Review: Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge

Nearly a year after it’s release, Mortal Kombat 11 was the fifth best-selling game of 2019 and that’s despite it releasing to some controversy over the reliance of grinding and micro-transactions. However, the game signified the closing of a next-gen reboot trilogy that saw Liu Kang be dethroned as the “hero” of the popular gaming franchise in favor of Scorpion who has officially transcended that of a game character and is forever firmly planted in the throes of popular culture.

Likewise, with WB Animation ramping up it’s output, it doesn’t surprise me that they would release an animated feature-length film starring Scorpion entitled Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge. In this tale, the Patrick Seitz-starring titular character comes about after his own murder, along with the murder of his wife, kid, and ninja clan, at the hands of a mis-led Lin Kuei. Promising revenge, Hanzo Hasashi is reborn as Scorpion to compete in Mortal Kombat, a once in a generation battle that sees the mightiest warriors from across the realms battle so that the winner can have a chance to defeat Goro (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson). Also included in the tournament is Earthrealm, with the Lord Raiden (voiced by Dave B. Mitchell) entering in Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the form of Liu Kang (voiced by Jordan Rodrigues), Johnny Cage (Joel McHale), and Sonya Blade (Jennifer Carpenter). Raiden’s back is up against the wall because if Earth loses one more time, Outworld’s Shao Kahn (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) can take over Earthrealm as it’s ruler.

As one could expect from Mortal Kombat, the feature-length film with an 80-minute runtime has pools of violence that is usually, and hilariously, gratuitous. Whenever fight scenes emerged, I couldn’t help but hug 10-year-old me as Goro goes to town on his opponents, or Scorpion’s constant decapitation of his foes, and whatever it is Johnny Cage is doing as he’s doling out quips (Joel is a rock star in this role). Ethan Spaulding gets to show off his American-anime roots via Avatar: The Last Airbender in exquisite fashion with breathtaking visuals capped off with the game’s now trademark X-ray vision during the “Krushing Blows” segments. I couldn’t help be a little perturbed about the producers decision to make severed body parts and limbs looking more like sliced holiday hams rather than anything human, but by the end of the movie I had moved on from that gripe and just enjoyed my constant bathing in blood.

Some of the Jeremy Adam-written dialogue, especially some of the more crass lines, need a bit more polish before it’s seen in the same light as some of the adult animation-lore that’s out there, but the plot is quite good laden with twists and turns right up until the ending that all-but-confirms a sequel is on the way. Hardcore Mortal Kombat fans will appreciate the callbacks to the original live-action films and the bounty of character cameos that show up. Anime fans are going to love Ethan’s direction of the film. However, everyone looking for the most solid option of a direct-to-home digital (and soon physical release) feature-length are going to be hard-pressed to find something as rambunctious as Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge.