Mortal Kombat: Annihilation
Encyclopedia
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation is a 1997 American martial arts
action film
that was the sequel to 1995's Mortal Kombat
, and was directed by John R. Leonetti
, who had served as the cinematographer for the previous film. The storyline was largely an adaptation of Mortal Kombat 3
, and the novelization by Jerome Preisler was released through Tor Books
.
(Brian Thompson
) opens a portal from Outworld to the Earthrealm and has reclaimed his queen Sindel (Musetta Vander
), who is Kitana's
(Talisa Soto
) long-dead mother. Earthrealm is therefore in danger of being absorbed into Outworld within six days, a fate which Liu Kang
(Robin Shou
) and the others must fight to prevent. Kahn quickly defeats and kills Johnny Cage
(Chris Conrad
) during the confrontation, and the remaining Earthrealm warriors must regroup and think of an idea to defeat Shao Kahn.
An emotionally guilt-ridden Sonya
(Sandra Hess
) enlists the help of her old partner, Jax (Lynn "Red" Williams), while Kitana and Liu Kang search for a Native American
shaman named Nightwolf (Litefoot
), who seemingly knows the key to defeating Kahn. On the way, they run afoul of the cyborg Smoke. Kitana and Liu Kang dispatch him with the aid of Sub-Zero
(Keith Cooke
), but Scorpion
(J.J. Perry
) suddenly appears, attacks Sub-Zero, and kidnaps Kitana.
Raiden
(James Remar
) meets with the Elder Gods and asks them why Kahn was allowed to break the tournament rules and force his way into Earthrealm, and how he can be stopped. The answers he receives are sparse and ambiguous; one says that reuniting Kitana with her mother, Sindel, is the key to breaking Kahn's hold on Earthrealm, but another Elder God insists that the defeat of Kahn himself is the solution. Raiden is then asked by the Elder Gods about his feelings and obligations towards the mortals, and what he would be willing to do to ensure their survival.
Liu Kang finds Nightwolf, who teaches him about the power of the Animality, a form of shapeshifting which utilizes the caster's strengths and abilities. To achieve the mindset needed to acquire this power, Liu Kang must pass three tests. The first is a trial of his self-esteem and focus. The second comes in the form of temptation, which manifests itself in the form of Jade (Irina Pantaeva
), who attempts to seduce Liu Kang and make him forget about Kitana. Liu Kang resists Jade's advances, which impresses her. She offers her assistance in fighting Kahn. Liu Kang accepts Jade's offer and takes her with him to the Elder Gods' temple, where he and his friends are to meet Raiden. The third test is never seen.
At the temple, the Earthrealm warriors reunite with a newly shorn Raiden, who explains that he has sacrificed his immortality to freely fight alongside them. Together, they head for Outworld to rescue Kitana and reunite her with Sindel.
With Jade's help, Liu Kang sneaks into Kahn's castle and rescues Kitana, while the others find Sindel. Unfortunately, Sindel remains under Kahn's control, and she escapes while a trio of Raptors ambush the heroes, while Jade reveals herself to be a mole sent by Kahn to disrupt the heroes' plans. Raiden then reveals that Shao Kahn is his brother, and that Elder God Shinnok (Reiner Schöne
) is their father. He realizes that Shinnok had lied to him and is supporting Kahn. With renewed purpose, Raiden and the Earthrealm warriors make their way to the final showdown with Kahn and his generals. Shinnok demands that Raiden submit to him and restore their broken family, at the expense of his mortal friends. Raiden refuses and is killed by an energy blast from Kahn.
Though the early going is rough, Jax, Sonya, and Kitana emerge victorious against their opponents, but Liu Kang struggles with Kahn, and his Animality barely proves effective. Shinnok attempts to intervene and kill Liu Kang on Kahn's behalf, but two of the Elder Gods arrive, having uncovered Shinnok's treachery. They declare that the fate of Earth shall be decided in Mortal Kombat. Liu Kang finally defeats Kahn, and Shinnok is banished to the Netherealm.
Earthrealm reverts to its former state, and with Kahn's hold over Sindel finally broken, she reunites with Kitana. Raiden is revived by the other Elder Gods, who bestow upon him his father's former position. With everything right in the universe once again, the Earthrealm heroes return home triumphant.
: Lynn "Red" Williams (Jax), and Deron McBee (Motaro), who were Sabre and Malibu, respectively. They fight each other in the final battle of the movie.
Part of the movie was filmed on location at Parys Mountain
on the island of Anglesey
. The scenes involving the Temple of The Elder Gods were filmed on location at Petra
, a large temple and basin located in Jordan
. In the closing credits, Wales
, where several scenes were filmed, is incorrectly listed as being part of England
.
The French
release of the movie was known as Mortal Kombat: Destruction Finale, while the Italian
release was titled Mortal Kombat 2 - Distruzione Totale (Total Destruction).
and a dismal 11/100 rating on Metacritic
. Jason Gibner of Allmovie wrote, "Whereas the first film was a guilty schlock pleasure, this sequel is an exercise in the art of genuinely beautiful trash cinema." James Berardinelli of ReelViews described Annihilation as having "no story, no characters, and no coherence," while Marjorie Baumgarten of the Austin Chronicle
said, "The movie is nothing more than a perpetual chain of elaborately choreographed fight sequences that...are linked together by the most flimsy and laughable of plot elements." Owen Gleiberman
of Entertainment Weekly
gave the film a "D–" rating, while calling it "abysmal" and "incoherent."
Though Annihilation attempted to continue in the style of the first movie, the cast of returning characters from the original was almost completely overhauled; only Robin Shou (Liu Kang) and Talisa Soto (Kitana) reprised their roles, while the only other actor to return was Keith Cooke
(Reptile
in the first film) as Sub-Zero. Additionally, while the original attracted casual moviegoers as well as gamers, Annihilation catered exclusively to MK fans. The picture consequently suffered from a large and homogenous cast that was employed to depict as many Mortal Kombat characters as possible, causing a subsequent drop in characterization due to a script that attempted to accommodate them all, which resulted in many inconsistencies between the storylines of the films and the games.
Meanwhile, new supporting characters, such as Mileena, Cyrax, Nightwolf, Smoke, Baraka, Rain, and Ermac, were either not identified by name or only made brief appearances, some while serving little to no overall purpose to the plot. In a February 2001 interview with fansite Total Mortal Kombat, actress Marjean Holden (Sheeva) expressed her displeasure at the filmmakers' treatment of her character. In the shooting script
and novelization
, Sheeva met her demise in an extensive fight scene with newly mortal Raiden, but the scene was never filmed and her screen time was scant in the finished print, with Raiden instead fighting two Raptors and Sheeva's death simply coming from a falling cage. "Here was a character, that was one of the most popular [in] the video game...and they killed her without even so much as a fight! Something I was not happy about at all. That was one of the reasons I wanted to do the role, was for the sheer fact that there were really great fights in the movie for this character, and they all got cut out."
for a number of years with numerous script rewrites and story changes, along with the destruction of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina
, which greatly affected one of the shooting locations. In June 2009, a bankruptcy court lawsuit saw Lawrence Kasanoff suing Midway, mentioning that a third film was in the works. Warner Bros.
(which became the parent of New Line in 2008, after over a decade of both operating as separate divisions of Time Warner
) ended up purchasing most of Midway
's assets, including Mortal Kombat, the next month.
Actor Chris Casamassa
reported in July 2009 that he was reprising his role as Scorpion and claimed that filming would begin in September of the same year, while Linden Ashby
(Johnny Cage
in the first film) said on Soap Talk
that he read the script and planned on returning to the role. However, the film still has yet to officially go into production, and no information about the project exists on the official MK website produced by Threshold Entertainment
, which has not been updated since 2004.
Bloody Disgusting
reported in January 2010 that Warner Bros. had hired Oren Uziel to write a new script of the reboot, but in a May interview with G4
, Uziel denied having had any contact with the studio or even being attached to the project. That same month, G4 also interviewed Paul W.S. Anderson, who had directed the original; he expressed interest in returning to the franchise, though he is not currently under consideration to do so.
In June 2010, a seven-minute short, titled Mortal Kombat: Rebirth
, was created and posted on the Internet as an unofficial test shoot that served as a push for an R-rated version of the film. Directed by Kevin Tancharoen
, the clip starred Michael Jai White
as Jax (depicted therein as a police detective) and Jeri Ryan
as Sonya Blade, with other characters such as Reptile, Scorpion, Johnny Cage and Baraka making appearances.
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...
action film
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
that was the sequel to 1995's Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat (film)
Mortal Kombat is a 1995 American action and adventure film directed by Paul Anderson. Based on the Mortal Kombat series of fighting games, the film was the first part of the Mortal Kombat film series...
, and was directed by John R. Leonetti
John R. Leonetti
John R. Leonetti A.S.C. is a cinematographer and film director whose career in film began in 1991. He has photographed many big budget features, though the films he has directed are mostly straight to video sequels.- Filmography :...
, who had served as the cinematographer for the previous film. The storyline was largely an adaptation of Mortal Kombat 3
Mortal Kombat 3
Mortal Kombat 3 is a fighting game developed by Midway and released in 1995, first as an arcade game. It is the third game in the Mortal Kombat series...
, and the novelization by Jerome Preisler was released through Tor Books
Tor Books
Tor Books is one of two imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, based in New York City. It is noted for its science fiction and fantasy titles. Tom Doherty Associates also publishes mainstream fiction, mystery, and occasional military history titles under its Forge imprint. The company was founded...
.
Plot
The evil emperor Shao KahnShao Kahn
Shao Kahn is a boss, announcer and recurring playable character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. The main antagonist in the Mortal Kombat series, Shao Kahn is the Emperor of Outworld known for his godlike strength, extreme brutality and knowledge of black magic...
(Brian Thompson
Brian Thompson (actor)
Brian Thompson is an American actor. His distinctive square-jaw profile, powerful voice, and imposing stature has led him to be typecast as a villain in many action films and TV series, and a some comedies: Joe Dirt, The Three Amigos, Weird Science, Key West, and Life Stinks.-Career:Thompson has...
) opens a portal from Outworld to the Earthrealm and has reclaimed his queen Sindel (Musetta Vander
Musetta Vander
Musetta Vander is a South African actress and model who is best known for her roles in science fiction and fantasy films.-Early life:...
), who is Kitana's
Kitana (Mortal Kombat)
Kitana is a recurring player and a one-time boss character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. One of the lead characters of the Mortal Kombat saga, Kitana is the princess of the otherdimensional realm of Edenia and the daughter of Queen Sindel...
(Talisa Soto
Talisa Soto
-Early life:Born Miriam Soto in Brooklyn, New York, Soto is the youngest of four children born to an Italian mother and a Canadian father of Puerto Rican descent. Her parents later relocated to Northampton, Massachusetts where Soto and her siblings were raised and educated.-Modeling:At the age of...
) long-dead mother. Earthrealm is therefore in danger of being absorbed into Outworld within six days, a fate which Liu Kang
Liu Kang
Liu Kang is a video game character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. First appearing in the series' first title, Liu Kang is portrayed as a Shaolin monk who enters the Mortal Kombat tournament to save his world, Earthrealm, from being destroyed due to having lost nine consecutive...
(Robin Shou
Robin Shou
Shou Wan Por , known professionally as Robin Shou, is a Hong Kong martial artist and actor. Frequently appearing in numerous martial arts films, Shou was most successful for playing the role of Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat & Gobei with the late Chris Farley in Beverly Hills Ninja.-Career:Shou's first...
) and the others must fight to prevent. Kahn quickly defeats and kills Johnny Cage
Johnny Cage
Johnny Cage, whose real name is John Carlton, is a video game character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. Cage is portrayed as a film actor who enters the game's tournament, and provides the comic relief of the franchise....
(Chris Conrad
Chris Conrad
Christopher Andrew "Chris" Conrad is an American actor, known for playing Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. He should not be confused with fellow actor Christian Conrad ....
) during the confrontation, and the remaining Earthrealm warriors must regroup and think of an idea to defeat Shao Kahn.
An emotionally guilt-ridden Sonya
Sonya Blade
Sonya Blade is a player character from the Mortal Kombat series. She is portrayed in the games as an officer of the United States Special Forces.-In video games:...
(Sandra Hess
Sandra Hess
Sandra Hess is an actress best known for her role as Sonya Blade in the film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.-Biography:Hess began modeling and working on television commercials when she was 15...
) enlists the help of her old partner, Jax (Lynn "Red" Williams), while Kitana and Liu Kang search for a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
shaman named Nightwolf (Litefoot
Litefoot
Gary Paul Davis , better known by his stage name Litefoot, is a Native American rapper and the founder of the Red Vinyl record label. He also portrayed Little Bear in the movie The Indian in the Cupboard.-Personal life:...
), who seemingly knows the key to defeating Kahn. On the way, they run afoul of the cyborg Smoke. Kitana and Liu Kang dispatch him with the aid of Sub-Zero
Sub-Zero (Mortal Kombat)
Sub-Zero is the name given to two video game characters from the Mortal Kombat series. The older Sub-Zero first appeared in the first Mortal Kombat game, being replaced by his younger brother in Mortal Kombat II and the subsequent games...
(Keith Cooke
Keith Cooke
Keith Hirabayashi Cooke is an American martial artist, actor and an occasional stuntman.-Biography:...
), but Scorpion
Scorpion (Mortal Kombat)
Scorpion is a recurring player and boss character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. He has been a playable character in all the games, with the exception of the original version of Mortal Kombat 3.-In video games:...
(J.J. Perry
J.J. Perry
Jordan Andrew Perry , better known as J.J. Perry, is an American martial artist, actor, and stuntman.-Career:Perry began practicing martial arts training in 1975, at the age of eight. Because his mother was not able to afford her son's lessons, he cleaned a martial arts school, and received...
) suddenly appears, attacks Sub-Zero, and kidnaps Kitana.
Raiden
Raiden (Mortal Kombat)
Raiden is a player character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. Raiden, also known as Lord Raiden, is a thunder god of the Mortal Kombat universe and protector of Earthrealm. He commands many supernatural abilities such as the ability to teleport, control over lightning, and flight...
(James Remar
James Remar
James Remar is an American actor and voice artist. He has appeared in movies, video games, and TV shows. He is perhaps best known as Richard, the on-off tycoon boyfriend of Kim Cattrall's character in Sex and the City, as Ajax in The Warriors, as the homicidal maniac Albert Ganz in the 1982...
) meets with the Elder Gods and asks them why Kahn was allowed to break the tournament rules and force his way into Earthrealm, and how he can be stopped. The answers he receives are sparse and ambiguous; one says that reuniting Kitana with her mother, Sindel, is the key to breaking Kahn's hold on Earthrealm, but another Elder God insists that the defeat of Kahn himself is the solution. Raiden is then asked by the Elder Gods about his feelings and obligations towards the mortals, and what he would be willing to do to ensure their survival.
Liu Kang finds Nightwolf, who teaches him about the power of the Animality, a form of shapeshifting which utilizes the caster's strengths and abilities. To achieve the mindset needed to acquire this power, Liu Kang must pass three tests. The first is a trial of his self-esteem and focus. The second comes in the form of temptation, which manifests itself in the form of Jade (Irina Pantaeva
Irina Pantaeva
Irina Pantaeva is a former model and actress.Pantaeva was born in Ulan-Ude, Buryatia, Russian SFSR. She is an ethnic Buryat. In 1992, she moved to Paris to become a model...
), who attempts to seduce Liu Kang and make him forget about Kitana. Liu Kang resists Jade's advances, which impresses her. She offers her assistance in fighting Kahn. Liu Kang accepts Jade's offer and takes her with him to the Elder Gods' temple, where he and his friends are to meet Raiden. The third test is never seen.
At the temple, the Earthrealm warriors reunite with a newly shorn Raiden, who explains that he has sacrificed his immortality to freely fight alongside them. Together, they head for Outworld to rescue Kitana and reunite her with Sindel.
With Jade's help, Liu Kang sneaks into Kahn's castle and rescues Kitana, while the others find Sindel. Unfortunately, Sindel remains under Kahn's control, and she escapes while a trio of Raptors ambush the heroes, while Jade reveals herself to be a mole sent by Kahn to disrupt the heroes' plans. Raiden then reveals that Shao Kahn is his brother, and that Elder God Shinnok (Reiner Schöne
Reiner Schöne
Reiner Schöne is a German actor, known for such roles as Dukhat in the Babylon 5 series, Shinnok in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and Esoqq in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Allegiance". He was born in Fritzlar....
) is their father. He realizes that Shinnok had lied to him and is supporting Kahn. With renewed purpose, Raiden and the Earthrealm warriors make their way to the final showdown with Kahn and his generals. Shinnok demands that Raiden submit to him and restore their broken family, at the expense of his mortal friends. Raiden refuses and is killed by an energy blast from Kahn.
Though the early going is rough, Jax, Sonya, and Kitana emerge victorious against their opponents, but Liu Kang struggles with Kahn, and his Animality barely proves effective. Shinnok attempts to intervene and kill Liu Kang on Kahn's behalf, but two of the Elder Gods arrive, having uncovered Shinnok's treachery. They declare that the fate of Earth shall be decided in Mortal Kombat. Liu Kang finally defeats Kahn, and Shinnok is banished to the Netherealm.
Earthrealm reverts to its former state, and with Kahn's hold over Sindel finally broken, she reunites with Kitana. Raiden is revived by the other Elder Gods, who bestow upon him his father's former position. With everything right in the universe once again, the Earthrealm heroes return home triumphant.
Cast
- Robin ShouRobin ShouShou Wan Por , known professionally as Robin Shou, is a Hong Kong martial artist and actor. Frequently appearing in numerous martial arts films, Shou was most successful for playing the role of Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat & Gobei with the late Chris Farley in Beverly Hills Ninja.-Career:Shou's first...
as Liu Kang - Talisa SotoTalisa Soto-Early life:Born Miriam Soto in Brooklyn, New York, Soto is the youngest of four children born to an Italian mother and a Canadian father of Puerto Rican descent. Her parents later relocated to Northampton, Massachusetts where Soto and her siblings were raised and educated.-Modeling:At the age of...
as Kitana - James RemarJames RemarJames Remar is an American actor and voice artist. He has appeared in movies, video games, and TV shows. He is perhaps best known as Richard, the on-off tycoon boyfriend of Kim Cattrall's character in Sex and the City, as Ajax in The Warriors, as the homicidal maniac Albert Ganz in the 1982...
as Raiden - Sandra HessSandra HessSandra Hess is an actress best known for her role as Sonya Blade in the film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.-Biography:Hess began modeling and working on television commercials when she was 15...
as Sonya Blade - Lynn "Red" Williams as Jax
- Brian ThompsonBrian Thompson (actor)Brian Thompson is an American actor. His distinctive square-jaw profile, powerful voice, and imposing stature has led him to be typecast as a villain in many action films and TV series, and a some comedies: Joe Dirt, The Three Amigos, Weird Science, Key West, and Life Stinks.-Career:Thompson has...
as Shao Kahn - Irina PantaevaIrina PantaevaIrina Pantaeva is a former model and actress.Pantaeva was born in Ulan-Ude, Buryatia, Russian SFSR. She is an ethnic Buryat. In 1992, she moved to Paris to become a model...
as Jade - Musetta VanderMusetta VanderMusetta Vander is a South African actress and model who is best known for her roles in science fiction and fantasy films.-Early life:...
as Sindel - Reiner SchöneReiner SchöneReiner Schöne is a German actor, known for such roles as Dukhat in the Babylon 5 series, Shinnok in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and Esoqq in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Allegiance". He was born in Fritzlar....
as Shinnok - Marjean HoldenMarjean HoldenMarjean Holden is an American actress.-Career:Holden made her professional acting debut in 1987 in the feature film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. She has guest-starred in JAG, Tales from the Crypt, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, La Femme Nikita, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Suddenly Susan, and...
as Sheeva - LitefootLitefootGary Paul Davis , better known by his stage name Litefoot, is a Native American rapper and the founder of the Red Vinyl record label. He also portrayed Little Bear in the movie The Indian in the Cupboard.-Personal life:...
as Nightwolf - Deron McBeeDeron McBeeDeron Michael McBee is an American actor, sportsman known for playing Motaro and Garret Bodine in the films Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and The Killing Zone respectively.- Career :...
as Motaro
Additional information
Two of the film's actors were regulars on American GladiatorsAmerican Gladiators
American Gladiators is an American competition television program that aired in syndication from September 1989 to May 1996. The series matched a cast of amateur athletes against each other, as well as against the show's own gladiators, in contests of strength and agility.The concept was created by...
: Lynn "Red" Williams (Jax), and Deron McBee (Motaro), who were Sabre and Malibu, respectively. They fight each other in the final battle of the movie.
Part of the movie was filmed on location at Parys Mountain
Parys Mountain
Parys Mountain – in the Welsh language Mynydd Parys – is located south of the town of Amlwch in north east Anglesey, Wales. It is the site of a large copper mine that was extensively exploited in the late 18th century.-History:...
on the island of Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
. The scenes involving the Temple of The Elder Gods were filmed on location at Petra
Petra
Petra is a historical and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is famous for its rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited...
, a large temple and basin located in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. In the closing credits, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, where several scenes were filmed, is incorrectly listed as being part of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
release of the movie was known as Mortal Kombat: Destruction Finale, while the Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
release was titled Mortal Kombat 2 - Distruzione Totale (Total Destruction).
Critical response
As was the case with the original, Annihilation was not pre-screened for critics. However, it was extremely negatively received compared to its predecessor, with a 6% rating based on 29 reviews at Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
and a dismal 11/100 rating on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. Jason Gibner of Allmovie wrote, "Whereas the first film was a guilty schlock pleasure, this sequel is an exercise in the art of genuinely beautiful trash cinema." James Berardinelli of ReelViews described Annihilation as having "no story, no characters, and no coherence," while Marjorie Baumgarten of the Austin Chronicle
Austin Chronicle
The Austin Chronicle is an alternative weekly, tabloid-style newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demographic...
said, "The movie is nothing more than a perpetual chain of elaborately choreographed fight sequences that...are linked together by the most flimsy and laughable of plot elements." Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman is an American film critic for Entertainment Weekly, a position he has held since the magazine's launch in 1990. From 1981–89, he worked at the Boston Phoenix....
of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave the film a "D–" rating, while calling it "abysmal" and "incoherent."
Though Annihilation attempted to continue in the style of the first movie, the cast of returning characters from the original was almost completely overhauled; only Robin Shou (Liu Kang) and Talisa Soto (Kitana) reprised their roles, while the only other actor to return was Keith Cooke
Keith Cooke
Keith Hirabayashi Cooke is an American martial artist, actor and an occasional stuntman.-Biography:...
(Reptile
Reptile (Mortal Kombat)
Reptile is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat series of video games. Created for Midway Games by John Tobias and Ed Boon, Reptile debuted in Mortal Kombat as a hidden boss and appeared in subsequent titles as a playable character. The character has also appeared on various merchandise,...
in the first film) as Sub-Zero. Additionally, while the original attracted casual moviegoers as well as gamers, Annihilation catered exclusively to MK fans. The picture consequently suffered from a large and homogenous cast that was employed to depict as many Mortal Kombat characters as possible, causing a subsequent drop in characterization due to a script that attempted to accommodate them all, which resulted in many inconsistencies between the storylines of the films and the games.
Meanwhile, new supporting characters, such as Mileena, Cyrax, Nightwolf, Smoke, Baraka, Rain, and Ermac, were either not identified by name or only made brief appearances, some while serving little to no overall purpose to the plot. In a February 2001 interview with fansite Total Mortal Kombat, actress Marjean Holden (Sheeva) expressed her displeasure at the filmmakers' treatment of her character. In the shooting script
Shooting script
A shooting script is the version of a screenplay used during the production of a motion picture. Shooting scripts are distinct from spec scripts in that they make use of scene numbers , and they follow a well defined set of procedures specifying how script revisions should be implemented and...
and novelization
Novelization
A novelization is a novel that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work.Novelizations of films usually add background material not found in the original work to flesh out the story, because novels are generally longer than screenplays...
, Sheeva met her demise in an extensive fight scene with newly mortal Raiden, but the scene was never filmed and her screen time was scant in the finished print, with Raiden instead fighting two Raptors and Sheeva's death simply coming from a falling cage. "Here was a character, that was one of the most popular [in] the video game...and they killed her without even so much as a fight! Something I was not happy about at all. That was one of the reasons I wanted to do the role, was for the sheer fact that there were really great fights in the movie for this character, and they all got cut out."
Box office
Annihilation was released on November 21, 1997, and its opening weekend take was $16 million, enough for a number-one debut at the box office, but it was nonetheless a 30% drop from the original's opener of $23 million. While it grossed $35 million domestically, it was only $5 million above its budget and amounted to half of the original's total domestic take of $70 million. Annihilation made $51 million worldwide, a 59% drop from the original's total box office gross of $122 million.Sequel
Production on a second sequel, titled Mortal Kombat: Devastation, was initially scheduled to commence shortly after the release of Annihilation, but it was shelved due to Annihilation's poor box-office performance. It consequently has remained stagnant in preproduction for over a decade, including being mired in development hellDevelopment hell
In the jargon of the media-industry, "development hell" is a period during which a film or other project is trapped in development...
for a number of years with numerous script rewrites and story changes, along with the destruction of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, which greatly affected one of the shooting locations. In June 2009, a bankruptcy court lawsuit saw Lawrence Kasanoff suing Midway, mentioning that a third film was in the works. Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
(which became the parent of New Line in 2008, after over a decade of both operating as separate divisions of Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
) ended up purchasing most of Midway
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
's assets, including Mortal Kombat, the next month.
Actor Chris Casamassa
Chris Casamassa
Chris Casamassa is an American martial artist of Italian origin , actor and stuntman who is best known for his role as Scorpion in the movie Mortal Kombat, which was based on the popular fighting-game series...
reported in July 2009 that he was reprising his role as Scorpion and claimed that filming would begin in September of the same year, while Linden Ashby
Linden Ashby
Clarence Linden Garnett Ashby III , best known as Linden Ashby, is an American actor and martial artist.-Early life:...
(Johnny Cage
Johnny Cage
Johnny Cage, whose real name is John Carlton, is a video game character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. Cage is portrayed as a film actor who enters the game's tournament, and provides the comic relief of the franchise....
in the first film) said on Soap Talk
Soap Talk
Soap Talk was a television talk show on SOAPnet hosted by Lisa Rinna and Ty Treadway. It debuted in 2002 and ended in 2006. The reason for the show's cancellation was due to SOAPnet expanding their programming away from a soap opera-related focus to expand their network's ratings and declining...
that he read the script and planned on returning to the role. However, the film still has yet to officially go into production, and no information about the project exists on the official MK website produced by Threshold Entertainment
Threshold Entertainment
Threshold Entertainment is a Hollywood intellectual property management and production company.The company develops, manages, produces, and publishes intellectual properties in all media including feature films, television shows, live stage tours, animation, video games and websites...
, which has not been updated since 2004.
Bloody Disgusting
Bloody Disgusting
Bloody Disgusting is a website that covers horror movies with reviews, interviews and news. It is currently run by Brad Miska, and Tom Owen. According to one source, the site has 1.5 million unique visitors and 20 million page views each month. It is widely considered to be the "world's most...
reported in January 2010 that Warner Bros. had hired Oren Uziel to write a new script of the reboot, but in a May interview with G4
G4 (TV channel)
G4, also known as G4 TV, is an American cable- and satellite-television channel originally geared primarily toward young adult viewers, originally based on the world of video games...
, Uziel denied having had any contact with the studio or even being attached to the project. That same month, G4 also interviewed Paul W.S. Anderson, who had directed the original; he expressed interest in returning to the franchise, though he is not currently under consideration to do so.
In June 2010, a seven-minute short, titled Mortal Kombat: Rebirth
Mortal Kombat: Rebirth
Mortal Kombat: Rebirth is a 2010 action short film directed by Kevin Tancharoen with fight choreography by Larnell Stovall who also choreographed Undisputed III: Redemption. Based on the Mortal Kombat series of fighting games, the short-film "actually was made by the director to sell Warner Bros...
, was created and posted on the Internet as an unofficial test shoot that served as a push for an R-rated version of the film. Directed by Kevin Tancharoen
Kevin Tancharoen
Kevin Harwick Tancharoen is an American dancer, choreographer, television producer and film director. On September 29, 2011 New Line/Warner Bros have announced that Kevin Tancharoen, will helm a big-screen adaptation of Mortal Kombat to be released sometime in 2013.-Life and career:Tancharoen was...
, the clip starred Michael Jai White
Michael Jai White
Michael Jai White is an American actor and martial artist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture, having starred as Al Simmons, the protagonist in the 1997 film Spawn...
as Jax (depicted therein as a police detective) and Jeri Ryan
Jeri Ryan
Jeri Lynn Zimmermann Ryan is an American actress best known for her roles as the liberated Borg, Seven of Nine, on Star Trek: Voyager; Tara Cole on Leverage; and Veronica "Ronnie" Cooke on Boston Public. She was also a regular on the science fiction show Dark Skies and the legal drama series...
as Sonya Blade, with other characters such as Reptile, Scorpion, Johnny Cage and Baraka making appearances.