One of the biggest problems with mortal kombat is that it's poster boys aren't it's main protagonists. So much could be solved/simplified if they were.
Which is why I would make an entire movie based on said poster boys, and then continue it with the more conventional ones, where they meet with the heroes, all in the same universe.
@@JustinJohnson-vc1gr. Please all kung lao does mostly is die! While liu kang got cast aside, and scorpion and subzero are over exposed! Appearently they already burried the hatchet in the 90's, so not mutch for them anymore!
for fans of the source material but far from fatal(ity) flawed. It's A B-movie that would benefit immensely from some wit in the script and charisma in the cast, it's not as aggressively hacky as P.W.S.A.'s oeuvre, but it runs into problems he didn't face in 1995: Namely, the bar has been raised quite a bit for movies in which teams of superpowered young people have fights to save the universe.
True. Although P.W.S.A. captured the evergreen essence of a team-up film. Despite the bullshit plot and themes, you grow at least somewhat attached to the main characters, by the end of it; whereas almost everyone in 2021 is about as endearing as a drywall.
This type of video is one of those that I wouldn't normally watch yet I found it really interesting and well made. Thanks for the vid. Can't really comment since I am not much of a Mortal Combat player.
What automatically gave the story round to 95 for me was the fact that the deaths ACTUALLY MEANT SOMETHING, in 2021 they were all just revived again anyway for the soon to come tournament which they didn’t do for some reason.. the film overall was just so corporate and safe/lifeless where as 95 despite the lack of substance from the games considering only 2 had came out was able to be so immersive and iconic giving tropes that are now essential to the games. That for me will easily put 95 on top, it ain’t perfect but we havnt met that benchmark yet so tough tiddies, also I strongly disagree your take on the music score cus TECHNO IS COOL.. well there’s that but mostly because that sound style is now just synonymous with mk, the best games in the franchise have it at the forefront and it fits the energy so well. You don’t have to agree with me but just listen to the character select music from the deadly alliance ost it’s pure heat 😤
Yeah, I got nothin against techno, I just wanted to fit that Eminem joke in there. I obviously love the MK theme, and Reptile's theme. And to your point, the more I think about it, MK '95 is an anomaly - almost every video game adaptation before or since, has been trash. And I tried to be objective, for the sake of the video, but there's no comparison - MK '21 is trash.
I lost it at the bonus round. Hilarious! This is a brilliant video because it's even harder to pull than making a video about either of these two movies separately. I tend to agree with the outcome of each round, even though I am still an MK: Konquest guy through and through which would seriously mop the floor on its own in a 2-vs-1 with these. OK, fine, maybe Ludi Lin would give it a bit of a challenge :).
@@CynicalWarlockjust discovered your channel a few notes on the 95 Sonya had to be recast late because C.Diaz got hurt lui did have a brother canonically and the reptile thing is because the fight was added later to add more action originally lui just threw him in the thing and it ate reptile like at the fight end
@@cameronjohnson9361 Strange, I couldn't find anything on Liu's brother, except a small trivia note, on some wiki. The added Reptile fight was a must, though it certainly made things way more contrived. In both good and bad ways. It's like looking at contemporary art; you don't really know what to think of it. And it would've been hilarious to see Diaz's take on Sonya Blade.
@@CynicalWarlock it’s in his bio in mk original Sonya’s dad who became integral in her story Johnnys real last name the ages of characters and bios are all in the first comic which means lui kang is 24 until someone kicks his ass in a mk because as champion he doesn’t age
95 definitely wins. Anihilation wasn't as bad as most say, it's got good amount of characters from MK games. It struggles in many other avenues though. 21 I'd say is kind of like Anihilation to me, slightly worse though because of everything but the CGI. Lao's teleleport was probably the most worthy scene, more worthy than his fatality. Kabal's signature nomad dash was another good one.
I honestly loved Liu Kang in MK21. He constantly plays with his "anal beads" as Kano puts it. But Kang's explanation of Arcana explains himself and the beads extremely well. He has anger issues, and is constantly struggling to keep it under control. It brings the Superman quote about a world of cardboard to mind.
Love that quote. Also it makes me salty that the film didn't explore the character more, after implying all these cool things about him. Good thing we spent most of the time with metal pijama Cole. Totally worth it.
Bonus round: Logic! Fuck logic! Moving on... On topic, very entertaining vid, thanks for putting in the effort. Unlike you, I'm biased towards the original MK. It holds a special place in my collective memories of movies, and I'd pretty much jump on a remake with a bit less quirkiness and a bit better CGI. That being said, I... enjoyed MK2021 but that's all I can say about it... Bar the original Scorps vs Subs fight it's just... another generic. forgettable action movie
There are two kinds of MK fans: The lore crowd and the gore crowd. And I think you and I are in different camps. To each his own but I for one have always enjoyed the story and characters of MK. Outworld is conquering the dimensional realms and the elder gods create a tournament to slow down his rapidly growing expansion. The tournament begins as a respectful and honorable competitions fought between mortals until Goro kills the Great Kung Lao and Shang Tsung becomes the tournament’s host and overseer. Corrupting the tournament and making it into a barbaric blood sport. I know the 95 movie is no masterpiece but it’s a guilty pleasure of mine. I like the visuals (NOT THE EFFECTS), like the scene where Liu Kang, Sonya, and Johnny climb that endless stairway that goes above the clouds. It all just felt so adventurous and otherworldly. They fought in arenas, the woods, in Outworld, and even the Netherrealm. It felt like the 21 movie really didn’t care about the source material or the characters, only providing lots of gore. They fought in deserts, trailers, gymnasiums, and Cole Young’s house. Like where’s the feeling of adventure? They made an OC the main character for goodness sake! I’ll take a dumb movie with heart, passion, and a respect for the story over a dumb movie that feels like an empty corporate cash grab any day.
@@bigevil1001 Well I'm secretly an A.I. so.. yeah. And you edited it.. You cheated. No I still very much think we're in a similar camp - I love the '95 movie. If the tone felt a bit overcritical or aloof, it's because I was trying to rank the 2 movies as objectively possible, but like I said in the video, MK '95 has such a sense of place, because of the sets, the architecture, the cool way they shot things; you simply don't see such good cinematography in a movie based on a fighting game. MK21 can't hold a candle to its predecessor.
@@CynicalWarlockWhen I make a long comment I sometimes save it so I don’t accidentally lose it. Then I go back and add edits. Also, I was watching your video while I was commenting. I should have waited till the end. You addressed a lot of the issues I brought up.
We sort of have mk movie triangle. On one end you have the 95 movie that made drastic changes to the source material so it could be better consumed by a casual audience, on the other you have scorpions revenge that prioritizes fanservice to questionable degrees, and for the center axis we have mk 2021 which tries to do both even to its detriment
Well MK 95 edges the other 2 out, so I guess going the casual route works well. MK 2021 is a bit of a schizo, as you said - it's casually funny, but it's got blood, but it has a lot of the games' characters, but they're shallow underneath etc. etc. Haven't watched Scorpion's Revenge, but it sounds like a mixed bag, based on your description.
@@CynicalWarlock To be fair to scorpions revenge, as the name would imply it does it's best to make scorpion a more fully realized character then he is in most mk media, so your feelings towards his story will decide your feelings toward the movie. I will also say it does contain a scene a which character kills someone else's rival and takes their accomplishment from them. Ultimately I think you should see it for yourself.
@@fightingmedialounge519 I'll have a look. I do like Scorpion's story, despite it being overdone, nowadays. As for stealing other characters' accomplishments, MK 2021 does a similar thing with Kung Lao and Goro. Cole kills Goro, despite having 0 connection to him, whereas Lao's entire family was shamed by his ancestor's defeat, at the hands of Goro. So that was handled poorly.
I would say they completely respected the essence of Sonya and shang tsung. The former had her motivation become more personal, like liu kangs, by giving her a dead partner at kangs hands; shang tsung, most likely do the fact that outworld wasn't a thing when mk1 came out, acts more like the middle.manager who wants people to think he's the boss rather the boss himself.
@@CynicalWarlock I was thinking more along the lines of a douchey co worker who acts like just being at job longer is the same as actually being in higher position.
Hym... I'm guessing that that movie exist cos of new mk review - how much that generates movement and comments. But have u think that can be 2 edge sword? Back then everyone was looking about everything about new movie, now that's a part of the past... I will enjoy much more about something fresh. As for the subject for me.answer is easy, I saw old one few time and remember it and and it's about Tournament of Mortal Kombat. New... Watch once, newer want watch it again, remember Kano with both eyes shouting one eye laser, cos... Game... And that mk2021 is not about Tournament it's about Magic Sweater Maker - Fatality, Original MK wins.
Your voice sounds different here. Both movies have issues but 95 is better. Im tired of the way MK lore treats Scorpion and Sub-Zero like side characters
@CynicalWarlock Sub-Zero and Scorpion are literally the Goku and Vegeta of Mortal Kombat and they both have the potential and backstory and are compelling enough to lead the series and serve as the main characters. But no, they're sidelined and are instead used as nostalgia bait because they're ninjas and have name value, while in reality they're sidelined in the story.
Omfg... how did I miss this 😠 Ok ok ok three years late and the challenge, no marathon comment far far away. In terms of ground work, 1995 Made Mortal gave the Gamers of my time the flag post to not just the community, but to so many new players who were either curious or were warned by the news outlet about its more gratuitous graphic nature. 2021 did its job by removing the taste of mk annihilation... As well as give us cole young... Easily, 2021 gave us the most hilarious Kano
< smh > - Smacks cynical Warlock for assuming such slander. - No... I loathe Mr Young.. he was not necessary.. or his family.. we all know that he was but a insert by the director to make < gags > cole... relatable yet hate worthy..
Liu Kang is a descendant of the great Kung Lao as well.. also, Kang is not Liu kang's family name. Liu is his last name equivalent. That's the same reason why we got Kung Jin. Their family name comes first
Even so, they're a separate race. There's no reason to assume their lifespan, and the movie itself makes no attempt to explain it, so it's reasonable to log it as a slipup.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Differing Opinions
00:53 - Intro
01:28 - Round 1: Characters
08:11 - Round 2: Story
11:24 - Round 3: VFX
13:19 - Round 4: Atmosphere & Worldbuilding
15:37 - Round 5: Music
17:23 - Round 6: Fights
25:51 - Secret Bonus Round
how old were you when you made this vid.
@@ri_c_e 4
@@CynicalWarlock 4 to 45 in 3 years 🔥🔥
@@ri_c_e Yeah, I played MK11 and aged 14 years per year.
@@CynicalWarlock understandable, the stress and dissatification alone
to be fair, mortal kombat 1995 only had 2 games to go off of. mortal kombat 2021 had over 10 games and still messed up on things
That is a very good point!
Mortal Kombat [1995] with 2 games still beats [2021] Mortal Kombat.
I love MK2021 because of Taslim's Sub-Zero. He's like Tagawa of the new movie - charismatic af.
Yep, he really gave everything he had, in that performance.
Gotta confess that CHANG KANG cracked me
Expert character naming, right there.
One of the biggest problems with mortal kombat is that it's poster boys aren't it's main protagonists. So much could be solved/simplified if they were.
Which is why I would make an entire movie based on said poster boys, and then continue it with the more conventional ones, where they meet with the heroes, all in the same universe.
You're saying a fighting game, with close to hundred characters should just be the scorpion and subzero show? Scorpion;"Get out of here"!
@@erikbihari3625 Those other characters get plenty of screen time, Scorpion and Sub-Zero feel cast aside
@@JustinJohnson-vc1gr. Please all kung lao does mostly is die! While liu kang got cast aside, and scorpion and subzero are over exposed! Appearently they already burried the hatchet in the 90's, so not mutch for them anymore!
@@erikbihari3625 That's the fault of the writers. The writers can easily come up with something for those characters
for fans of the source material but far from fatal(ity) flawed. It's A B-movie that would benefit immensely from some wit in the script and charisma in the cast, it's not as aggressively hacky as P.W.S.A.'s oeuvre, but it runs into problems he didn't face in 1995: Namely, the bar has been raised quite a bit for movies in which teams of superpowered young people have fights to save the universe.
True. Although P.W.S.A. captured the evergreen essence of a team-up film. Despite the bullshit plot and themes, you grow at least somewhat attached to the main characters, by the end of it; whereas almost everyone in 2021 is about as endearing as a drywall.
This type of video is one of those that I wouldn't normally watch yet I found it really interesting and well made. Thanks for the vid. Can't really comment since I am not much of a Mortal Combat player.
What automatically gave the story round to 95 for me was the fact that the deaths ACTUALLY MEANT SOMETHING, in 2021 they were all just revived again anyway for the soon to come tournament which they didn’t do for some reason.. the film overall was just so corporate and safe/lifeless where as 95 despite the lack of substance from the games considering only 2 had came out was able to be so immersive and iconic giving tropes that are now essential to the games. That for me will easily put 95 on top, it ain’t perfect but we havnt met that benchmark yet so tough tiddies, also I strongly disagree your take on the music score cus TECHNO IS COOL.. well there’s that but mostly because that sound style is now just synonymous with mk, the best games in the franchise have it at the forefront and it fits the energy so well. You don’t have to agree with me but just listen to the character select music from the deadly alliance ost it’s pure heat 😤
Yeah, I got nothin against techno, I just wanted to fit that Eminem joke in there.
I obviously love the MK theme, and Reptile's theme.
And to your point, the more I think about it, MK '95 is an anomaly - almost every video game adaptation before or since, has been trash.
And I tried to be objective, for the sake of the video, but there's no comparison - MK '21 is trash.
I lost it at the bonus round. Hilarious!
This is a brilliant video because it's even harder to pull than making a video about either of these two movies separately. I tend to agree with the outcome of each round, even though I am still an MK: Konquest guy through and through which would seriously mop the floor on its own in a 2-vs-1 with these. OK, fine, maybe Ludi Lin would give it a bit of a challenge :).
Thank you very much! I, too, am an MK: Conquest guy. Guess I'm making a video on that, too.
@@CynicalWarlockjust discovered your channel a few notes on the 95 Sonya had to be recast late because C.Diaz got hurt lui did have a brother canonically and the reptile thing is because the fight was added later to add more action originally lui just threw him in the thing and it ate reptile like at the fight end
@@cameronjohnson9361 Strange, I couldn't find anything on Liu's brother, except a small trivia note, on some wiki.
The added Reptile fight was a must, though it certainly made things way more contrived. In both good and bad ways. It's like looking at contemporary art; you don't really know what to think of it.
And it would've been hilarious to see Diaz's take on Sonya Blade.
@@CynicalWarlock it’s in his bio in mk original Sonya’s dad who became integral in her story Johnnys real last name the ages of characters and bios are all in the first comic which means lui kang is 24 until someone kicks his ass in a mk because as champion he doesn’t age
@@cameronjohnson9361 Ah, a comic.
After 30 minutes he bashed the eff out of both movies and leaves us with that. Nice😎
Couldn't help it.
95 definitely wins. Anihilation wasn't as bad as most say, it's got good amount of characters from MK games. It struggles in many other avenues though. 21 I'd say is kind of like Anihilation to me, slightly worse though because of everything but the CGI. Lao's teleleport was probably the most worthy scene, more worthy than his fatality. Kabal's signature nomad dash was another good one.
Yeah, the effects were all on point, but that's where all the effort went. They did nothing with these characters.
I honestly loved Liu Kang in MK21. He constantly plays with his "anal beads" as Kano puts it. But Kang's explanation of Arcana explains himself and the beads extremely well. He has anger issues, and is constantly struggling to keep it under control. It brings the Superman quote about a world of cardboard to mind.
Love that quote. Also it makes me salty that the film didn't explore the character more, after implying all these cool things about him. Good thing we spent most of the time with metal pijama Cole. Totally worth it.
This is gonna be good... :D
The fact that Cole wasn’t in the 95 one is an automatic victory for 95
Victory by way of common sense.
Good Mortal Kontent 👍
Thanks. It's a wonder you found it.
Bonus round: Logic!
Fuck logic! Moving on...
On topic, very entertaining vid, thanks for putting in the effort.
Unlike you, I'm biased towards the original MK. It holds a special place in my collective memories of movies, and I'd pretty much jump on a remake with a bit less quirkiness and a bit better CGI.
That being said, I... enjoyed MK2021 but that's all I can say about it... Bar the original Scorps vs Subs fight it's just... another generic. forgettable action movie
There are two kinds of MK fans: The lore crowd and the gore crowd. And I think you and I are in different camps. To each his own but I for one have always enjoyed the story and characters of MK. Outworld is conquering the dimensional realms and the elder gods create a tournament to slow down his rapidly growing expansion. The tournament begins as a respectful and honorable competitions fought between mortals until Goro kills the Great Kung Lao and Shang Tsung becomes the tournament’s host and overseer. Corrupting the tournament and making it into a barbaric blood sport. I know the 95 movie is no masterpiece but it’s a guilty pleasure of mine. I like the visuals (NOT THE EFFECTS), like the scene where Liu Kang, Sonya, and Johnny climb that endless stairway that goes above the clouds. It all just felt so adventurous and otherworldly. They fought in arenas, the woods, in Outworld, and even the Netherrealm. It felt like the 21 movie really didn’t care about the source material or the characters, only providing lots of gore. They fought in deserts, trailers, gymnasiums, and Cole Young’s house. Like where’s the feeling of adventure? They made an OC the main character for goodness sake! I’ll take a dumb movie with heart, passion, and a respect for the story over a dumb movie that feels like an empty corporate cash grab any day.
And here I thought you were gonna say we're both in both..
@@CynicalWarlockGood grief, you replied fast. I didn’t even have time to finish making my comment.
@@bigevil1001 Well I'm secretly an A.I. so.. yeah.
And you edited it.. You cheated.
No I still very much think we're in a similar camp - I love the '95 movie. If the tone felt a bit overcritical or aloof, it's because I was trying to rank the 2 movies as objectively possible, but like I said in the video, MK '95 has such a sense of place, because of the sets, the architecture, the cool way they shot things; you simply don't see such good cinematography in a movie based on a fighting game. MK21 can't hold a candle to its predecessor.
@@CynicalWarlockWhen I make a long comment I sometimes save it so I don’t accidentally lose it. Then I go back and add edits.
Also, I was watching your video while I was commenting. I should have waited till the end. You addressed a lot of the issues I brought up.
@@bigevil1001 Yeah, more and more people do that: comment first, watch video never.
We sort of have mk movie triangle. On one end you have the 95 movie that made drastic changes to the source material so it could be better consumed by a casual audience, on the other you have scorpions revenge that prioritizes fanservice to questionable degrees, and for the center axis we have mk 2021 which tries to do both even to its detriment
Well MK 95 edges the other 2 out, so I guess going the casual route works well. MK 2021 is a bit of a schizo, as you said - it's casually funny, but it's got blood, but it has a lot of the games' characters, but they're shallow underneath etc. etc.
Haven't watched Scorpion's Revenge, but it sounds like a mixed bag, based on your description.
@@CynicalWarlock To be fair to scorpions revenge, as the name would imply it does it's best to make scorpion a more fully realized character then he is in most mk media, so your feelings towards his story will decide your feelings toward the movie. I will also say it does contain a scene a which character kills someone else's rival and takes their accomplishment from them. Ultimately I think you should see it for yourself.
@@fightingmedialounge519 I'll have a look. I do like Scorpion's story, despite it being overdone, nowadays.
As for stealing other characters' accomplishments, MK 2021 does a similar thing with Kung Lao and Goro. Cole kills Goro, despite having 0 connection to him, whereas Lao's entire family was shamed by his ancestor's defeat, at the hands of Goro. So that was handled poorly.
@@CynicalWarlock yeah, a similar scene does happen in that movie; again trying not to spoil too much for you.
@@fightingmedialounge519 Scorps kills Shang, probably.
Oh boy here we go lmao
I would say they completely respected the essence of Sonya and shang tsung. The former had her motivation become more personal, like liu kangs, by giving her a dead partner at kangs hands; shang tsung, most likely do the fact that outworld wasn't a thing when mk1 came out, acts more like the middle.manager who wants people to think he's the boss rather the boss himself.
Very apt description of Shang. He's the brat who acts like he's boss, as soon as the parents leave the house.
@@CynicalWarlock I was thinking more along the lines of a douchey co worker who acts like just being at job longer is the same as actually being in higher position.
Hym... I'm guessing that that movie exist cos of new mk review - how much that generates movement and comments.
But have u think that can be 2 edge sword? Back then everyone was looking about everything about new movie, now that's a part of the past...
I will enjoy much more about something fresh.
As for the subject for me.answer is easy, I saw old one few time and remember it and and it's about Tournament of Mortal Kombat. New... Watch once, newer want watch it again, remember Kano with both eyes shouting one eye laser, cos... Game... And that mk2021 is not about Tournament it's about Magic Sweater Maker - Fatality, Original MK wins.
It's almost like... people like different things or something. Kinda wild, isn't it?
Downright perplexing.
Your voice sounds different here. Both movies have issues but 95 is better.
Im tired of the way MK lore treats Scorpion and Sub-Zero like side characters
Yeah, this was before I hit second puberty. It's an old video.
Wish they just made a Scorpion-Sub-zero spinoff movie, already. Would make bank.
@CynicalWarlock Sub-Zero and Scorpion are literally the Goku and Vegeta of Mortal Kombat and they both have the potential and backstory and are compelling enough to lead the series and serve as the main characters. But no, they're sidelined and are instead used as nostalgia bait because they're ninjas and have name value, while in reality they're sidelined in the story.
@@JustinJohnson-vc1gr Maybe it's the masks, lol. Hollywood's obsessed with not covering up their actors' faces.
Omfg... how did I miss this 😠 Ok ok ok three years late and the challenge, no marathon comment far far away.
In terms of ground work, 1995 Made Mortal gave the Gamers of my time the flag post to not just the community, but to so many new players who were either curious or were warned by the news outlet about its more gratuitous graphic nature. 2021 did its job by removing the taste of mk annihilation... As well as give us cole young... Easily, 2021 gave us the most hilarious Kano
You.. actually like.. Cole?
< smh >
- Smacks cynical Warlock for assuming such slander. -
No... I loathe Mr Young.. he was not necessary.. or his family.. we all know that he was but a insert by the director to make < gags > cole... relatable yet hate worthy..
@@dannyleo5787 au
2021 has higher power levels, but 1995 is a more complete and well put together movie. Aside from Kano and Sub-Zero, the rest of the movie sucks.
Honorable mention for Scorpion, but they wasted his part.
@@CynicalWarlock Yeah, I agree. They definitely fumbled him.
Liu Kang is a descendant of the great Kung Lao as well.. also, Kang is not Liu kang's family name. Liu is his last name equivalent. That's the same reason why we got Kung Jin. Their family name comes first
He's a descendant in the 1995 movie, but not in the games. Later games just got that twisted.
Liu Chang doesn't sound much better.
Bruv subzero’s dad is originally from Edenia where people live for very long years that’s why he’s alive 500 years later, that’s not a logic problem.
Even so, they're a separate race. There's no reason to assume their lifespan, and the movie itself makes no attempt to explain it, so it's reasonable to log it as a slipup.