Fans of Mortal Kombat rejoiced after hearing that a new movie would come out. Mortal Kombat had a generation of ’90s kids grow up on the eccentric fighters with fantastic, signature moves. These kids not only knew of the legendary video game but of the 1995 cult classic Mortal Kombat, which showed the adventures of Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, and Johnny Cage as they enter the most deadly tournament between the realms of Earth and the Outworld.
The new film finds a young MMA fighter named Cole Young in the same situation after he’s been attacked by the infamous Sub Zero. Both of these films excited fans, although there’s considerable debate about which one is ultimately better. One common agreement among fans is: don’t bring up Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.
10 MK 95: Sonya Blade & Kano’s Rivalry is More Personal
Fans actually thought Kano’s character in the 2021 film was much better. But in the 1995 version, the vendetta Sonya has against Kano is more compelling as Kano killed her partner.
In the 2021 movie, Sonya’s rivalry with Kano is built on an annoyance of him being a pig and having to use him to get to the temple, although they do fight in the end. But Sonya’s main mission in MK 95 is to kill Kano, which she gets the chance to complete by snapping his neck in the mortal kombat tournament.
9 MK 21: Jax Had A More Prominent Role
Jax, a favorite character for fans of the video game, barely has any screen time in the first film. He is Sonya’s partner looking for Kano in MK 95 but he may have two lines maximum. Jax not only has more screen time in the new movie but he’s an important supporting character.
Starting off with saving Cole and his family from Sub Zero, to losing his arms in a battle, to the journey of gaining his arms back, fans of Jax will be satisfied by his appearance in the new film.
8 MK95: Johnny Cage Brought Comic Relief & Satire to Hollywood
The addition of Johnny Cage was well received by fans of the 1995 version. Not only did Linden Ashby hold his own in terms of martial arts, but he was also a satirical look at the vanity of Hollywood by using the prototype of martial arts stars that were popular at that time.
Johnny Cage is an insecure version of Jean Claude Van Damme (who was offered the part as Cage) which propels him into fights with Goro and Scorpion. Johnny Cage also provides a lot of funny one-liners, his most memorable to Goro after Goro destroys his sunglasses, “those were $500 sunglasses a***ole.”
7 MK 21: The R-Rated Fatalities
Even diehard proponents of the 1995 version admit that one big downside was its PG-13 rating. Mortal Kombat, the video game, was so incredibly violent that it caused controversy with parents and was exalted by gamers.
It seemed to be an injustice that there wouldn’t be any gore-filled fatalities in the 1995 film because it otherwise paid really close homage to the video game. MK 21 did not fail to deliver on the gore as there are multiple spectacular fatalities, culminating in a big showdown between two important characters in the end.
6 MK95: Liu Kang Had A Better Storyline & Reason For Competing
Liu Kang’s storyline in MK 95 really drives a lot of the film, ultimately culminating in the climactic fight at the end of the film between Liu Kang and Shang Tsung. Liu Kang’s pursuit does not rely on saving the Earth realm from Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat, but to kill Shang Tsung for the death of his brother Chan.
At the urging of Raiden and Katana, Liu Kang must focus on his true destiny and facing his fears rather than focusing on vengeance to defeat Shang Tsung. Liu Kang is fine in MK 21, even though he’s a little more timid. But Liu Kang’s motives and backstory are much deeper in MK 95.
5 MK 21: The Special Effects Aren’t Nearly As Cheesy As MK 95
Sure it’s not completely fair to compare the special effects of a movie that was made 26 years ago to a modern film. But the special effects are the one thing that writers can’t help but notice that made the 1995 film age terribly. While MK 95 is still very well shot and beautifully choreographed in regard to fighting, the appearance of Reptile and Goro are ten times better in MK 21.
The fatality with Kano ripping out Reptile’s heart is objectively better than Liu Kang defeating Reptile who took a human form with a very slap shot CGI. Scorpion’s spear attack in MK 95 still looks cool though.
4 MK 95: There Were Actual Tournament Fights
The martial arts and choreography are among the top qualities of the first film. But a crucial difference between the two movies is that the first film actually held Mortal Kombat tournaments. Shang Tsung would’ve killed Earth’s champions and had no problem rigging fights, but he at least had semi-respect for the rules to hold the fights and respect the traditions of Mortal Kombat.
Shang Tsung in MK 21 is constantly on the attack to kill earth’s champions without holding an official tournament. The respect of holding the tournaments in the first film is why it’s considered one of the best adaptions of a video game to film.
3 MK 21: Sub Zero & Scorpion Were More Prominent Characters
Sub Zero and Scorpion are arguably the two best characters in Mortal Kombat. Their powers, their looks, their attitudes all make them fan favorites. Their roles in MK 95 were memorable but there wasn’t enough character development. The fans of MK 95 were hoping for a fleshed-out backstory and larger role for these two.
MK 21 did that as best as it could, starting off with the opening fight scene and adding Sub Zero as one of the main villains. Critics still believe MK 21 let down Scorpion but even the brief added backstory about him wandering in hell looking for revenge is an upgrade from MK 95.
2 MK 95: The Chemistry Among The Cast Was Better
There are certain parts of the 1995 film that did not age well. But one of its strongest, if not the strongest, point of the movie is the amazing ensemble of fighters and characters in the film. Nobody is pushing that these were Oscar-winning performances, but the way the ’90s version of Earth realm defenders just clicked more than they did in 2021.
Robin Shou was great as Liu Kang, Christopher Lambert brought a reverent edge to Raiden, Linden Ashby brought his egotistical actor on a journey to prove himself, Bridgette Wilson was an all-around badass as Sonya Blade, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa was a villainous terror to Shang Tsung. The fun and passion the actors took to their characters shone through the film.
1 MK 21: The Introduction Was Epic
There are strong feelings about the new Mortal Kombat. Some fans expressed extreme disappointment in regard to the plot with a feeling it was rushed and sloppy. The beginning, however, is extremely cinematic and memorable. Like any classic Kung-Fu or Samurai movie, Mortal Kombat starts off in the assassin Bi-Han (later Sub Zero) leading a group of ninja to attack his rival Hanzo Hanasahi (later Scorpion).
Bi-Han kills Hanzo’s family leading to an epic fight between Hanzo and the assassins and then Hanzo vs Bi-Han. Whatever the feelings on the overall result of the film, the beginning was very well done. It was a perfect set-up for Sub Zero and Scorpion’s backstory. If MK 95 started off with this introduction, mixed with their original stories, it would be the greatest Mortal Kombat movie of all time.
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