fight Between lukang And Chao, khan
and The Mortal kombat, theme the techno theme from the

(01:59:35):
first movie. Plays Chau kan keeps Taunting lukang about destiny
and power and, such but finally Lu kang knocks him
out with a backflip, Kick so finally one of the
flips in the movie had narrative. Consequence. Yes and after this,
Happens Chao khan's dragon tattoo peels up off his skin
while he screams. No shanak transforms into a bunch of

(02:00:00):
flat square television screens and then folds up into the phantom.
Zone and then a HUGE cgi dragon flies out Of
Shao khan's, backbone and then the rest Of Chao khan
is just a skin.

Speaker 2 (02:00:12):
Pile, yeah kind of, melts kind of turns into a.
Skeleton but it is not a like in the, games
he explodes and it's always kind of cool When Shaal khan.

Speaker 3 (02:00:21):
Explodes here it is not. Cool it's just very. Lackluster it's,
like come, on and basically instantly everything's. Fixed The Golden
gate bridges back where it, Goes Eiffel towers back where it.
Goes none of this ever. Happened taking it all, back
we See sindel without her, band she, makeup She sindel
And kitana. Hug NOW i guess she's not evil. Anymore

(02:00:42):
the elder gods breathe some life back Into raydon and
he wakes. Up take that back, too he's. Fine and
then the elder god with the computer voice, says it
is only right That shinnock's son be allowed to take
his place in the Eternal. Palace so it Seems raydon
is an elder god. Now and he walks around telling
all his, weak pathetic mortals that he's so proud of,

(02:01:04):
them and he, says and, remember be there for one.
Another you're family, now Even. SINDEL i, guess.

Speaker 2 (02:01:13):
Yeah just one big happy, family Because Mortal kombat it's
not about, death it's about.

Speaker 3 (02:01:18):
Family. Yeah Then raydon blows away AS cgi in the,
breeze and then we get The Mortal kombat and that's the.

Speaker 2 (02:01:25):
End, Yeah AND i think you can find this if
you look. Online but originally there was going to be
a stinger Where shinnock is Bringing Kwan chi into the
fold and it's, like all, Right Quan chi be ready
for the next. Movie BUT i think everyone decided we're
actually not ready for the Next Mortal kombat. Movie we
need to take some time and really think about what
we want to do with this.

Speaker 3 (02:01:44):
Franchise, WELL i feel as IF i have participated in
a martial arts tournament. MYSELF i am all tuckered out
from talking About Mortal kombat, annihilation AND i don't know
how much MORE i can say.

Speaker 2 (02:01:54):
It annihilates one as, advertised That's Mortal, kombat AND i
nhilation again a film that has it's not just a complete,
disaster but, geez it's it's pretty. Rough it's pretty.

Speaker 3 (02:02:08):
Rough you can queue up make a good combo, though
to queue up alongside like a really good martial arts,
movie like watch it With fist Of fury or. Something, yeah,
YEAH i enjoyed, it, Though LIKE i, say it's it's
it is so, bad it's. Good we rarely say that
about a film on weird house, cinema but, THIS i
think is a clear cut example of. That it transcends

(02:02:31):
our judgments and becomes a thing that we can we
can fully embrace and. Enjoy i'm surprised it hasn't been
more embraced in the game because the video games have
done stuff, like you, know Bring Chris Christoph lumbert in
and do some voice work and put his version of
raiding in the, game and so there's a lot of
that fan service with the First Mortal. Kombat BUT i
don't know that they've done anything With Mortal Kombat. ANNIHILATION

(02:02:53):
i THINK i think it would be pretty cool Bring
Brian thompson, in, yeah or anything or some of those
CGIs THAT i don't, Know, well that would be pretty.
Good it plays with a lot of like alternate universes
and other, dimensions, right so you can have different versions
of the same. Character AM i right about?

Speaker 2 (02:03:08):
That, yeah that's what they've been doing on the more recent.

Speaker 3 (02:03:11):
One for.

Speaker 2 (02:03:11):
Sure they're all into the, multiverse you, know in good
ways and bad. Ways so absolutely there's a multiverse out
there that Is Mortal Kombat.

Speaker 3 (02:03:20):
Annihilation, yeah definitely bring in the reiner shown a shinnock
to just be disappointed and kind Of. German yuh, yeah all,
right there we, Go Mortal Kombat, annihilation flowless.

Speaker 2 (02:03:36):
Victory we'd love to hear what everyone out there has
to say about. This did you if you saw this
in the, wild if you saw this at the? Theater
definitely right? In if you you, know how do you
feel this film fits into Your Mortal kombat? Fandom what's
it like seeing this film without knowing anything About Mortal.
Kombat these are questions we would like, answered so right,

(02:03:57):
in we would love to hear from. You just a
reminder It's stuff To Blow Your mind is primarily a
science and culture, podcast with core episodes On tuesdays And,
thursdays short form On, wednesday but On fridays we set
aside most serious concerns just talk about a weird movie
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on letterbox dot, com look us. Up our username is Weird.
House we have a nice list of all the movies

(02:04:18):
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Speaker 3 (02:04:33):
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Speaker 1 (02:04:47):
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