It's only people unafraid of change who are resisting this movie.

The stories of 90% of the characters have been developed from MK1 to MK8.. this is just another interpretation. Plus to liken this to SAW is c***... its about the fights.. its about the human spirit.. and i think Scorpion as the anti-hero is a great choice

As opposed to... mindless violent with artistic merit? If we're going to even consider this ridiculous idea a possibility, and then do it by comparing MK1 to this film teaser...

MK1's wins the "artistic merit" hands-down: dichotmous East-meets-West + ancient-meets-modern imagery, a glaringly obvious nod to Bruce Lee who was an artistic and philosophical genius, satirising the myriad of B-grade martial arts/gore films (satire is an artform) ... all this spews art from every orifice if you even try and consider torture-porn as artistic.
Unless I'm misinterpreting something here, saying that teasers like this have even some semblance of artistic merit, and use this as a platform for reinventing a 15+ year old franchise, deserves one colossal facepalm.

if you can't see the art in this.. i'm worried.. the characters are thought through.. the fight amazing.. the story of vengeance.. the feel gritty.. this is more art than a lot of movies spewed out of hollywood

this isnt annihilation.. the characters are explained..

outworld could be hell for all we know..

Ok First Of all This Garbage is a horrible movie pitch for Mortal Kombat. I couldn't think it could get any worse than Annihilation but this really makes my balls boil with furry. I mean what is this? Another Gritty Cop movie with characters loosely based off the games holding their names. Its not impossible to make a good Mortal Kombat Film with character development. Dont ever try to make a Epic Story like MK "realistic". I mean just look at the opening movie clips from Shaolin Monks. Wow I would love to see a live action film just like that! Not this godawful Peice. You "fans" want a realistic and totally new take...... Then ask the fans of Street Fighter and Dragon Ball Z what they thought of the recent Films and you will never look at Mortal kombat the same again.

Dark? Yes. Gritty? Yes.

Realistic? Who the fuck asked for anything like this?

If you see anything other than the noir and the choregraphed fight sequences as art... then I'm the one who's worried.

The characters are thought through? Are you kidding me? Sure, they're interesting ideas, but they're still two deformed guys who dismember people like cavemen, which we've seen hollywood churn time and time again over the last ten years. They are no better, or no worse, than the average MK character we've had before.

If they had come out looking like they possessed the intricacies. unpredicability and charm of Dr Hannibal Lecter I'd be more inclined to agree that these lunatics hold some artistic value. But not even close, buddy. Not even close.

I am sure the fans would like to see film makers get the other MK interpretations and story right in live action before its taken in a whole new direction. I personally would wait another decade to see a worthy movie made before this recent pitch even got a chance.

That's not an argument. You could say that about anything. They could have Smoke farting on a snare drum, and if people hated it, the crowd could shout "Change haters! Change hater! It just comes down to fictional essence. What's more essential to Reptile? The fact that he eats heads, or the fact that... I don't know, he's a humanoid reptile.

However, I do agree that Scorpion was the highlight. Now that this has proven to be a demo clip, I can say light-heartedly that something about the Scorpion interpretation did kinda work.

Laugh if you will, but mindless violence can be artistic. I will recommend a prime example to you in a second.

So far the only thing concerning Lee in MK1 is Liu kang and the plot, setting reminiscent of Enter the Dragon. It is art, yes, but purely for entertainment value. MK1 barely has anything original. The characters are homages down to their most basic visual characteristics from various movies. MK2 was better as it invented something from scratch from various oriental designs. MK3 and the urban/nondescript wtf architecture was a step back. MK4 suffered from the engine, and MKDA-MKD returned to MK2 designs.

I ask a few questions: how is this new interpretation going to travel back in time and invalidate everything in between MK1-MKA? Why can't someone take artistic freedom and try something entirely new? Why must he be inhibited to do as he wishes with his very own creations?



Mindless and self-serving violence is artistic if given context. The absolute best I have read is the manga adaptation of The Morning Tournament at Sunpu Castle called Shigurui (concerning two disfigured samurai blind,lame vs one armed forsaking everything for revenge on each other, also, add the society and it's reaction to this, really good story might I add).
The novel is smething I am in dire need to read... the manga is shockingly realistic (anatomic detail to tendons at work etc.)

I respect your opinion Temp, and I have loved MK likely just as long as you, but we as hardcore fans can't always expect MK to cater to us, the longtime fans. It's just not how franchises survive in the long haul. Mortal Kombat needs to attract new audiences and fans as well to continue on as a marketable franchise. Sure, I know, that doesn't mean they need to make a movie reboot with character's changed up...but if 90% of people approve, and 10% don't...you can't claim that 90% are just ignorant sheep that love anything that looks like Saw. Maybe the problem lies with certain hardcore fans refusing to accept a new alternative vision just because it's not what they are used to seeing for the past 18 years.

You can call it a Saw clone all you want, but the fact is, the visual style in that video matches what MK should look like. From the lighting, the gore, the grittiness, the fight scenes...it's what MK is all about, and I am sure the creators of the game had this style in mind when creating MK.

The rest isn't directed at you, rather people in general...

I realize no matter how good something is, there will always be people that hate it, and vice versa. If there is a movie that is made 100% like the games and is a 5 star classic, there will be a minority out there that hate it because it's not what they want. Same goes for the next game. This forum is going to be FILLED with people bitching when the game is revealed, even if the game is the best it's been in years...simply because in the eyes of fans, especially in us hardcore fans, if everything isnt perfect or the way they wanted, they will whine 'til the cows come home. It's because people focus on the bad and not the good. They are pessimistic. You can't make everyone happy.

I say all this because you are insulting those that actually like this video for it's strengths, and don't let it's weaknesses hold us back from enjoying it. That's bullshit. I can't stand negativity. It's like a plague in society these days. Everyone just complains about all the bad things instead of all the good things.

I didn't see anyone on here that didn't like the video say:

"I am not a fan of the video, but at least we got to see something new and it got people talking"

No...most people that hated it went on and on complaining about how this is not MK, they better not make this into a movie or the next game, how it's so dumb and how it's just following popular trends of realism these days etc. etc.

Who cares? We got to see a damn 8 minute video with the best fight scene to ever carry an MK name attached to it. We got to see the perfect actor portray Jax. We got to see Scorpion's spear, not some lame dragon thing, go through someone's neck and yank them back...appreciate what we got and stop worrying so much that it has the same style of Saw or The Dark Knight...

Keep in mind, I am embracing everyone to have their own opinion weither good or bad, but why do you always have to focus on the negative aspects of things? Loosen up and be optimistic...you'll find you actually enjoy things for a change. And if you wanna call enjoying things being a sheep...I could care less, I am the one who is ultimately happy, while you are too focused on being disappointed and critical.

I'm a little put down that Johnny Cage is dead before the movie would have even started (unless that clip is from somewhere in the middle of the proposed film).

He's the comic relief... but I guess killing him off (like they did in MKA) sets the tone for something more serious. Something tells me Stryker is going to be there too. I was just waiting for his face to pop in, but it didn't happen.

I'm just scared of what ideas they're going to do to ruin characters like Goro, Kitana, Mileena.................. or if they're even going to make it?!?!

With the direction they've pitched so far, I can see goro being a siamese twin, or a two-headed human. But 4 arms? I doubt it. I really do unless he ends up being some half human half robot, and then I'm just going to have to throw up all over my popcorn.

The render for Sub-Zero scares me too... it reminds me of some sick-ass Doctor Satan shit from House of 1000 Corpses. Some experiment gone wrong and now he can freezse stuff like Mr. Freeze from batman? Ugh...

I appreciate all the sick violence, but a LITTLE fantasy would still have been nice instead of finding real-world excuses for powers and personalities for characters.

Docotor Baraka. Seriously? Baraka is a mutant.... for god's sake mutation is REAL in human evolution. I'd have believed that. We can believe it for X-Men why not MK? Some freak born with a mutation and his bones can extend from his arms. Wolverine pulled it off....... I'm not saying MK needs to be like X-Men. But at least have good excuses for shit like X-Men has.

I'd hardly call Saw a generic gore film, but that's an entirely different debate altogether.

To clarify, gore films would be Cannibal Holocaust. The SAW movies fall into the torture horror category (or hillarious scare movie in my case, but then again I AM a sick fuck), Hostel is an insulting piece of garbage but falls more into the SAW category with very prominent cases of non-subtle violence.

Saw I and II were fantastic. For me, it ended there.
It's like trying to do Final Destination over and over again.
Same shit different movie in the series.

I guess the same could be said about the MK film franchise?

Are you serious? Do you not see anything wrong with that post. You do realize this film would feature an anti-hero main character in what would likely be mindless violence don't you?



Yeah, no. Try again. I'm not afraid of change, I just don't like things I'm not a fan of, like this for example.



Oh yes, a "story of vengeance"... my my, that's certainly original. Certainly that's development of Scorpion's character. It couldn't be they just changed Scorpion's background as hell-spawned ninja to convict but kept intact his "revenge at any price" storyline he's had for 18 years. Nope, couldn't be that at all. Just about every action film "spewed out of Hollywood" features the main hero with some sort of vendetta.



You keep reinforcing your "but you can have your opinion, that's cool" motto while simultaneously putting down anyone that doesn't agree with you and like this as "negative" or "whiner". Check around in the thread some more, I did say I was happy to have the forum active with conversation and I do not like the movie. So you're wrong on that little fact of yours.

You're really not "embracing" alternate opinions on this because you keep putting down anyone that doesn't like it as "afraid of change" or some type of nonsense like that, or like here saying that we are at fault because we are so closed minded apparently. I don't need to be talked down to like you're a high school counselor, I'm well aware of what I like and what I don't. If I just hated everything and was a fan or nothing, then yes there might be some problem. But because I don't like this particular piece of cinema? Nope, I'm certainly entitled to my opinion on it. There's no such thing as a universally loved piece of art. There will be some critic out there that dislikes even the most revered work, and you can't just write them off simply because you don't happen to agree. Comparing this with some great piece of art is obviously a stretch, so seeing a good number of people objecting to this makes sense to me.

I don't know why supporters keep whining about this anyway. MK fans being split is not ground breaking news, it is the way it's always been. Some people love gory fatalities, some focus on gameplay and some focus on the story. Why do you want to destroy what the MK community is and always has been by asking everyone to be the same, or putting them down cleverly when you claim to be accepting? Regardless, the decision seems split to me and I would put "positive reception" as the majority at this point. Let the minority have their negative opinion of this, not all of us are reacting in a childish manner, hardly anyone has honestly.

If you think this response is bad, apparently you've forgotten what happened when MKvs.DCU was announced pretty quickly.

OR IS HE? IT IS JUST IN THE SCRIPT!



Well, for starters mutations do not work that way, if we are going by the realism tango. However the Reptile thing Harlequin-type Ichtyosis is horribly real.


Anyone notice Baraka's real name? Zane...zany? MK has gone bonkers.

Try not to ruin the new Scoprion for me, please.

I also expect somekind of subversion. You are right of course, but let me remind you that this looked like martial art, it looked stylish and had a certain aesthetic to it. Most of the 90's are riddles with exercises in adrenaline. MK1...

...well, I cede somewhat. MK1 did have something going for it being a game with digitized actors and all, but beyond that it was barely original. This piece of fine-ass cinema could stand alone on it's own...

I really like michael jay white would be perfect for jax also the whole vibe I got from the vid was great and unique looking even if this is just a vid to show WB looks great...

But wouldn't it be safe to say that if the 90% casual fans approved of the alternate interpretation, then more than likely, they would also approve of the conventional version? It must also be noted that this 90% approval has been garnered from forum response. Perhaps they're not MK fans, but they are message board regulars like us. I would imagine that based off non-gamers, the title alone would the final word ticket sales.

Also, I don't think past history supports the success of this movie. When has drastic stylistic overhaul ever led to success (Not counting Dark Knight for reasons Mr. the Tiger already gave)? The Iron Man Franchise kept to the essentials and ending up meeting lucrative results (in fairness, that story had decades of finished groundwork that MK still needs to do).

Perhaps the best indicator will be the new "Last Airbender" film, which looks as though the creators went through great lengths to preserve the anime's visual style and story. We'll see how that turns out.

I said before that if done right, MK could make a great film. I'll add this part: a good MK film wouldn't even be difficult to make. The characters are so much fun, and the story is pretty straight forward. I promise you, if you made a trailer that had a good-looking ice blast, a nice-looking spear, and Raiden in a Vietnamese farmer's hat, we'd be in business.

If you think I am contradicting myself then you are misunderstanding my post. I said that everyone is welcome to have their opinion, but how hard is it to try and focus on the positives and be optimistic. That's not forcing any opinion on anyone. An example:

"I disliked the video, I really think it's a terrible idea to go in that direction with MK and especially disliked the revamping of Reptile and Baraka in a realistic fashion. However, I did think that fight scene was pretty damn sweet and really dug the guy who played Jax, he was perfectly cast. While I wouldn't want this to be the next movie per say, but it's cool to see so many people on here again. Everywhere I go it seems as though MK is back in the spotlight, so that's a plus!"

See, this opinion was based on someone who ultimately hated the video and the whole concept of it. The feelings were expressed, but ultimately they put a positive optimistic spin on something bad. They also stated some things they did like from the video. How hard is that for people to do? It just seems that when people analyze things, they almost always focus so much on the negatives and hamper on them. That's all I'm saying. I didn't mean to imply I wanted everyone to like the video. I have been on both sides of the scenario in the past over many things, but I usually can find at least something optimistic to latch onto. Sure, that doesn't mean everyone else should, but I hate to see people acting in a way that this simple pitch video is the potential dead end of MK.

I did see your response before, and maybe it slipped my mind but yours was pretty positive given that you didn't like the video. It's a good example of what I am trying to convey, but most people don't see it that way. They resort to bashing the whole thing and act as if it's the end of time if this turns out to be real or part of a grander scheme.

The majority of people here probably weren't even born when MK1 came out.

Being positive about a movie I do not want to see the light of day is counter-productive. WB is almost certainly looking at the fan reaction. It'd be a bad idea to let them think this is what everybody wants when it's not.

Call me a whiner if you like, but I don't care what I look like in the eyes of people who like this video, because they look far less positive in mine. I have no respect at all for people who call themselves fans of MK but only care about the gore and fatalities and don't mind a story that has no Outworld or fireballs in it.

It's definitely not for everybody. I've stuck with it, though. The story is pretty amazing all throughout. It's easy to miss or forget details that are brought forth in later movies. It's all connected quite well. Speaking of which, Saw VII will be the last in the franchise and Cary Elwes is reprising his role as Dr. Gordon, so I'm hoping for a grand finale of sorts. And I'm with you on Final Destination. The first movie was spectacular. The first sequel was enjoyable but not as great as the first. The rest have been pretty underwhelming.

A suprising amount of us were from what I have gathered. Especially some of the longer mainstay posters here.

It sure would be interesting to know the age of all the people who hate this new movie proposal and just love the "deep" storyline of the games. After circa Mk2 the story started to fall apart fast for me.
I never felt that the humor that Mk3 injected into the series fit at all either.
The first couple of games were serious and dark to me.