Mortal Kombat (1995)

Mortal Kombat is a 1995 American martial arts fantasy film directed by Paul Anderson. Based on the video game franchise of the same name, it is the first installment in the Mortal Kombat film series. Starring Linden Ashby, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Robin Shou, Bridgette Wilson, Talisa Soto, and Christopher Lambert, the film follows a group of heroes who participate in the eponymous tournament to protect Earth from being conquered by malevolent forces. Its story primarily adapts the original 1992 game, while also using elements from the game Mortal Kombat II (1993).

Plot:

Mortal Kombat is a martial arts tournament that is held once every generation between representatives of the realms of Earth and the otherworldly dimension of Outworld. If Outworld achieves ten consecutive victories, the Outworld Emperor will invade and conquer the Earthrealm. They have already won nine times. Shaolin monk Liu Kang, movie star Johnny Cage and Special Forces officer Sonya Blade are chosen by Rayden,

of thunder and defender of Earthrealm, to prevent Outworld from winning their tenth straight tournament. Kang seeks revenge against the tournament host Shang Tsung for killing his brother Chan and taking his soul; Sonya is lured onto the ship headed for Shang Tsung’s island by crime boss Kano, who murdered her partner; Johnny seeks to debunk media claims that his martial arts skills are faked.

Filming

Filming began in August 1994 and ended in December 1994. The Outworld exterior scenes were filmed at the abandoned Kaiser Steel mill (now the Auto Club Speedway) in Fontana, California, while all of Goro’s scenes were filmed in Los Angeles. Shooting locations in Thailand were accessible only by boat, so cast, crew and equipment had to be transported on long canoe-style vessels. Location manager Gerrit Folsom constructed an outhouse in a secluded area near the set to alleviate the problem of repeated trips to and from the mainland. Filming locations in Thailand include the Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Chaiwatthanaram and Wat Ratchaburana temples.

Box office:

Mortal Kombat opened on August 18, 1995, and was #1 at the box office for the weekend with $23.2 million, nearly eight times the opening amount of the only other new release that weekend, The Baby-Sitters Club. At the time, it was the second-highest August opening after 1993’s The Fugitive. The film enjoyed a three-week stint at number one, grossing $73 million domestically in the United States. It also earned $51.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $124.7 million.