Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced it will be bringing featured panel discussions to Comic-Con@Home 2021 for Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two on Friday, July 23 at 3:00pm PT and Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms on Saturday, July 24 at 4:00pm PT. Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two, the concluding chapter of the DC Universe Movie adaptation and produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC, will be available on Digital July 27, 2021 and August 10, 2021 on Blu-ray. Continue below for press details.
WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT SPOTLIGHTS BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN, PART TWO & MORTAL KOMBAT LEGENDS: BATTLE OF THE REALMS
AT COMIC-CON@HOME OVER JULY 23-25 WEEKEND
Featured panelists include actors Jensen Ackles, Joel McHale, Katee Sackhoff,
Troy Baker, Ed Boon, Julie Nathanson, Jordan Rodrigues & Dave B. Mitchell,
plus filmmakers Rick Morales, Tim Sheridan & Jeremy Adams
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings two highly anticipated releases to Comic-Con@Home 2021 with intriguing panel discussions of Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two on Friday, July 23 at 3:00pm PT and Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms on Saturday, July 24 at 4:00pm PT.
Links to view the panels will be available when Comic-Con International announces its full weekend schedule in early July. For more information about Comic-Con, visit www.comic-con.org.
On Friday, July 23 at 3:00pm PT, WBHE will present a star-studded panel discussion of the most anticipated animated Super Hero release of the year – Batman: the Long Halloween, Part Two! Inspired by the iconic mid-1990s DC story from Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two completes the two-film journey as the Holiday Killer is still at large and, with Bruce Wayne under the spell of the venomous Poison Ivy, Batman is nowhere to be found. Liberated by an unlikely ally, Bruce quickly uncovers the real culprit: Poison Ivy’s employer Carmine Falcone. The Roman, his ranks decimated by Holiday and his business spinning out of control, has been forced to bring on less desirable partners – Gotham City’s rogues’ gallery. In the meantime, Harvey Dent is confronting battles on two fronts: attempting to end the mob war while also dealing with a strained marriage. And, after an attack that leaves Harvey hideously disfigured, the District Attorney unleashes the duality of his psyche that he’s strived his entire life to suppress. Now, as Two-Face, Dent decides to take the law into his own hands and deliver judgment to those who’ve wronged him, his family and all of Gotham. Ultimately, the Dark Knight must put together the tragic pieces that converged to create Two-Face, the Holiday Killer, Batman and Gotham City itself. Watch the fun as panelists discuss the thrilling conclusion to this epic tale, including Jensen Ackles (Supernatural, Batman: Under the Red Hood) as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Katee Sackhoff (The Mandalorian, Battlestar Galactica, Batman: Year One) as Poison Ivy, Julie Nathanson (Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay) as Gilda Dent, Troy Baker (The Last of Us, Batman: Arkham Knight) as The Joker and screenwriter Tim Sheridan (Reign of the Supermen, Superman: Man of Tomorrow). Actress/host Tiffany Smith (He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, DC Daily) moderates the festivities. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, DC and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, the feature-length animated film – which will be accompanied by the latest DC Showcase animated short, Blue Beetle – arrives July 27, 2021 on Digital and August 10, 2021 on Blu-ray.
On Saturday, July 24 at 4:00pm PT, WBHE celebrates the exhilarating sequel to the 2020 hit Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge with an equally thrilling (and hilarious) panel featuring the stars and filmmakers of Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms. Based on one of the most popular videogame franchises in history, Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms finds our team of heroes besieged by the enemy forces of Shao Kahn – forcing Raiden and his group of warriors into a deal to compete in a final Mortal Kombat that will determine the fate of the realms. Now our heroes must travel to Outworld in order to defend Earthrealm and, simultaneously, Scorpion must find the ancient Kamidogu before it’s used to resurrect the One Being – which would mean certain destruction of all things in the universe. Time is short and the stakes are high in this action-packed continuation of the Mortal Kombat journey. Joel McHale (Community, Stargirl), the voice of Hollywood star-turned-fighter Johnny Cage, headlines a panel that includes Jordan Rodrigues (Lady Bird, The Fosters) as Liu Kang; Dave B. Mitchell (Mortal Kombat 11, Call of Duty franchise) as Raiden, Kintaro & Sektor; screenwriter Jeremy Adams (Supernatural, Justice Society: World War II); producer Rick Morales (Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, Batman vs. Two-Face); and game co-creator Ed Boon (NetherRealm Studios), who serves the films as the Creative Consultant. Joshua Gray, producer and host of Mortal Kombat Events & Professional Tournaments since 2015, moderates the panel. Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms, an all-new, feature-length film produced by Warner Bros. Animation in coordination with NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The film arrives from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Digital, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack on August 31, 2021.
Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two, the conclusion of a two-part the DC Universe Movie adaptation of the classic comic, will be available on Digital starting July 27, 2021 and August 10, 2021 on Blu-ray. Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One is currently available on Blu-ray and Digital. Stay tuned for further Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two updates and coverage right here at The World’s Finest!
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms – an all-new, feature-length film produced by Warner Bros. Animation in coordination with NeatherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment – is slated to hit shelves Summer 2021. The animated movie, a follow-up to 2020’s Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge, includes familiar cast and crew members from Warner Bros. Animation’s wealth of DC Comics-based animated projects. Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms will be available on Digital, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack starting August 31, 2021. Press details are below followed by the trailer.
ONE FINAL FIGHT TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE!
MORTAL KOMBAT LEGENDS: BATTLE OF THE REALMS
WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT’S SEQUEL TO 2020 HIT ANIMATED FILM
ARRIVES AUGUST 31, 2021 TO DIGITAL, BLU-RAY™, AND 4K ULTRA HD™ BLU-RAY COMBO PACK
The fate of the universe once again hangs in the balance as warriors come together for one final clash in Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms, an all-new, feature-length film produced by Warner Bros. Animation in coordination with NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The film arrives from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Digital, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack on August 31, 2021.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms will be available on Blu-ray (US $29.98 SRP; Canada $39.99 SRP) and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (USA $39.99 SRP; Canada $44.98 SRP) and Digital. The Blu-ray features a Blu-ray disc with the film in hi-definition and a digital version of the movie. The 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack features an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc in 4K with HDR, a Blu-ray disc featuring the film in hi-definition, and a digital version of the movie. Pre-orders will be available for the Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack beginning June 28, 2021, and for Digital starting on July 8, 2021.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms picks up shortly after the explosive finale of Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge, the 2020 blockbuster hit that initiated these animated films – which are based on one of the most popular videogame franchises in history. In Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms, our team of heroes are besieged by the enemy forces of Shao Kahn – forcing Raiden and his group of warriors into a deal to compete in a final Mortal Kombat that will determine the fate of the realms. Now our heroes must travel to Outworld in order to defend Earthrealm and, simultaneously, Scorpion must find the ancient Kamidogu before it’s used to resurrect the One Being – which would mean certain destruction of all things in the universe. Time is short and the stakes are high in this action-packed continuation of the Mortal Kombat journey.
Joel McHale (Community, Stargirl) and Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight) return to their lead roles as Hollywood star-turned-fighter Johnny Cage and all-business warrior Sonya Blade, respectively. Also returning for the sequel are Jordan Rodrigues (Lady Bird, The Fosters) as Liu Kang; Patrick Seitz (Mortal Kombat X, Aggretsuko, Naruto: Shippuden) as Scorpion & Hanzo Hasashi; Artt Butler (Her, Star Wars: The Clone Wars) as Shang Tsung & Cyrax; Robin Atkin Downes (The Strain, Batman: The Killing Joke) as Shinnok & Reiko; Dave B. Mitchell (Mortal Kombat 11, Call of Duty franchise) as Raiden, Kintaro & Sektor; Ikè Amadi (Mass Effect 3, Mortal Kombat 11) as Jax Briggs & One Being; Grey Griffin (The Loud House, Young Justice, Scooby-Doo franchise) as Kitana, Satoshi Hasashi & Mileena; and Fred Tatasciore (Robot Chicken, Family Guy) as Shao Kahn.
New to the Mortal Kombat Legends voice cast are Matthew Mercer (Critical Role, Justice Society: World War II) as Stryker & Smoke; Bayardo De Murguia (Tiny Pretty Things) as Sub-Zero/Kuai Liang; Matt Yang King (Mortal Kombat 11 video game, Justice League vs. The Fatal Five) as Kung Lao; Paul Nakauchi (Carmen Sandiego, Overwatch) as Lin Kuei Grandmaster; Emily O’Brien (Days of Our Lives, Constantine: City of Demons) as Jade; Debra Wilson (World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, MADtv) as D’Vorah.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms is directed by Ethan Spaulding (Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge, Batman: Assault on Arkham) from a script by Jeremy Adams (Supernatural, Justice Society: World War II) and based on the videogame created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. Rick Morales (Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, Batman vs. Two-Face) is Producer. Jim Krieg (Batman: Gotham by Gaslight) is Producer. Executive Producer is Sam Register. Ed Boon (NetherRealm Studios) is Creative Consultant.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms Special Features
Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital
-The God and the Dragon: Battling for Earthrealm (Featurette) – Go behind the scenes and inside the creative process of bringing Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms to action-packed life on screen.
-Voices of Kombat (Featurette) – Join Joel McHale, Jennifer Carpenter, and the cast as they detail the process of creating unique and compelling voices for the larger than life characters in the film.
-Kombat Gags: Gag Reel (Featurette) – Step inside the VO booth with the cast of the film for all of the flubbed lines and outrageously improvised lines from the cutting room floor.
-Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms Audio Commentary (Audio Only) – Producer Rick Morales and Screenwriter Jeremy Adams take the audience inside the art of writing and animating the film in this feature length audio commentary.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms will also be available on Movies Anywhere. Using the free Movies Anywhere app and website, consumers can access all their eligible movies by connecting their Movies Anywhere account with their participating digital retailer accounts.
ABOUT MOVIES ANYWHERE
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BASICS
PRODUCT SRP
Blu-ray $29.98 USA, $39.99 Canada
4K UHD Combo Pack $39.99 USA, $44.98 Canada
Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray Languages: French, German, Latin-Spanish, English
Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray Subtitles: Dutch, French, Latin-Spanish, English-SDH, German – SDH
Running Time: 80 minutes
R for strong bloody violence throughout and some language.
About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.:
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment’s physical and digital distribution businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.
About Warner Bros. Animation: Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) is one of the leading producers of animation in the entertainment industry, producing and developing projects for multiple platforms, both domestically and internationally. WBA’s current series include Animaniacs for Hulu, Green Eggs and Ham for Netflix, Aquaman: King of Atlantis, Batman: Caped Crusader, Batwheels, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, Harley Quinn, Jellystone!, Little Ellen, Looney Tunes Cartoons, My Adventures with Superman, Tiny Toons Looniversity, Velma and Young Justice for HBO Max, DC Super Hero Girls, Teen Titans Go!, ThunderCats Roar for Cartoon Network, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, Scooby-Doo! and Guess Who?, The Tom and Jerry Show and Yabba-Dabba Dinosaurs! for Boomerang. WBA’s full-length theatrical film, Teen Titans GO! to the Movies, was released in summer 2018. As home to the iconic animated characters from the DC, Hanna-Barbera, MGM and Looney Tunes libraries, WBA also produces highly successful animated films — including the DC Universe Movies — for DVD, Blu-ray® and digital media. One of the most-honored animation studios in history, WBA has won six Academy Awards®, 35 Emmy® Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, a BAFTA Children’s Award, an Environmental Media Award, a Parents’ Choice Award, the HUMANITAS Prize, two Prism Awards and 20 Annie Awards (honoring excellence in animation).
Produced by Warner Bros. Animation in coordination with NeatherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms arrives from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Digital, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack starting August 31, 2021. Watch the trailer in the player below.
Special coverage by The World’s Finest for the Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge animated feature can be found here. Stay tuned for further select Warner Bros. Animation coverage right here at The World’s Finest.
MORTAL KOMBAT Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema Release Date: Theatrical, HBO Max – April 23, 2021; 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD, Digital – July 13, 2021 Back to Main
Description: From New Line Cinema comes the explosive new cinematic adventure Mortal Kombat, inspired by the blockbuster video game franchise, which most recently enjoyed the most successful video game launch in its history, Mortal Kombat 11. The film is helmed by award-winning Australian commercial filmmaker Simon McQuoid, marking his feature directorial debut, and produced by James Wan, Todd Garner, McQuoid and E. Bennett Walsh.
In Mortal Kombat, MMA fighter Cole Young, accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of his heritage—or why Outworld’s Emperor Shang Tsung has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero, an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt Cole down. Fearing for his family’s safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade at the direction of Jax, a Special Forces Major who bears the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with. Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden, an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao and rogue mercenary Kano, as he prepares to stand with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe. But will Cole be pushed hard enough to unlock his arcana—the immense power from within his soul—in time to save not only his family, but to stop Outworld once and for all?
The diverse international cast reflects the global nature of the brand, with talent spanning the worlds of film, television and martial arts. The ensemble includes Lewis Tan as Cole Young; Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade; Josh Lawson as Kano; Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden; Mehcad Brooks as Jackson “Jax” Bridges; Ludi Lin as Liu Kang; with Chin Han as Shang Tsung; Joe Taslim as Bi-Han and Sub-Zero; and Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi and Scorpion. Also featured are Max Huang as Kung Lao; Sisi Stringer as Mileena; Matilda Kimber as Emily Young; and Laura Brent as Allison Young.
McQuoid directed from a screenplay by Greg Russo and Dave Callaham, from a story by Oren Uziel and Russo, based on the videogame created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. Richard Brener, Dave Neustadter, Victoria Palmeri, Michael Clear, Jeremy Stein and Larry Kasanoff served as executive producers.
Mortal Kombat Movie Review By James Harvey
Bringing the franchise back to the big screen after over two decades, Warner Bros. Pictures’ Mortal Kombat features some good fisticuffs and character beats, but it ultimately falls short of victory. The film struggles with its generic and slight story, dour tone and, overall, an underdeveloped cast, which inevitably turns what should’ve been an exciting, gripping journey into instead a passable jaunt. While there are some redeeming factors to be found, it squanders its potential. Mortal Kombat is nowhere remotely near a flawless victory, but by no means is it a fatality for the franchise’s big-screen ambitions.
Mortal Kombat follows MMA fighter Cole Young as he quickly finds himself on the run and fighting for survival after learning that his dragon-shaped birthmark is actually an invitation to an epic fighting tournament that will determine the fate of the universe. Hunted by the unstoppable Sub-Zero and preparing for battle with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld, Young and his heritage might just be the key the heroes need to claim victory.
After building up a tremendous amount of goodwill with an excellent extended flashback/prologue featuring Hanzo Hasashi (pre-Scorpion) and Kuai Liang (pre-Sub-Zero) fighting it out to the death, Mortal Kombat brings the audience to modern-day times and, over the course of the remaining 90-plus minutes, squanders said goodwill. Instead of going for broke and embracing the craziness of the Mortal Kombat video game franchise, here the movie instead tries a somewhat straight-forward and grounded approach, which sucks the movie of its soul (something Shang Tsung would likely appreciate). While there are definitely some strong beats to be found and nifty nods throughout, plus some genuinely exciting moments, they are few and far in-between as the movie proceeds to limp to its inevitably underwhelming finale.
Simon McQuoid, making his feature directorial debut, starts off strong but quickly loses his way. There’s an immediate dip in quality when the movie shifts from it’s gripping flashback/prologue to modern times, trading the former’s interesting characters, tone and semi-lavish setting for the latter’s half-baked and muddy ‘serious’ approach, the same approach we’ve seen time and time again in other failed video game movie adaptations. The director is clearly a fan of the franchise, but his attempted gritty, realistic take on the material is a major misstep which robs the movie of Mortal Kombat’s lavish insanity. The intent is understandable, but misplaced, since nothing about Mortal Kombat can really be ‘realistic.’ Just think about how bonkers these games really are, and how a grounded, straight-forward style directly clashes with that. Mortal Kombat‘s near-non-existent plot makes this gaffe all the more apparent.
Using Young as the audience’s conduit into the world of Mortal Kombat, the movie posits him as the ‘everyman’ thrown into a situation that’s beyond belief. That’s not a bad thing, not at all, but the lack of any tangible character development outside of a few brief moments rob him of any real interest. Lewis Tan does solid work with the role, given the scant material he has to work with. There’s real potential for Young’s character, as he’s so different from the rest of the franchise’s over-the-top personalities, but he just kind of fizzles out and gets lost in the morose festivities. His big moment toward the film’s climax similarly lacks the ‘oomph’ needed to really justify his presence and the time spent with him. The film could’ve easily jettisoned Young and used that desperately-needed time to flesh out other characters and aspects of the story.
Joining Young on his journey from washed-up MMA fighting to Mortal Kombat tournament fighter are Sonya Blade, Jax and Kano, though Lord Raiden, Liu Kang and Kung Lao eventually join in. Blade and Jax are mostly around for exposition dumps and fights, with no real character arcs to speak of, with Kano hanging out as, primarily, comic relief. Kano is one of the film’s few bright spots and elicits some genuine laughs (despite being a truly reprehensible person), providing some much-needed levity for the film’s misguided and overly serious tone.
With the debatable exception of Scorpion, Sub-Zero and Kang, the majority of the movie’s characters don’t get much development outside of a couple quips and a few lines about their back-story and their abilities. Joe Taslim (as Bi-Han/Sub-Zero) and Hiroyuki Sanada (as Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion) easily get the film’s best material and make a strong impression whenever they pop up, with Taslim’s intimidating The Terminator-esque take on Sub-Zero a true stand-out, though Sanada is just engaging as the noble-but-scorned Scorpion. The cast is clearly game to embrace the many absurdities that come with Mortal Kombat, but they simply aren’t given the material to work with.
The bad guys fare worse, unfortunately. Tsung, ruler of Outworld and the primary antagonist, gets the most screen-time out of the lot, but spends it rattling off threats and evil plans ad nauseum. His goons are no more than punching bags and temporary obstacles for our heroes. To call these foes underwritten would maybe be an overstatement. There’s barely anything there, and that’s a shame since the video game iterations are some of the most enjoyably theatrical and extravagant bad guys this side of the arcade. Every character here is underutilized to varying degrees, on both sides of the fight, with Mortal Kombat offering only fleeting glimpses of its squandered potential.
The lack of development doesn’t stop with just the characters, but also to nearly every other aspect of Mortal Kombat. The dearth of any real concrete explanation of the rules to this world is another blow to the movie, as so much is either under-explained or simply accepted with face value with no follow-up. Some of our heroes are giving life-changing abilities, and it barely seems to register. There’s little push-back or genuine conflict as Young and his fellow kombatants confront world-altering revelation after revelation. True, most likely don’t expect any type of deep character development or layered story-telling when it comes to this franchise, but events in this movie just glide by in a way that makes nothing feel impactful or really engaging.
While the characters and overall story might be lacking, the actual fighting – for the most part – is pretty solid albeit smaller-scale than expected and occasionally hard to track. Following an ambitious, thrilling prologue – containing unquestionably the film’s best fight sequence – the latter fisticuffs ultimately fall short. There is some impressive choreography and work being done by the cast and crew, but it gets lost amidst the some questionable directing. The camera is usually too tight and the editing noticeably aggressive, making fights choppy and difficult to follow at times. That all said, the film’s fatalities tend to be suitably fun and gruesome, and offer some of the film’s best moments.
Mortal Kombat may not be the best film inspired by the long-running video game franchise but, overall, it’s adequate, though below the quality it should’ve been. Long-time fans will likely enjoy it, for the most part, but there’s not much here for new viewers to grasp. 2020’s Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge remains the best movie inspired by the beloved brutalizer, though this latest attempt does a serviceable if underwhelming job. Mortal Kombat makes the critical error of trying to ground all the lunacy when instead it should be embracing and running with it. The 1995 original did, as did the aforementioned 2020 animated feature, and it paid off quite well for both. There are fleeting glimpses here of what a modern, big-budget Mortal Kombat movie could and should look like, but it appears we’ll need to wait for a potential sequel for another shot at cinematic victory. Watch at your own risk!
MORTAL KOMBAT LEGENDS: SCORPION’S REVENGE Studio: Warner Bros. Animation Label: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Release Date: Digital – April 12, 2020; 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD – April 28, 2020 Back to Main
Description: Based on the popular videogame franchise, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge, brings the game to life in a feature-length animated film produced by Warner Bros. Animation in coordination with NeatherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge, spotlights the once-in-a-generation tournament between the champions of Outworld and Earthrealm – a competition that will ultimately determine the fate of Earth and all its citizens. Lord Raiden, protector of Earthrealm, must gather the greatest fighters of his realm to defend it from the evil Shang Tsung in the battle to end all battles – Mortal Kombat!
Joel McHale and Jennifer Carpenter lead a cast as the voices of Hollywood star-turned-fighter Johnny Cage and all-business warrior Sonya Blade, respectively. The voice cast also includes Jordan Rodrigues as Liu Kang, Patrick Seitz as Scorpion & Hanzo Hasashi, Steve Blum as Sub-Zero, Artt Butler as Shang Tsung, Darin De Paul as Quan Chi, Robin Atkin Downes as Kano, David B. Mitchell as Raiden, Ike Amadi as Jax Briggs, Kevin Michael Richardson as Goro, Grey Griffin as Kitana & Satoshi Hasashi, and Fred Tatasciore as Demon Torturer.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is directed by Ethan Spaulding from a script by Jeremy Adams based on the videogame created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. Rick Morales is producer, and Jim Krieg is co-producer. Executive producer is Sam Register. Boon also serves as creative consultant.
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital
-From Epic Game to Extreme Animation – Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon and the filmmakers reveal the creative process behind adapting the best-selling game to an all-new animated film.
The Weapons, Wardrobe and World of Mortal Kombat Legends – The artists reveal the design challenges of animating the world of Mortal Kombat, from authentic armor to wildly imaginative weapons and fantasy settings.
-The Savage Sound Design of Mortal Kombat Legends – This hard-hitting audio exploration reveals the art of designing the sonic language of the fight scenes.
-Mortal Kombatants – Dive deep inside the cast of characters to reveal their unique abilities, signature moves and backstories.
-Filmmaker Commentary – Producer Rick Morales and screenwriter Jeremy Adams sit down for an insightful audio commentary that reveals the process of creating a compelling animated film based on one of today’s most popular fighting games.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge Movie Review By James Harvey
Arguably the best Mortal Kombat movie to date, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is an action-packed, blood-soaked animated adventure that is not only a solid feature in its own right, but also does well by the beloved video game franchise. Skulls are cracked, limbs are broken and body parts go flying in this gleefully over-the-top and unexpectedly fun outing which is both accessible to new audiences and unquestionably required viewing for long-time fans.
Right from the get-go, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is a clear love-letter to the beloved video game franchise and its long-time fans. Plus, for new viewers, it admirably positions itself as a wildly entertaining introduction into the world of Mortal Kombat and its eclectic cast of characters. Even if they’ve only played Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, or have just a passing knowledge of this particular realm, viewers shouldn’t be lost as this movie dives deep into the game’s surprisingly elaborate mythos and lays everything out as clear as can be, delivering info through great story beats, wicked action sequences and courtesy of the film’s fun characters.
As usual, this review will be as spoiler-free as possible.
The story doesn’t cover too much new ground for those familiar with the tournament, but it still presents everything in a way that feels novel and fresh. Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge once again brings us to the fabled once-in-a-generation tournament between the champions of Outworld and Earthrealm, a competition that will ultimately determine the fate of Earth and all its citizens. As Lord Raiden gathers his forces to defend the realm, one fighter in particular is looking to settle a score and will stop at nothing to get it. The fighter? Scorpion. And he’ll kill who he has to to get what he wants.
Using Scorpion, one of Mortal Kombat‘s most popular characters, and his tragic back-story to both kick-start the movie and serve as a gateway into this brutal, over-the-top world of ancient gods and brutal fisticuffs, is an effective way to connect the viewer to the larger-than-life madness that awaits. His backstory proves both tragic and compelling, and there’s genuine interest to see how his path will intersect with the larger story. Plus, using an established character over some random new creation gets us just that much closer to understanding the world these characters inhabit.
When Scorpion’s path takes him to the fabled title tournament, not only do we get to watch his story play out, but we’re also introduced to a wealth of Mortal Kombat‘s most prolific fighters. While the Mortal Kombat saga’s backstory is arguably unnecessarily convoluted at times, and maybe even confusing, Scorpion’s story provides the focus that helps every other aspect of this movie click into place, even if the transition between character focus can be a little clunky.
Other familiar faces joining Scorpion on this animated slugfest include Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, Liu Kang, Raiden, Goro, Jax and many more. Whenever the film gives Scorpion a breather, it’s usually Cage, Blade and Kang who tap in to keep the story rolling and the journey undeniably entertaining. Cage is especially a stand-out, giving Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge both some of its biggest laughs and slickest action beats. And considering the movie, that’s saying something.
This movie is not only packed with plenty of nods and Easter eggs for fans of the franchise, but there’s plenty of callbacks to classic action films from over the years, including Enter the Dragon among many others. Unquestionably, director Ethan Spaulding (Batman: Hush) and writer Jeremy Adams (Teen Titans Go! vs Teen Titans) are fans of the fabled tournament, and there’s a clear love of the source material from the movie’s cast and crew, and that comes out in spades through the film’s runtime.
While shifting between the larger-than-life theatrics of the actual Mortal Kombat tournament and Scorpion’s personal mission of revenge can be a little awkward at times, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is able to juggle both with fairly well. The film’s only major shortcoming is that some important details are skipped over, particularly when it comes to the power set of some of the cast and how those abilities came to be and are used (though that’s possibly held over for future Mortal Kombat Legends movies), but that’s a minor complaint at best (and maybe not at all, given the history of the franchise). The rest of the expected beats and tropes are handled with flair and usually accompanied by buckets of blood.
As you can likely guess, this movie holds nothing back when it comes to the furious fisticuffs that unfold throughout. Every punch, every kick, it’s all on screen in all it’s blood-drenched glory. You want spines ripped, skulls smash and bones broken? It’s all here. As with the rest of the film’s creative team, the animation studio jumps in head first and doesn’t look back. Action scenes, for the most part, are riveting and each blow is depicted in glorious, gruesome detail. The animation may slip here and there, with the odd bit of stiff or jumpy character movements, but overall the movie looks fantastic.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first Mortal Kombat-based animated feature project. Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins, released in 1995, was an animated prequel to both the original Mortal Kombat live-action film and to the game series, and it was far from good. It’s pretty terrible actually and is arguably a low-point for the franchise. There was also a Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm animated series in the mid-1990s which, while not as bad as The Journey Begins, it’s still substantially lacking (check both out in some bonus videos below). Thankfully, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is anything but.
The overall look of Mortal Kombat Legends, in terms of production and character design, is undeniably slick. The characters look especially cool, with sharp and stylized designs that capture the feel of their respective video game counterparts while adding a dash of style. Bringing these designs to life is the film’s strong voice cast, with Joel McHale and Jennifer Carpenter leading the pack as Cage and Blade, respectively. Both share some excellent scenes together, with McHale’s comedic chops in full swing. Patrick Seitz and Steve Blum, as Scorpion and Sub-Zero, also deserve a nod for handling some of the more dramatic, meatier aspects of the film’s story. Voice and casting director Wes Gleason assembles a strong overall cast and pulls out plenty of fun performances.
Despite a little clunky story-telling, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is a fun, thrilling adventure that does right by the long-running franchise. With its strong take on the source material coupled with enjoyable animation, and plenty of excellent action beats and fight scenes, there’s plenty for fans to take in. Plus, it’s definitely friendly to new viewers, too, though the film’s multitude of homages and nods may be lost on them. Given the pedigree behind this movie, made up of regular contributors to the DC Universe Movie and DC Animated Movie lines, it’s no surprise they’ve churned out probably the best Mortal Kombat movie to date.
Be it a fresh viewer or long-time fan, the bonus materials included with the movie should also be of interest. The extra content includes “From Epic Game to Extreme Animation,” “The Weapons, Wardrobe and World of Mortal Kombat Legends,” “Mortal Kombatants,” “The Savage Sound Design of Mortal Kombat Legends,” an audio commentary and an assortment of trailers. Each featurette covers assorted aspects of Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge‘s production, and are worth watching for fans of the movies and of the franchise. The audio commentary is a top-notch listen, and is well worth listening too. It’s informative, funny, and is packed with great stories and anecdotes. Available in multiple formats, for the best presentation, the 4K Ultra HD release is the one to beat.
An excellent animated feature, packaged with some enjoyable bonus features and a fantastic high-definition audio/video presentation, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is a surprising and invigorating jaunt to the biggest tournament around. Long-time Mortal Kombat fans will surely enjoy this, plus it offers an easy-access point for those new to the realm. Touching upon so much of what makes this classic video game franchise so great, in addition to the never-ending supply of surprises and nods throughout, it’s bone-crunching tour-de force that is absolutely worth checking out. Highly Recommended!
The Mortal Kombat Legends home video franchise, produced by Warner Bros. Animation, kicked off in 2020 with Scorpion’s Revenge. Based on the acclaimed video game franchise Mortal Kombat, the ongoing animated movie series is the first Mortal Kombat-based property to be produced at Warner Bros. Animation after its parent company Warner Bros. Entertainment acquired the franchise in 2009 from Midway Games. Each movie spotlights either one or a series of characters from the Mortal Kombat universe, and Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon serves as creative consultant.
Regular Mortal Kombat Legends creators include director Ethan Spaulding, writer Jeremy Adams and supervising producer Rick Morales, with at least one title released per year. Sam Register serves as executive producer, as does Boon.
To note, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge marks the first Mortal Kombat film to be rated R by the MPA. It’s also the first Mortal Kombat animated project since the 1995 Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins animated movie and the 1996 Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm animated series.
Click on the images below to check out coverage of each Mortal Kombat Legacy title. Reviews include exclusive commentary, images, videos and more.
Did you know?
As mentioned above, the Mortal Kombat Legends franchise is not the first animated projects based on Mortal Kombat. Check out the bonus videos below featuring clips from the first two Mortal Kombat animated properties – Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins and Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm!
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Check out these assorted Mortal Kombat comic titles from DC Comics!
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