Mortal Kombat: Legacy (2011–2013) User Reviews

Review of Season 1 and 2

[xamtaro · 6/10 · 8 May 2015]

The famous ultra-violent video game franchise gets a "Dark Knight" styled make-over. This is Mortal Kombat revised. Mortal Kombat redone.......as yet another live action iteration of the fantasy fighting game. Originally conceived to be realistic remake which cleverly replacing the more out-of-this-world concepts with gritty real world explanations, MORTAL KOMBAT LEGACY drops that ball right into its second episode where we have mercenaries firing plasma weapons. Two episodes later, we are right back in familiar fantasy territory of other realms, monsters and magic. This is Mortal Kombat rehashed, Mortal Kombat repeated with merely cosmetic changes, and Mortal Kombat recast in such a haphazard way between its two seasons.

This web series, originally debuting on the Machinima youtube channel, consists of 6 story arcs over 9 episodes for season one. Season two comprises an ongoing story arc of the tournament plus three origin stories told in flashbacks for a total of 10 episodes. Each episode is so distinct in tone, style and entertainment value that they are almost like mini- movies unto themselves. Two things that permeate the both seasons seems to be director Kevin Tancheroen's indecisive directing style and the annoying music. Tancheroen seems to be copying the style of other directors like Zack Snyder's slow motion speed ramping, Neveldine and Tylor's high speed shaky cam digital photography, and Luc Besson / Paul Greengrass's hyper fast cuts. All these stylistic touches seem thrown in at random and overdone in many instances. Much of the fight choreography for season one is fantastic. But it is done great injustice by Tancharoen's quick cuts, extreme close ups and shaky camera.

The first two episodes of season one go into the back story of Sonya Blade, Jax and crime boss Kano presented in a familiar "Cops and Crime boss" setting. Sonya is taken prisoner and Jax leads a special forces team to take down Kano's gang. This is a strong start, with a look not unlike modern Hollywood action movies and a realistic gritty tone. Next we get the tale of washed up action star Johnny Cage trying to pitch his latest production. Again, realistic and right in place in our real world, done very creatively in the form of a TV documentary.

Now after that, in comes some hokey fantasy. Kitanna and Mileena: a tale of sibling rivalry and teenage identity set among the CGI mountains of Edeina and the dark Canadian- looking woods of Outworld? Our first dud of season one, the Kitanna / Mileena arc spans two episodes but half of the second episode in this arc is a flashback to events in the preceding episode, making the actual runtime of content a lot shorter. Flash animation is used to pad out the story almost like a motion comic.

Thankfully the subsequent episodes return to the more realistic setting and more ambiguous fantasy. Take Raiden for instance. How would people, realistically in today's world, react to some dude claiming to be a thunder god? The highlights of the season are of course Scorpion Vs Sub-Zero arc and the final episode about the Lin Kuei Cyborgs. Scorpion's backstory and ensuing vendetta against ninja leader Sub Zero is explained via a beautifully shot period piece, seemingly set in feudal Japan. Characters speak Japanese, authentic Asian actors play the roles, even the costumes seem true to the feudal period. Lastly, the Lin Kuei cyborg segment. This is real eye candy here, featuring cutting edge CGI and motion capture work, creating one of the more brutal bouts in the series.

So after a generally enjoyable season one, disregarding some missteps here and there, season two comes around. Season two showcases a little more backstory of other characters like Kung Lao and Liu Kang, as well as finally showing the start of the titular Mortal Kombat Tournament.

It may have well been a completely new show altogether as only a couple of returning faces and story elements bear a resemblance to season one. More than half of the roles have been recast with new actors, there are many continuity inconsistencies, the special effects look cheaper, and so do the costumes.

For an example of cheapskate costumes and inconsistencies just compare the stories of Scorpion and Sub Zero across the seasons. Season one was simple yet effective, giving a production design of outfits that may have been plausible during feudal Japan. Season 2 reveals that our feudal japan period piece actually takes place in modern day; a modern day where Japan never outgrew its swords, samurais and shoguns and everyone suddenly speaks American English! Season 2 also downgraded the ninja outfits from realistically plausible to ripoff Power Rangers and pyjamas. Lacklustre fights which lack the gritty brutality of the previous season lead up to one disappointing conclusion that is all build up without any payoff.

With season three set to veer off into adapting characters and concepts from the recent Mortal Kombat X video game, MORTAL KOMBAT LEGACY's first two seasons ends off on a low note. The episodes of Sonya/Jax/Kano, Johnny Cage, Raiden, Scorpion/Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei Cyborgs Cyrax and Sektor stand as true gems. Featuring feature film-like production quality and design, brutal fight choreography, as well as cleverly reinterpreting the established mythos in a fresh manner. Downer episodes include the Kitanna/Mileena and most of season two (except perhaps the Kenshi Vs Ermac episodes).

Better than the movies

[malcham15 · 8/10 · 26 April 2011]

This Mortal Kombat Legacy Web Series is pretty good so far, the only problem is that I wish it was a little longer, but its still decent. I like how they are showing stuff like how Kano lost his eye and they eventually mention that Jax's arms are bad after saving Sonya from the explosion. So if anyone sees a Character like if they had Kabal or Cyrax, you'll see them before they became who we all remember from the games.

The Johnny Cage episode was pretty funny since they gave Ed Boon a cameo appearances. Mat Mullins does an OK job for acting but he is a good martial artist. The episode at least stays true to Johnny Cage's character and story.

This is a great Series to the fans who love the series. I believe that they keep up the good work.

P.S. (Kabal has not been confirmed for the series so far)

Definitely worth a look

[MikeRydal · 7/10 · 19 April 2011]

I don't understand why people are so easy to criticise this film, at the time of writing this review, only 2 episodes have been aired. It is petty and immoral to slate a film that they have not fully seen. E.G "I didn't like the first ten minutes of the film, therefore, the rest of the film is crap." So hear is some advice for those who want to slate this series, YOU MUST VIEW SOMETHING FIRST BEFORE YOU CAN REVIEW IT! Rant over.

Since the Rebirth trailer in 2010, a division has been made between the fans of Mortal Kombat; those who are for the remake and those who are against. Now the series has begun, this still seems to be the case. Fans of the "Rebirth" trailer, i believe, will enjoy this thoroughly, and those that did not, have already convinced themselves that the series is a failure, straying too far away from the source material.

There are many fans who refer to this reinvention as the "End of Mortal Kombat," Curiously, the same thing was said about Batman in 1989 AND Batman Begins in 2005. It deserves a chance. Fans have to ask themselves if they would want something fresh or, another Mortal Kombat Annihilation? Even if you enjoyed the Rebirth trailer or not, its worth a watch, if you still don't like it, don't be a bitch about it, just go play Mortal Kombat 9!

Interesting take on the Mortal Kombat franchise....More please !!

[Homersan · 10/10 · 30 April 2011]

Just saw the first 3 episodes of the new Mortal Kombat series, and I must say it appears to uphold the quality we first saw with the Mortal Kombat Rebirth short. I think my only criticism is that it's just too short !! I'd like to see a feature film made by this guy, because he definitely knows what he's doing. Strong acting, good action/Martial arts sequences... what more do you want ??

And these are just the character introduction episodes (Kano, Jax, etc) so it can only get better from here on out.

Great job by Kevin Tancharoen and I hope he gets rewarded for his work.

Best regards, Raf

Excellent!!

[iimraann · 10/10 · 27 August 2011]

Despite of people pointing out flaws and goofs in Kevin's work, I'm really becoming a fan of his takes on characters. Although, the franchisee meddled with his work regarding the outworld episodes, he reclaimed and kept his work as he liked. And this is good. I was in awe, completely for the last episode of season 1. Cyrax and Sektor were just terrific. How Hydro was pulled off the stream in just one episode was meticulous. I'm just looking forward for the next season and hope the seasons continue, to include all characters that were never touched aptly in movies and games, like Noob Saibot. After the 'Cyber Initiative' episode, I'd really like the story of Smoke to screen. Great work done by the whole team. Just, please, keep 'em coming.

This is all that the previous movies and series failed to achieve...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 4 September 2012]

Well I wouldn't really call myself a huge fan of the "Mortal Kombat" franchise, but I did play the games when I was younger, even got a couple of them for my PS3 today, and have watched the older movies, series and even read some of the comic books. I like "Mortal Kombat" for what it is, martial arts fighting without the need to implement a deeper understanding for the reason behind it.

However, I will say that this "Legacy" series is impressive. Especially compared to the older movies and the earlier "Conquest" series. Why? Well simply put because of the production value behind it. It outshines the previous stuff by a mile and a half. There is just a heavier and better feel to this series, it is more in the spirit of "Mortal Kombat", if you will.

I like how it takes each character and gives you some background behind who they are and what drives them. It is all done in a relatively short period of time in each episode, so of course it is limited just how much background story you get about each character. But so far it has been great entertainment and added some nice details to the characters portrayed so far.

As for the acting, well I have been content with the people they have cast for the various roles. People have been doing great jobs bringing the characters alive and believable on the screen. My personal favorites are Scorpion and Sub-Zero, always have and always will be.

I find "Legacy" to be a well worthy addition to the "Mortal Kombat" universe, and it is well worth watching just for the production value behind the series alone. It is really, really great.

I sort of gave up on this franchise as a plausible rendering on the screen after the "Conquest" series, so it was just by sheer random luck that I came across "Legacy", and it was just out of boredom that I sat down to watch it. But after the first episode, I just kept going watching it all, it was just that good. So perhaps "Mortal Kombat" can have a glorious comeback on the screen and justify itself after some questionable previous movies and an even less so series. I am excited to find out...

Really Good Reboot

[geoff_rowley159 · 10/10 · 27 April 2011]

I have been a fan of the Mortal Kombat franchise since MK2 and have watched and enjoyed both the live actions films and the animated series. While the films were entertaining to watch (for simply being MK films) they were far from being exceptional...especially Annihilation. However, I really think that Legacy is bringing the live action MK universe back to life. I have read mixed reviews but cannot see why fans are opposed to the show...it is Mortal Kombat. The shorts keep leaving me wanting more and more, the back stories are a great way of starting the show off and combined with the fantastic fight scenes it actually looks like a well put together mini-series. Sure there are going to be some comedic and cliché moments cuz this is the MK universe after all. I read somewhere that a fan was annoyed that Jax didn't follow protocol when Sonya's life was in danger and reacted 'emotionally'....did you even play the games or follow the story? If you did then you might have understood the relationship between Sonya and Jax....

Anyways...the series is good. It really does leave me wanting to see more and more and I am especially looking forward to seeing some of the other characters. This is the best installation of Mortal Kombat we have ever seen on screen so don't hate it =] One negative point - Make the shows longer. Want. More.

mixed feelings

[demonizer1984 · 6/10 · 18 April 2011]

OK rebirth exploded onto the scene and i must of watched it 30 or so times i was amazed at this alternate take on mortal kombat which dared stray away from the myth and magic that has made the game so popular, as camp as the original movie was i loved n still love it the sequel was vomit inducing and the TV series i couldn't stomach, but rebirth was like what batman begins was to batman it was dark gritty realistic and bad ass, the fight scene was so well put together and the idea of scorpion rampaging through fight after fight was an interesting idea.

OK so then we get legacy after reading the first review i think the user was a bit harsh, but first things first this is nothing like rebirth its gone back to the campness of the first movies and so far nothing has really been shown, its laid the foundations of kanos eye and jax arms but thats it so i don't want to be too harsh as yet, but im still waiting for that wow factor to hit.

as yet tho if a movie is to be released i can only hope they follow on from rebirth.

one thing i have noticed tho is that this is being brought to us by netherealm studios and it is sorta a background on the characters for the release of the game i can only hope thats what KT had in mind with it and that his movie project will follow rebirth, anyways sorry for my poor grammar lets hope this series gets better and leaves us drooling at the mouth and the first episode is just a slow starter for somethin epic to follow

Outstanding 11/10

[matthewostrovski · 10/10 · 19 August 2017]

Incredible mix of martial arts shows and the possibilities of modern technology and electronics. The series since 1992 has surprises with new fireworks directly from the masters of Buddhism and the art of ninjutsu. The MK series is the most successful of the series because buddies made sure that instead of the TV connected to the antenna, they had a NES consoles with inserted cartdrige directly from the Buddhist programmist.

An alright web series adaptation

[josephbuban · 7/10 · 8 May 2019]

Both seasons have good story plots. Keri Ryan as Sonya Blade was very Kickass. Jai White as Briggs was a tough up. The story of Liu Kang on Season 2 was alright, very similar with Anakin of Star Wars. The Story of Kenshi and Ermac was also amazing too. Overall, this Mortal Kombat Web series was alright. I have played and watched the cutscenes from the games and watched the movies, this one was fantastic.

Wonderful

[cpnhook23 · 10/10 · 25 November 2014]

I have been accused of putting way too much thought into Mortal Kombat. In college, when we were tasked to write our 100+ page papers on movies of (then) the last 20 years, I was told I was stupid to choose Mortal Kombat as my film; and even though I got an A+, they were correct. But still, I love this series.

From the Fan made trailer, to the completed project, this has been wonderful.

I have gotten so many jaded skeptics of this franchise to be close to tears, or just gushing with admiration over the Season 1 Johnny Cage or Raiden episodes alone.

The Liu Kang episodes from Season 2 are heart breaking.

Seeing Cary Tagawa BLEW MY MIND.

The Scorpion/Sub Zero stuff was worthy of so many lauded Japanese films.

This is why independent, and internet films matter.

Mortal kombat low budget it seems

[cilaszero · 6/10 · 10 September 2017]

This is interesting i do like the nice touch that they brought in Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa to play as Shang tsung as he portrayed Shang tsung in the film back in 1995, but overall it doesn't hold a candle to the 1995 mortal kombat film,the cast is OK to a certain degree,the directing certainly is not that great its very lacking,the plot & action & fight is not very well,to make this better they really should take a page from the film makers who made the original film

A Comedy of Clichés and plot errors...without any good action

[KIMaster2002 · 2/10 · 15 April 2011]

I enjoyed the "Mortal Kombat: Rebirth" short that came out late last year. Sure, there were a lot of silly clichéd lines, and the "story" was non-existent, but I liked the originality of the fights. They hired legitimate martial arts actors, practically unheard of in Hollywood these days, and did some neat choreography rarely seen outside of Hong Kong. And since the short was centered around a single fight, it ended up being worthwhile.

Sadly, based on the first episode of the web series, the stupidity of the work is ratcheted up to Michael Bay proportions, and the cool fighting we saw in the original is nowhere to be found.

Every single character and scene in the series is the most cardboard cut-out cliché imaginable, and they boggle the mind with their stupidity.

For instance, Sonya Blade relays a message back to Jax and headquarters informing them that Kano is smuggling weapons at a warehouse. The lead guy then tells us that they need to follow "protocol" to "make sure" of this fact, to which Jax Briggs, showing off what a loose cannon badass he is, responds "FUCK PROTOCOL!".

Hey idiots, if a FIELD AGENT who you have sent in on a covert mission relays intelligence to you, what further confirmation do you possibly need? The scene's only purpose is to establish Jax's character, but it's done in such a pathetic, lame manner that it's childish and disengaging.

And then, when Sonya gets captured and Kano talks to her, we're presented with another scene witnessed a million times in low-budget, B action films.

Namely, with the female tied up, the bad guy proceeds to taunt her (why not just kill her, since that's what you said you were going to do?), she spits on him, he hits her back, threatens her, and then...reveals all his future Bad Guy plans for some unknown reason.

Later, when Jax and his crew arrive, one of their men gets easily killed by a sniper. So, rather, than continuing this sniping, especially with the entire special forces unit sprawled out and stunned, what do Kano's men do? They walk out into the open, talk a little, and engage Jax's men face-to-face. Lovely.

Also, apparently, a woman screaming in a secluded room during a gunfight between over a dozen men is not only audible, but tells Jax exactly where she is.

Oh, and Jax tosses away his gun to fight barehanded against Kano...who has a tiny knife.

I could go on and on. Look, absurd plot holes and clichés in action works are okay as long as two things are true; it doesn't take itself seriously, and the action scenes are good.

Sadly, Mortal Kombat: Legacy takes itself as seriously as terminal illness, and completely fails with its action scenes.

The originality of the MMA-influenced fight between Johnny Cage and Baraka is now replaced with ultra slow motion shots, horrible-looking CGI blood, and the standard undercranked (shooting a scene at 18 fps and playing it through at 24 fps), boring American martial arts style choreography. No originality or excitement whatsoever.

Yuck. Mortal Kombat fans, myself included, don't ask for much, but this garbage still manages to disappoint.

Good Time!

[zachariah-38164 · 8/10 · 18 September 2021]

This show straight blew my expectations out my butt. I went into this show with that sweet theme from the movies thinking "hey, the movies are awesome and the age only makes them better so how bad can this be?" This is a fantastic take on the mortal Kombat universe and bring so much insight into the backstories of all these colorful characters. The blending of original and new ideas is balanced perfect and does a great job of keeping the dark undertones that appeals to a more mature audience. There is so much to love about this show, the dialogue is fantastic, the high octane combat choreography is flawless, the character development is strong, and the plot holds through the show. If you enjoy everything Mortal Kombat I highly recommend this show!!

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Season 1

[jordantwentynine · 10/10 · 7 April 2020]

Best TV series. Did a good job in the first season of writing the script and choosing the right actors.

This is NOT Mortal Kombat

[holdenmcgrohen · 6/10 · 6 October 2013]

Don't get me wrong - it's a well-made series, rather entertaining and enjoyable to watch. It would just be better off if wasn't a Mortal Kombat title.

Kevin Tancharoen got carried away and went too far from the MK universe in many ways. First thing that strikes your eye is the cast. They look and act so different from the characters in games, movies and earlier series that it's impossible to believe that you're actually looking at Sonya, Johnny Cage and the rest of the gang. In fact I think Legacy has the worst cast possible for an MK series (except for Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa - he's the best Shang Tsung ever!).

The other disappointing thing is the spirit of the series. For some reason Tancharoen laid emphasis on gore while MK has always focused on mystery and darkness, and the whole MK world would give you the chills. Gore has always been a secondary thing that just added to the whole dark spirit of the story.

Random stupid jokes don't help building the right spirit either (a drunk bum sees a man disappear and looks at his bottle of booze in astonishment? come on! this joke stopped being funny about 100 stupid movies ago!). They just make you miss Christopher Lambert's outstanding performance.

And the story itself got transformed beyond recognition. Why Tancharoen decided to make Liu Kang and Kung Lao best buddies instead of distant relatives is beyond my understanding. It's a great idea to shed light on the characters' backgrounds but the stories this series tells are just too far-fetched and unbelievable.

Of course all the above might concern you if you used to love the games or MK movies. Otherwise you're just about to watch an entertaining series that will give you a distant idea of what Mortal Kombat is all about.

Unlike the movies, an in-depth look at the characters

[roadbytheriver · 6/10 · 11 January 2024]

It does what movies can't do. It offers an in-depth look at the characters.

I liked the way the characters were expressed and the acting. They could have done one more season as the exciting tournament has just started in season 2. Chapters could have been longer. Johnny Cage's episode in the first season was entertaining. The fights are moderately good, but since the camera angles are always close-up, slightly different angles could have been used. Costumes could have been better. Scorpion and Sub Zero's fight in season 2 was interesting. It would be nice if movies approached the story from this perspective and had depth.

Finally, a live-action Mortal Kombat with some gore.

[nitrogameboy · 7/10 · 7 March 2019]

I've understood the appeal of the 1995 original MK movie, even if I didn't like it. The 1997 sequel Annihilation was complete garbage, however.

With this, there's finally MK with some actual blood and gore.

Call me superficial, but the PG-13 rating was a major turn off for me. I'm glad MK: Legacy was here to fulfill my superficial needs.

Quick to the inter-webs!

[starsandpopcorn · 7/10 · 3 October 2013]

Everyone remembers the old Mortal Kombat games, and to a certain degree fans try really hard not to remember the movies that resulted from them. For the most part, Hollywood hasn't been too great at adapting fighting games (or most video games for that matter). Funny that you-tube was able to make it work after all these years.

Fans are no strangers to web series taking over where Hollywood has abandoned them, and probably the most well done series I've had the pleasure of watching is Mortal Kombat Legacy, which just released its second season. Of course, it features everyone's favorite characters from the games (and even a couple of obscure ones nobody liked playing with), but it manages to breathe new life into them while remaining faithful to what fans loved most about the original games. Essentially, the entire series is updated without being butchered, which was no small task, considering just how ridiculous the original premise actually was. Legacy though manages to offer an original story with new twists on the characters (just wait until you meet the new Liu Kang).

Legacy is directed by Kevin Tancharoen and produced by Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, which means that it's not really an indie project, but it's still a pretty big step as far as taking advantage of the potential for releasing series online. The episodes themselves are pretty short and chapter-esque, usually only lasting about ten minutes or so. The thing is, that Legacy manages to pack those minutes with some pretty impressive features. The fight scenes are awesome, and the series has even featured a few well known action stars like Michael Jai White (guess who he plays). Even the effects and the costuming would be impressive for a feature film, much less a web series.

The thing that has bugged me about the first two seasons is how many characters changed actors. Sure, there was almost two years between seasons, but I'm pretty unhappy about Casper Van Dien taking over as Johnny Cage (I actually kind of liked Matt Mullins and his washed up portrayal of the former action star). The other casting changes though are relatively unnoticeable since characters like Stryker didn't play much of a part in the first season. However, I'm not sure I like this direction of them changing actors, especially with season three rumored to be heading toward production.

The reason why Legacy is such a success is because it is basically fan service. It knows what Mortal Kombat fans want and it tries to give them exactly that (I say "tries" because "real" fans are never satisfied for some reason), and despite the fact that each chapter manages to stand on its own two feet, it's a very addicting web series and easy is very easy to watch. That being said, it's still a series about Mortal Kombat, which means that it's not exactly high art. Don't get me wrong, it certainly pushes the envelope at times with its strong vision and astounding execution, and really does deserve the utmost praise. However, it's not something that stays with the viewer after the credits have rolled. I really liked Mortal Kombat Legacy, but I wasn't exactly fawning over it the next day. I guess that means I'll just have to watch it all over again, and you know what? I'm alright with that.

Only saw first season..

[Tinmancr · 5/10 · 8 May 2020]

To sum it up has a very cheap cable tv feel sub hbo. Bad acting, worse dialogue and odd setting. Fairly enjoyable for a watch just much lower quality. Im a huge fan of early games and first movie.

I would recommend this to diehard Mortal Kombat fans but overall I would score this very average

[kevin_robbins · 5/10 · 11 June 2021]

Mortal Kombat Legacy Season 1 & 2 (2011-13) is a series of short films I recently watched on HBOMAX. This series tells a series of short stories within the Mortal Kombat universe with each episode being 7-22 minutes long. We follow characters we know within the Mortal Kombat universe and how they became them. The quality of these episodes varies from episode to episode and some are definitely better than others. Some of the shootouts are average and some of the CGI works very well and some not so much. I will say every storyline with Cyrax & Sektor or Kitana were very, very good. I wish they had more consistently delivered that level of content; but unfortunately, most of these episodes were very average. I would recommend this to diehard Mortal Kombat fans but overall I would score this a 5-5.5/10.

Way too short!

[jkosarin · 1/10 · 29 July 2022]

I wish the episodes were longer. Every episode right when I was getting into them they ended less than 10 minutes later. If they were longer episodes it would be great.

A review long after this series was relevant, if it ever was.

[EEvvEwefwein1221721 · 4/10 · 11 November 2023]

Now, I am a big fan of Mortal Kombat and upon seeing a few clips of this web series I was interested in giving it a watch. While I didn't entirely hate it, I didn't exactly love it either. While I do understand the swings they took making this series given the years it was developed some of it's swings don't exactly work for me.

One of the things I don't love about this series is some of it's scenes and episodes never going anywhere, being picked up again, or not even being important like how the first episode had a damn good Sonya, Jax, and Kano, but they ultimately, never appear again, which applies to other characters like Mileena, Ermac, Baraka, and Sub-Zero being killed and then never appearing again. Another example of this being the episode with Raiden in a psychiatric institution. Why did he teleport himself to a psych ward, he's the god of thunder, did he not have anything better to do besides preparing for the MK Tournament? And on top of that, you expect me to believe the GOD OF THUNDER, could be kept in a psych ward, The writers must've been crazy if they thought that was sensible idea. In fact, speaking of Raiden, I hate how he looks nothing like his video game self, especially with his beard and him lacking his signature robes and straw hat, and that same issue I have with some character designs carries over to Baraka, who looks to rat like in my opinion, and Shao Kahn, who looks almost as bad as he did in Annihilation (almost).

Another issue with the swings I have that this series took would be with Scorpion and Sub-Zero. Scorpion is good for the most part and I like the Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu actually wanting to be at peace with each other, but I don't like what they did with Sub-Zero since, the main Sub-Zero in this is Bi-Han since Kuai Liang is apparently dead in this series, though it's confirmed off-screen which is stupid, and later on Bi-Han is killed later on by Scorpion in the tournament, which yes is accurate to the games, but in this timeline that means there's no Sub-Zero as both of them are dead and there's no Scorpion and Sub-Zero rivalry. And in fact, how did the tournament even work in this series?

Speaking of Kuai Liang, I don't like how he seemed a bit to eager to pick a fight and nothing like how he is in the games, which led to his death, and that inaccurate personalities issues I have carries over to Kung Lao, who is usually the cocky one, but in this one is treated more like Raiden than the actual Raiden.

Still, despite those faults, I think this is a decently made web series filled with some decent production value, and choreographed fight scenes, even if at times they feel like something out of Power Rangers to me, but my favorite would have to be the one with Kenshi and Ermac, since at the end of the day, they had a guy wear a blind fold and actually fight someone while wearing it. That's so cool to me.

I also do appreciate some of the swings they took with this series, most notably with Liu Kang, as i like what they did with his character oddly enough as, after winning last years MK tournament, he lost the love of his life and began to resent Earthrealmers for their deeds, despite fighting for them, and then later he gets manipulated by Shang Tsung into joining the fighters of Outworld which I really like for some reason, and then we see Liu Kang and Kung Lao face off, with Kung Lao terrified of what his former friend has become. To bad we'll never get to see a continuation of this as this series hasn't been picked up for a Season 3 since

I also really like the animated sequences, some of the characters, most notably Jax, Sub-Zero, Kenshi, and Shang Tsung, the animated sequences for the Kitana and Mileena episodes, and I think the Scorpion & Sub-Zero episodes were the best of the series for me. Plus some of the acting is good to me, probably most notably with Michael Jai White as Jax and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa reprising his role as Shang Tsung.

So, yeah, not my favorite web-series, but I think it's decently made.

Before they saved the world

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 2 May 2018]

I have to say I would have been completely flummoxed had I seen this before watching two of the Mortal Kombat series films. The TV series based on the video game and previous feature films and there are separate episodes involving the martial arts masters from back when.

The main two cast names were Jeri Ryan from Star Trek - Voyager showing a bit more emotion but no less fighting skill as 7 of 9 refugee Borg. The other is Casper Van Dien who is so much better the hero than a villain. It was sure fascinating to learn that Johnny Cage was a former Power Ranger.

If you liked the films, you'll like the TV series.

Shold have stayed with the rebirth concept.

[bmrao1980 · 3/10 · 3 June 2011]

I had decent, if not high, expectations from this series, given how Rebirth was conceptualized. Rebirth was the kind of take on Mortal Kombat that would have worked. If camp was all we needed, then the original MK movie was good enough. Unfortunately, we now have a series that relies on the same camp, as canon as it might be. The thing with MK is that as a game it is pretty straight forward, opponents enter the arena and kill each other. For game fans, the motive is not as important. But translate that into a movie and we need a proper story, a less campy and more gritty story. Rebirth did that. This series goes back to being campy.

Honestly, as the series progresses, I am losing interest. If a movie is ever to happen after this series that picks up after this series, it will be as campy, if not more, than the original MK movie.

In its defense though, I do feel that 10 minutes, including the end titles is a very short time to fully realize a concept. And, the Sub-Zero v/s Scorpion part was done well.

But still, some logic holes can't be dismissed. For example,

--Why did Raiden endure 90 days of the psych ward when all he had to do to get away was to get stabbed?

--Why did Kitana believe a man she was hunting (King Robert) when he tells him she is his daughter, especially when that is all she has to go with? I mean, she was raised by Shao Kahn all her life. Just one piece of dialogue to change her entire belief system?