The Mortal Kombat reboot movie came out in April 2021. It focuses on an original character named Cole, who is the descendant of Scorpion, as he works with warriors such as Sonya Blade to fight Outworld’s forces. The movie features Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion. Here are ten of the best scenes in the movie. Yes, there will be spoilers, so you have been warned.
10. Kabal convincing Kano to join Shang Tsung
Figure 1 Kabal is trying to convince Kano to join Shang Tsung's side.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bMLOauqrBs
This scene happens around the halfway point of the movie. Throughout the film, Shang Tsung sends in Outworld warriors to hunt down and kill Earthrealm’s warriors including Cole. At some point in the film, Cole and the other Earthrealm warriors find Raiden’s temple and take refuge in it; the temple is protected by a magical barrier. This barrier prevents Shang Tsung and his warriors from going inside the temple.
One of Shang Tsung’s warriors named Kabal decided to speak with Kano (who was in the temple) to destroy the barrier and join Shang Tsung. After the conversation, Kano does break the barrier thus allowing the bad guys to attack.
This scene gives the viewer some insight into the history Kano had with Kabal in their respective organization called the Black Dragon. It also shows how much of an opportunistic person Kano really is.
9. Nitara’s introduction
Figure 2 Nitara lands and reaches out for Shang Tsung.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1PmcC4-vmo
Next up is a short, but funny scene. Shang Tsung is about to talk with some of the Outworld warriors when a screech is heard followed by a vampire woman (named Nitara) flying and landing next to Shang Tsung. Shang Tsung says that she is beautiful; this was followed by Kabal sarcastically responding “yeah, that screech is a real turn on”.
Up until that point, the characters in the movie are from the first three Mortal Kombat games (plus Reiko from Mortal Kombat 4), but then this scene plays and brings in a character from Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance. It was interesting to see that the cast had a couple of newer characters that weren’t in the first three Mortal Kombat games.
8. Reptile’s attack
Figure 3 Reptile revealing himself to the Earthrealm warriors right before he continues attacking.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RUhMjdFYmA
This is one of the earlier fights in the movie. Cole just escaped from Sub-Zero (since Jax was distracting him and fighting him) to Sonya’s hideout. As Cole and Sonya were talking, with Kano strapped to a chair, a large lizard named Syzoth (or Reptile) attacked the three. Reptile was one of the Outworld warriors sent by Shang Tsung to kill Earthrealm’s warriors. Unfortunately for Reptile, Kano would kill him by ripping out his heart; Kano then says, “Kano wins”.
This scene has Reptile use one of his special moves and, somewhat, attempt to do his fatality. When Reptile initially attacks, he uses invisibility which is an ability he has in the games. Later in the scene, Reptile launches out his tongue and grabs Kano, and pulls Kano close to him; as he picks Kano, Reptile makes a biting gesture at his head. That references one of Reptile’s fatalities where he pulls off the opponent’s head, with his tongue, and eats it. This scene shows Kano pulling out Reptile’s heart which is Kano’s iconic fatality in the games.
7. Kung Lao’s fatality on Nitara
Figure 4 Nitara is on top of a statue and is about to attack Kung Lao.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjcQamSHmR4
Kano had broken the barrier at the temple which allowed Shang Tsung (and his warriors) to attack it. Kung Lao attacks Shang Tsung when Nitara appears and tries to attack him. However, the attack fails, and Nitara gets her body sliced in half by Kung Lao’s hat.
While this scene was very short, it was amazing to see how Nitara died because that is a fatality that Kung Lao has in the newer games. Interestingly, there was going to be an actual fight scene between Nitara and Kung Lao and that Nitara was going to win, but Nitara’s original actress got injured and was replaced with an actress that couldn’t fight. As a result, the scene was changed to the one we got.
6. Kano gains his powers
Figure 5 Kano, with his eye glowing, is about to shoot a laser out of his eye thus unlocking his powers.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijls0zS88j4
Earthrealm’s warriors (Kano being one of them) were taking refuge in Raiden’s temple. During their stay, the warriors were training. At some point, they were eating a meal together. Kung Lao and Liu Kang are throwing insults at Kano which causes Kano to snap and fire a laser out of his eye. Right after that, Kano laughs realizing that the insults were on purpose to get Kano to unlock his powers.
This scene is one of the funniest scenes in the movie. Liu Kang and Kung Lao both liken Kano to an animal such as a dog or a bunny. Before Kano snaps, Kano responds by saying things such as shoving Kung Lao’s hat so far up his butt that he will speak Spanish. A lot of the funny scenes does revolve around Kano.
5. Sonya vs Kano
Figure 6 Sonya is dodging Kano's laser attacks by hiding under the floor.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P4GmKMi59Q
After Cole reunited with the other Earthrealm warriors, he suggested to Raiden to bring the Outworld warriors to different locations, so they can fight them in one-on-one battles. Sonya ends up fighting Kano at her hideout. Sonya ends up winning by killing Kano with a small statue.
If anyone was going to fight and kill Kano, of course, it was going to be Sonya. Kano is Sonya’s rival throughout the series, so it makes sense for the two to fight. Also, it was funny to see Sonya kill Kano and say to him “Feels Fucking Amazing, Mate”.
4. Cole vs Goro
Figure 7 Goro is attacking Cole at his home.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVqO3-0gS7M
While they were training, Cole was failing to unlock his powers. Raiden sent him home to his family believing he would never unlock it. However, Shang Tsung sent Goro to kill him and his family. When Goro was about to harm his wife and daughter, Cole unlocked his powers and gain a pair of tonfas and gold body armor that can absorb attacks and then strengthen his.
Goro was a complete monster (in a good way) in this scene. He was wreaking havoc until Cole gained his abilities and killed him. The actor who played Cole said that this scene was difficult to shoot in terms of the choreographing, the fact that they shot the scene late at night, and he that the suit was too warm.
3. Sub-Zero vs Jax
Figure 8 Sub-Zero freezing and destroying Jax's arms.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tKalmLCi5k
This fight happens early in the film. Cole is eating with his family when Sub-Zero attacks them in the street. Jax shows up with a car and gets them out of there, but eventually Sub-Zero shows up. Jax stays behind to fight Sub-Zero while Cole leaves with his family. Jax and Sub-Zero fight inside a building (seemingly under construction) where Sub-Zero wins and destroys Jax’s arms by freezing them.
Sub-Zero is one of the main highlights of this film. This scene does a good job of showing how menacing Sub-Zero is in the movie. Furthermore, Sub-Zero does a good job utilizing his ice powers to defeat Jax and literally disarm him.
2. The opening scene (Scorpion vs Sub-Zero)
Figure 9 Scorpion confronting Sub-Zero after finding his family dead.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmyJNyb94jg
One of the best scenes was, without a doubt, the opening scene. It shows Scorpion (as a human) in Japan (in the year 1617 AD) where his family and clan are killed by a Chinese clan called the Lin Kuei. Scorpion kills the Lin Kuei assassins before confronting Sub-Zero. Scorpion puts up a fight but is ultimately killed by Sub-Zero.
Along with Sub-Zero, Scorpion was another main highlight of the film and Hiroyuki Sanada does an incredible job playing as Scorpion. This scene helps show the history between Scorpion and Sub-Zero. It is implied that Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei have been present in Japan for some time given that Sub-Zero can speak Japanese. Also, just like the scene with Sub-Zero fighting Jax, Sub-Zero is an absolute menace. But there is one scene that is even better.
1. The final fight (Cole and Scorpion vs Sub-Zero)
Figure 10 Scorpion and Sub-Zero about to continue fighting.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLltVsJvM6k
The best scene is the final fight between Scorpion and Sub-Zero with Cole aiding Scorpion later. Sub-Zero had kidnapped Cole’s family and frozen them. Cole went and fought Sub-Zero but was overpowered until he used Scorpion’s kunai which summoned Scorpion. Scorpion fought Sub-Zero and, with the help of Cole, defeated and killed Sub-Zero by burning him.
This scene was worth waiting for. Scorpion appears and uses his iconic “Get Over Here” move and pulls Sub-Zero towards him to fight. A highlight of this scene was the sword fight between Scorpion and Sub-Zero; it was cool when Sub-Zero summoned a sword made of ice. The remix of the Mortal Kombat theme helped make the fight more epic.
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