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Mortal Kombat Reboot?

By Rodney - January 27, 2010 - 13:27 America/Montreal

I am dying for the day when Video Game movies take that turn and actually earn the right to real writers, great actors and solid storylines. But so far that doesn’t really happen… or when it does, its poorly executed.

That being said, console fighting franchise Mortal Kombat is aiming for a reboot to the big screen, and already has hired a writer.

/Film says:

Warner Bros. are in early development of a new Mortal Kombat movie. They’ve already selected a writer in Oren Uziel, author of the Black List 2009 entry Shimmer Lake. That script was a twisty, suspenseful thriller that combined murder mystery with a bank heist plotline, so it would seem Uziel has a smarter way with narrative than is strictly necessary for a beat ‘em up tournament film.

I find it interesting that they would hand this sort of franchise over to a heady writer like Oren Uziel, who is more at home with intrigue and well.. plot. But that tiny shimmer of hope that a Mortal Kombat film might actually be interesting instead of a wasting all their time on what they pretended was story just to show a sequence of fight scenes.

Mortal Kombat Annihilation was the ONLY film I almost walked out on. I have always been of the opinion that if you walk out of a film, you no longer hold the rights to an opinion on it. But that was just so terrible that I nearly did forfeit my right to save myself from seeing it. The only thing that stopped me is that we went with a group and I didn’t learn until later that they too wanted to walk.

But among the terrible stinking pile that is video game adaptations, the first Mortal Kombat wasn’t terrible. Not great, but not terrible.

I would entertain the thought knowing they are trying to honestly make a great film out of it that also has action.

» 36 Comments

  1. Matt Keith says:

    I loved the first Mortal Kombat, but the second film left such a bad taste in my mouth that I don’t want to see another, even if its a reboot. Besides, the popularity of MK has been dying, and the film most likely wouldn’t help.

  2. Michael says:

    Mortal Kombat is a classic fight film; thats all it’s ment to be… I’m going to watch it again.

  3. Roger Flores says:

    I myself have always been a fan of Mortal Komabt, but after seeing the movies I really thought that a movie could not work. Don’t get me wrong Robin Shou was kick ass hands down, but the lack of a proper storyline really made the movie tank. I think the first two Mortal Kombats failed because the writer’s felt they needed to introduce all the characters, which was the worst decision. Preferably I would like to see the main Antagonists be Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Reptile and Shang Tsung. Hopefully they follow the new costume designs for the characters rather than the rubber latex costumes.

  4. adix says:

    “Mortal Kombat Annihilation was the ONLY film I almost walked out on. I have always been of the opinion that if you walk out of a film, you no longer hold the rights to an opinion on it. But that was just so terrible that I nearly did forfeit my right to save myself from seeing it. ”

    You said the exact same thing about another movie a while back (couple of months).

    Anyway, yeah, maybe this new MK will be more about the characters and less about the fighting. Hahahahaha, i do am fuunny.

  5. War-Journalist says:

    Glad they ditched the idea of a trilogy.

  6. thematticus says:

    Get Ang Lee to direct it. Make it more of a cinematic event instead of a cheap money grab. Go for Oscars, not a big opening weekend followed by a tank job.

  7. TDot says:

    All I have to say is Christopher Lambert better be in this!!!!!

    • Rodney says:

      I hope the hell he isn’t.

      I love him because of Highlander, but thats where the love ends.

    • Darren J Seeley says:

      I think Lambert is a good actor who is underused in some areas and who pisses away his talent in other films. I would love it if he played a Bond villain, for example.

      But I would not want to see him in a new Mortal Kombat film either.

      James Remar too, for that matter.

  8. Schulzy says:

    Want a good Video Game movie? James Cameron should do Mass Effect. Everybody wins.

    Will it happen? No. Can I dream? Yes.

  9. SlashBeast says:

    The first one was only good compared to the extremely low standards of the black hole of suck known as video game movies.

    I doubt that a reboot would do anything to make an actually good video game movie adaption.

  10. MichoPower says:

    I have been hoping for this news for a long time! I loved the first MK movie…yeah it had its flaws but it was pretty fucking cool for a preteen boy!!! I will see this either way but damn do i hope they give it a good plot.

  11. Dragonslayer says:

    Maybe they’ll do bethAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I couldn’t even finish that.

    Well, as long as there’s no “Mother Your Alive!” “Too Bad YOU will DIE!”

  12. the_almighty_smack says:

    I just bought mortal kombat and mortal kombat anihilation DVD’s at wal mart for 5 bucks both of them for 5 bucks.

    the first one was cool and they really ruined the second one killing johny cage in the first 5 minutes wtf??

    I think it could be a wicked movie if done right

  13. ramsey says:

    Mortal Kombat was the first movie I saw in the theater opening weekend. I lived in a small town in southern texas so of course, it was sold out. i was 13 and it was the loudest movie ever for me. I loved that first movie. MK is my fav of the video game moves, now if done right, which I know will be hard to pull off, it would be great to re-enconter those characters.

    • MBanno says:

      Perhaps. But you also have to remember that they were basing Annihilation more on Mortal Kombat 3, or perhaps the Ultimate version of 3. Johnny Cage wasn’t in it, and if I’m not mistaken, was considered dead in that game.

  14. matty says:

    The have to bring back the theme song form the first movie.

    MORTAL KOMBAT!!! dundundundundadun..

  15. David Lopan says:

    I remember when the first one came out in theaters down here in miami. Not only were dudes on the beach making out to the techno soundtrack, they were also fighting each other after their make outs. Imagine that…tons of dudes, short shorts, rollerblades, kissing, and falling because they tried to kick each other with their “blades” on. Unbelievable, the things you see on south beach.

  16. Ryan says:

    “I am dying for the day when Video Game movies take that turn and actually earn the right to real writers, great actors and solid storylines. But so far that doesn’t really happen… or when it does, its poorly executed.”

    Um, Tomb Raider? The first one was not bad — and had an Academy Award winning actress. It was a solid B popcorn movie, just like most fun action flicks.

    It’s easy to dismiss all movies based on video games as terrible, but there was, by my count, one solid one and a few that were watchable (including, actually, the first Mortal Combat movie).

    • Rodney says:

      One hardly justifies “turning a corner” for the whole genre. There are a few based on games that I didn’t hate, but for the most part Video Game movies seem to fall in that category where you think the creators knew it would suck so didn’t bother to do anything to avoid it.

      The superhero genre really seems to have taken that turn where they are making efforts to put out quality films and not dismissing them just because they were based on comic books.

    • Darren J Seeley says:

      Tomb Raider… The first one was not bad — and had an Academy Award winning actress.

      While I will agree that films based around individual characters having new adventures does have more potential than other video games to films…Tomb Raider was medicore at best. Also, just keep in mind the sequel had that same actress.

      Having an award does not always mean an actor or actress can make a bad choice and show up in a clunker.

    • David Lopan says:

      Boat Trip had an academy award winning actor.

    • SlashBeast says:

      Tomb Raider had a budget of $115 million and an A-list actress. How was it a B-movie?

  17. Ricci says:

    Did anyone watch the TV series? now the bidget on that must have been pretty dam low, but hell, I got into it and loved it, and was gutted when the series ended and wasn’t brought back.

    I’d love to see a reboot, done well.

  18. Darren J Seeley says:

    I don’t mind the video games. But there’s only one way to make this thing work as a movie. Only one. And even then, it would still have a limited audience. Thus, stick to Playstation and the Wii’s and we’ll be just dandy.

    What’s that ‘only way’ Mista knowitall!?
    Well, I’m glad you asked.

    Here’s a list.

    1) R rated. No exceptions.

    2) Bone breaking, bone crunching blood and gore *non stop*
    At best a body count that rivals Saw or Friday The 13th. At least five graphic fatalities, and a boat load of bruises, scrapes and cuts. Carnage! Carnage! Carnage! and one paper cut.

    3) All the women must be 50% plastic with plunging necklines or something less that…well let’s just say it will distract an male opponent.

    4) The Oni are in the film, picking folks up and brutally smashing them repeatedly on brick floors.

    Any questions?

    Are you serious?

    Hell, no!

  19. 420BAND says:

    Hey dont diss Boat Trip! That latina was smokin hot and was the reason I watched it all the way through that and the swedish bikini team..

  20. 420BAND says:

    How can anyone deny the greatness that was Mario Bro’s … they started it all!

  21. Toshio says:

    Im still waiting for MGS, God of War and Fatal Frame movie…guess i can just dream huh?

  22. bjon86 says:

    @Rodney. You said: “I have always been of the opinion that if you walk out of a film, you no longer hold the rights to an opinion on it.”

    DUDE!! I totally fuckin agree!! I have ALWAYS said that to my friends!! They’ll tell me “awe man that movie was trash. We just left.” And I go “Um.. you mean you didn’t even finish it? So you didn’t even see the climax and the rest of the character development. How do you know you wouldn’t have liked the ending?”

    Now, granted, that’s with movies I usually like and am trying to defend. If the movie was a complete piece of trash then I will just say “I don’t blame you for walking out, but I do blame you for being an idiot and actually having enough faith in that shitty looking movie to pay 12 bucks to go see it.”

    haha anyway. just jibber jabber.

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