The reboot of the Mortal Kombat movie series has been in the works with New Line for almost five years. The video game series has lumbered unevenly from the ridiculous (against DC Superheroes) to the more recent sublime (Mortal Kombat X) yet it continues to burn in the sky of our collective consciousness.
The long-awaited reboot of the movie series took a step closer today with the news that commercials director Simon McQuoid will be making his feature debut with the new version.
Clearly enough time has passed since the execrable Mortal Kombat Annihilation, which remains one of only two films this writer has ever walked out of. If you’re planning a rewatch in anticipation of the reboot just watch this and imagine two hours of it.
Mortal Kombat Annihilation Worst Line Ever
There’s also a Ted Danson lookalike playing a muscley centaur. It’s just plain awful. An insult to the celluloid on which it was shot.
What kickstarted the rejuvenation of the live action adaptation was Kevin Tancharoen’s 2010 web series Mortal Kombat: Rebirth which took a similar approach to the games as Joseph Kahn did with his unofficial Power Rangers short.
Unlike Kahn’s film, which was taken down everywhere as Haim Saban moved forward with their own movie version due out next year, Rebirth led to a well-received web series subtitled Legacy. We can expect a similarly ‘realistic’ take on the series.
James Wan is the man producing the new MK film, and McQuoid’s adverts point to a fine visual style which the series desperately needs to help it stand out from the crowd.
Here’s hoping they can top this trailer for the first film, which genuinely captures the silliness and the excitement for the movie at the time. Finish Him!
Mortal Kombat Movie Trailer 1
