Mortal Kombat 1 Final Battle
Ailene Goldhirsh
Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms is a 2021 American direct-to-video adult animated martial arts film, directed by Ethan Spaulding from a screenplay by Jeremy Adams, based on the Mortal Kombat franchise created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, it is the second installment in the Legends series and a direct sequel to Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge (2020). Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and animated by Studio Mir, Boon returned from the predecessor as creative consultant.[1]
Battle of the Realms borrows source materials from several series games and revolves around the otherworldly Mortal Kombat tournament set in Outworld. Liu Kang is chosen to fulfill his destiny as a tournament champion while Scorpion sets out to prevent the Kamidogu artifact from falling into the hands of Shinnok as he comes into conflict with the younger Sub-Zero. The film was released on August 31, 2021, digitally and on Blu-ray,[2] and received mixed to negative reviews from critics.
Following the events of the previous Mortal Kombat tournament, Shao Kahn declares war on Earthrealm in retaliation for Shang Tsung's defeat through a new Mortal Kombat tournament set in Outworld. Princess Kitana, Kintaro, General Reiko, and Jade lead the Emperor's first wave invasion force of Outworld warriors and Netherrealm demons, laying siege against the Wu Shi monastery, but are repelled by Kung Lao and Special Forces cybernetically enhanced Jackson Briggs and NYPD officer Kurtis Stryker. At the onset of their assault, the Outworld commanders are confronted by movie star Johnny Cage and Jax's partner Sonya Blade.
When Johnny and Sonya are soon joined by Liu Kang and Raiden as negotiations fail, Shao Kahn appears himself, petitioning Raiden to participate in a final Mortal Kombat tournament to permanently decide Earthrealm's fate. The thunder god agrees, and he and Shao Kahn venture to the realm of the Elder Gods to propose this ultimate contest.
Meanwhile, Scorpion reawakens back in the Netherrealm. He is confronted by the enraged Elder God Shinnok over the death of his favored servant Quan Chi. The Netherrealm lord engineers Scorpion's entrance into Earthrealm to utilize the key embedded in his body to find the final piece of his puzzle, anonymously hiring the Lin Kuei clan in tracking him down to claim his prize. Back in Earthrealm, Lin Kuei members Kuai Liang and Smoke are summoned by the grandmaster to participate in said request. But are horrified to witness missing peers they would questioned the whereabouts of prior to their urged presence having undergone cybernetic biomodifications as a means to strengthen the clan, with the juniors expected to do the same. Liang and Smoke rebel, with Liang being the only one to flee successfully. Liang then adopts his deceased brother's codename, Sub-Zero.
Back at the Wu Shi Temple, Raiden returns to his troops after arranging to hold and participate in the tournament while relinquishing his immortality. Once the Earthrealm warriors head for Outworld, Scorpion makes his presence known to Raiden. He mentions the key to Shinnok's prison has bonded to his soul and came to Raiden for advice about its purpose. Raiden informs him that it is a key to untold power known as the Kamidogu, a supreme magical relic from a bygone era that could doom all the realms.
At the start of the tournament, Cage is defeated by Kytinn warrior D'Vorah; Sonya defeats D'Vorah and Li Mei; Kang defeats Jade; Stryker defeats Baraka; Jax defeats Kintaro by ripping his arms out of their sockets.
Back on Earth, Scorpion is being pursued by Cyrax and Sektor in a dockside shipping yard. The trio is soon interrupted by Sub-Zero, but even he is outmatched by their superior enhancements and the arrival of the cybernetic Smoke. With their enemies overwhelmed, the three cyber Lin Kuei apprehend their Hellspawn prey and make off to the Temple of Elements. At their destination, they force Hanzo to open their designated portal. As they prepare to eliminate him upon accessing its gateway, they are interrupted again by a vengeful Sub-Zero. Scorpion fails to console Kuai Liang over mistakenly murdering his brother but agrees to a temporary alliance against Sub-Zero's clan. Despite their efforts, the Lin Kuei retrieve the Kamidogu, leaving the pair for dead when the mountain crumbles on top of them.
As the second half of the final tournament is underway, Lao and Stryker are killed by Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung, respectively. Kitana rebels against her stepfather instead of fighting against Raiden, only to be beaten into submission. Kang defeats Shang Tsung regardless of a setback and spares him.
In the Netherrealm, the Lin Kuei realize too late that their employer was Shinnok as they learn of his plan to revive the One Being and bring an end to all of creation. Subsequently, they are betrayed and killed for their services.
During the tournament's final stage, Raiden dies while losing his battle against Shao Kahn, enraging Kang to defeat the emperor and win the tournament. However, celebrations are cut short as Shinnok finally succeeds in resurrecting the One Being and fusing himself. With the aid of the Elder Gods, Sub-Zero, Scorpion, and Liu Kang engage in a fight and kill Shinnok while Johnny, Jax, Kitana, and Sonya protect civilians from Kahn's remaining army.
In the aftermath, Kang absorbs the One Being's power and reverts the realms into their original state, including Edenia. Sonya and Johnny share a kiss while Liu and Kitana hold hands in hard-earned peace, unaware that Raiden is revived with his immortality.
Following the release of Scorpion's Revenge in April 2020, screenwriter Jeremy Adams expressed interest in doing a sequel.[4] In June 2021, a sequel was announced, with most of the cast and crew from the previous film now set to return. On the day before the film's release, a Warner Bros. Animation logo variant featuring Shaggy Rogers from Scooby-Doo strangling Scorpion was uploaded onto the internet, inspired by the "Ultra Instinct Shaggy" internet meme, as a follow-up to the previous film's logo variant featuring Scorpion strangling Daffy Duck in place of Porky Pig.[5]
Matthew Mercer reprised his role as Stryker from the 2011 video game. Dave B. Mitchell reprised his role as Sektor from Mortal Kombat 11, and Matthew Yang King, who voiced both Liu Kang and Fujin in Mortal Kombat 11, voiced Kung Lao in the film.
Battle of the Realms holds a 50% rating with six reviews on Rotten Tomatoes,[7] and has received mixed to negative critical reception. Mitchell Saltzman of IGN rated the film a five out of ten, calling it "a swing and a whiff" in that it "feels all over the place, attempting to tell too many stories at once and not doing any of them justice."[8] Luke Y. Thompson of SuperHeroHype called the plot "wildly inconsistent" and that it "mostly serves as the thinnest of devices to get to the next fight."[9] Den of Geek called the film "a narrative mess ... an incredibly busy movie that has too much going on to the point that there are two completely separate storylines happening at the same time that only briefly connect but ultimately converge in a bonkers and completely tacked on finale."[10] However, Tanner Dedmon of ComicBook.com wrote that the film "wastes no time getting to the action" and "doubles down on things like x-rayed blows and key catchphrases that honor the source material and give characters their big moments without being too distracting."[11]
Years later, after the conclusion of the Mortal Kombat tournament, Shao Kahn throws Outworld's forces against Earthrealm, accompanied by Kitana, Kintaro, Reiko, Jade and Baraka. Kung Lao, Kurtis Stryker, Jax Briggs, Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, Liu Kang and Raiden form Earthrealm's resistance and manage to counter Outworld's offensive. Shao Kahn arrives and asks Raiden to go to the Elder Gods with him asking for a new tournament that will end the endless cycles of brutality, Raiden agrees.
Scorpion returns to the Netherrealm after the collapse of Shang Tsung's Island and is received by Shinnok. Shinnok explains that the key Scorpion obtained in the island has bound with his soul, and asks him to enter Earthrealm to open the Temple of Elements and bring the artifact that it protects. Scorpion denies and flees to Earthrealm. Shinnok later on hires the Lin Kuei to make sure that Scorpion gets the artifact, lying to them what his objective is, and also by who he is.
In the Lin Kuei's temple, the grandmaster orders Kuai Liang and Smoke to capture Scorpion. He shows Cyrax and Sektor, who were declared missing, now in a cybernetic form, ready to transform the duo into one of them. Kuai Liang manages to escape but Smoke is left behind, being initiated by the cyborgs.
Raiden and Shao Kahn appear in front of the Elder Gods and ask to declare a new tournament. Raiden also asks to be allowed to participate in the tournament as a contestant, in exchange for his immortality. The Elder Gods granted their wishes. Raiden returns to Earthrealm, now as a mortal, and gathers the realm's forces to join the tournament. After all contestants enters the portal, Scorpion appears and tells to Raiden what Shinnok told him. Raiden explains that the temple hold the Kamidogu, a relic of the realms that once all of them are reunited they will unleash the power of the One Being. As a mortal, Raiden cannot separate Scorpion's soul from the key, and asks him to keep fleeing in Earthrealm.
In Outworld, the forces of Earthrealm meet the contestants of Shao Kahn, composed by Li Mei, Kintaro, D'Vorah, Baraka, Reiko and Jade. Johnny Cage is defeated by D'Vorah, Liu Kang defeats Jade, Stryker defeats Baraka, Li Mei is defeated by Sonya and Kintaro is killed by Jax.
Back in Earthrealm, Scorpion is attacked by Sektor and Cyrax. The duo outstands the ninja, but they are stopped by Kuai Liang, now the new Sub-Zero, and engages in a fight with Scorpion. The fight is interrupted by Smoke, now turned into a cyborg, and releases Cyrax and Sektor. The trio takes the ninjas down and capture Scorpion, leaving for the island. At the island, Scorpion is forced to open the temple by the cyborgs. As they are about to fight, Sub-Zero appears and freezes the trio and advances on Scorpion, who flees to the temple. In the temple, after a brief fight Scorpion convinces Sub-Zero to join forces with him to protect the Kamidogu against Cyrax, Sektor and Smoke. The duo is taken down by the cyborgs, who manage to get the Kamidogu and flee to the Netherrealm. Scorpion, a revenant, takes Sub-Zero with him to the realm to confront Shinnok.
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