Mortal Kombat: Rebirthis the 2010 8-minute long short film that could possibly have completely reshaped the cinematic universe of one of the biggest names in fighting games history. Directed by Kevin Tancharoen, the short was used as a pitch for a new reboot of the saga and originated the web seriesMortal Kombat: Legacy, which originally aired on YouTube from 2011 to 2013.
Over the years,Mortal Kombathas had numerous adaptations to the screen, almost all of which were arguably close to the source material tone-wise, withLegacybeing somewhat closer to a real-world scenario. However,Legacyonly stood halfway between the originalMortal Kombatvibe and the reinvention of the universe suggested byMortal Kombat: Rebirth. In a daring and bold move,Rebirthproposed a complete re-imagination of theMKuniverse. It strays further from the fantasy aspect of it – so no other realms and magic – and grounds all the characters and their backstory and signature abilities in cold hard reality. For example, Reptile is no longer a Saurian warrior who spits acid and has a tongue that leashes out several feet, but a cannibalistic serial killer who was born with a rare genetic disorder.
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But what could Mortal Kombat gain from a bleak and realistic portrayal of its universe? To be fair, the whole context of the original story is quite silly and zany. For Outworld to attain control of another realm, they have to win ten consecutive tournaments against that realm to fulfill their imperialism – a set of rules imposed by the Elder Gods, which in retrospect sounds absurd. However,Mortal Kombatis a game that embraces its absurdity and cheesiness, and so does almost every film/series adaptation of it, including the fan-favorite1995 film, directed by Paul W. S. Anderson.
Rebirth, of course, is an exception to the rule, as it proposed something else for a change. Presenting a dark universe, with less color or room for humor,Rebirthsomewhat tries to take itself more seriously. Even though it is kind of hard to draw a detailed case study for an 8-minute short film that was always intended to become something larger, watchingRebirthgives fans a taste of what the violent world ofMortal Kombatcould look like in a more sober, real-life-like scenario.
If the original reasons for why thosecharacters had to fight each other to the deathare more in line with absurdity and cheesiness, the one proposed byRebirthsounds much sinister and straight-to-the-point, as worded by Michael Jai White’s Jax Briggs: “Some underground deathmatch between the world’s top fighters, serial killers, assassins.” That tournament actually sounds mortal. Going as far as to imagine all the classic characters and rivalries in theRebirthscenario, a fight-to-the-death between the vengeful, mysterious formerShirai Ryu assassin Scorpionversus the cold-blooded, ninja-turned-cyborg Sub-Zero could have been legendary. Not to mention the potential thematic depth in the exploration of the Lin Kuei’s abandonment of their culture and embrace of technological warfare.
Even though Tancharoen’s pitch was accepted,the series born from itdid not forgo the original fantasy of theMortal Kombatuniverse. WhileLegacystill presents part of the “modern day, modern problems” feel ofRebirth, it remains closer to the original source material fantasy-wise. InLegacy, Lord Raiden is taken for a madman and locked in an asylum for blabbering about a magical tournament… except the absurd tournament is real.
Legacyembraces modernity, but not so much as to change the fundamental rules of the universe, unlikeRebirthfirst proposed. Earthrealm and Outworld exist, and so does magic. That, in and of itself, does not makeLegacya worse or unworthy adaptation, but it does makeRebirthseem even more original and innovative in comparison.
While it is true that afighting gamehas no reason to focus on plot, the same cannot be said for narrative films. So, perhaps the “magical tournament for the sake of the Earth” was simply a fun and fantastic way to set up an arcade fighting game, but ended up becoming so much more.
The universe ofMortal Kombat, rich in characters, storylines, and places was built over several games launched over decades. One could argue that theMortal Kombatuniverse needs thorough planning to be adapted with its required depth to the screen. A universe as rich as that of the MCU, for example, could never fit the 23-film arc of the Infinity Saga into a trilogy. That is why the Mortal Kombat films and series often feel rushed, with not enough room for character development and conflict setup. Maybe a shared universe could work better forMK. And maybe a universe within the sober, albeit violent and exciting, philosophies ofRebirthcould shake things up in an interesting way.
