Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (soundtrack)

Mortal Kombat Annihilation

Company type	Film
Industry	Motion picture
Founded	1997
Founder	John R. Leonetti (director debut)
Headquarters	United States
Products	Martial arts fantasy movie
Parent	New Line Cinema

Mortal Kombat Annihilation is a 1997 American martial arts fantasy movie marking the directorial debut of John R. Leonetti. This film, based on the Mortal Kombat video game series, serves as the second entry in the Mortal Kombat movie franchise and acts as a follow-up to the 1995 original, in which Leonetti worked as cinematographer. Drawing heavily from the 1995 title Mortal Kombat 3, the storyline centers on Liu Kang and his allies as they strive to prevent the tyrannical Shao Kahn from invading Earthrealm. The cast includes Robin Shou reprising Liu Kang, Talisa Soto returning as Kitana, James Remar as Raiden, Sandra Hess portraying Sonya Blade, Lynn “Red” Williams as Jax, and Brian Thompson embodying Shao Kahn. Aside from Shou and Soto, all other roles were recast.

Distributed by New Line Cinema, Mortal Kombat Annihilation premiered in theaters on November 21, 1997. Despite earning $51.3 million at the box office against a $30 million production budget, it was met with predominantly negative critical reception. The unfavorable response led to the cancellation of a direct sequel, leaving a third film stalled in development until the franchise was rebooted in 2021.

Plot

Outworld’s emperor, Shao Kahn, initiates an invasion of Earthrealm by opening a gateway and resurrecting Queen Sindel, who is Princess Kitana’s mother, to assist his conquest. Defending Earthrealm are Thunder God Raiden alongside warriors Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, and Johnny Cage; however, Cage is killed by Kahn during combat. The surviving defenders retreat to rally additional allies.

Sonya enlists her Special Forces comrade Jax, while Kitana and Liu seek out Nightwolf, a Native American shaman believed to possess the knowledge required to defeat Kahn. Meanwhile, Scorpion abducts Kitana.

Raiden consults the Elder Gods regarding Shao Kahn’s violation of tournament regulations and seeks guidance on how to halt him. One Elder God advises that reuniting Kitana with Sindel could sever Kahn’s influence, whereas another insists that Kahn must be confronted directly. Raiden faces scrutiny over his dedication to protecting mortal lives.

Under Nightwolf’s tutelage, Liu undergoes training to harness Animality—a transformative ability unlocked through three trials testing self-confidence, bravery, and concentration. During these trials, Jade tempts Liu but later offers assistance after he resists her advances; a final trial remains undisclosed. Accepting Jade’s help, Liu brings her to the Elder Gods’ temple for an audience with Raiden.

Raiden relinquishes his immortality to fight alongside the warriors. Together, they infiltrate Outworld intending to rescue Kitana and reunite her with Sindel in hopes of restoring Sindel’s soul and closing the portal. Liu successfully frees Kitana; others subdue Sindel, who escapes under Kahn’s control. Jade is revealed as a traitor working for Kahn and faces punishment. Raiden discloses that Shao Kahn is his brother and Shinnok their father; Shinnok supports Kahn’s cause. When Raiden refuses Shinnok’s demand to betray mortals, Kahn kills him.

Jax, Sonya, and Kitana defeat Shao Kahn’s generals while Liu confronts Kahn using Animality, exposing Kahn’s vulnerability due to breaking sacred laws. Shinnok attempts to kill Liu but is exposed by two Elder Gods who declare that Mortal Kombat will determine Earthrealm’s fate. Liu triumphs over Kahn; Shinnok is banished. Earthrealm is restored and Sindel reunites with Kitana. Raiden is revived and assumes his father’s position among the Elder Gods, urging the warriors to support one another as they return home.

Production

Mortal Kombat Annihilation draws loose inspiration from the 1995 video game Mortal Kombat 3, incorporating characters from the Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 roster. Elements originally planned from Mortal Kombat 4 were ultimately excluded from the final cut. Unlike the original film, which appealed to both general audiences and gamers, this sequel was primarily aimed at enthusiasts of the video game series. Producer Lawrence Kasanoff intended to exceed the initial film’s $73 million U.S. box office by delivering "more fights, more special effects, more Outworld, more everything," setting a goal to triple the original's scale.

Principal photography commenced in early 1996 across diverse locations such as Parys Mountain in Anglesey, Wales; London; Jordan; and Thailand. The majority of the cast was replaced, with only Robin Shou (Liu Kang), Talisa Soto (Kitana), and Keith Cooke (Sub-Zero) reprising their roles from the first installment. Due to scheduling conflicts, J. J. Perry took over the role of Scorpion from Chris Casamassa. Prop design was handled by Stephen Painter alongside Neill Gorton.

Internationally, the movie was distributed under varying titles: in France as Mortal Kombat: Destruction Finale, Italy as Mortal Kombat: Distruzione Totale, and in French-speaking Canada as Mortal Kombat: Anéantissement.

A noteworthy contribution came from Thai martial artist and actor Tony Jaa, who performed stunt doubling for Robin Shou, enhancing the authenticity of the fight choreography.

Music

The soundtrack titled Mortal Kombat Annihilation: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released on October 28, 1997, through TVT Records. It encompasses a mixture of electronica, industrial rock, heavy metal, techno, and punk rock styles. The iconic Mortal Kombat theme was created by Praga Khan and Oliver Adams. Production credits include Lawrence Kasanoff and Steve Gottlieb.

The track "Megalomaniac" appears here in a shortened single version lasting 4:19 compared to its full-length 6:07 original, while "Fire" is slightly edited down to 3:14 from its album and single versions that run 3:31.

Box office

Upon its release on November 21, 1997, Mortal Kombat Annihilation debuted at number one at the box office with an opening weekend gross of $16 million. It ultimately earned $35 million domestically and $51.3 million worldwide.

Critical response

The movie holds a mere 4% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critiques focusing on its superficial character development, subpar special effects, and weak storyline. On Metacritic, it received a score of 11 out of 100, while CinemaScore polls reflected audience reactions with a "C+" grade.

Jason Gibner from Allmovie described it as "genuinely beautiful trash cinema," contrasting it with the original film’s "guilty schlock pleasure." Marjorie Baumgarten of the Austin Chronicle characterized it as a sequence of fight scenes loosely connected by a fragile narrative. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly assigned it a "D−," calling it "abysmal" and "incoherent." IGN’s R.L. Shaffer observed that over time it gained cult status for its unintended comedic parody of early video game films designed primarily for profit.

Co-creators Ed Boon and John Tobias have expressed that working on Annihilation was their least favorable experience within the franchise. Producer Lawrence Kasanoff admitted that the film was released without being fully completed, stating, "We never finished that movie. But the studio said, 'we don’t care'. We sacrificed quality for business."

Novelization

Jerome Preisler authored a novelization of the movie, which was released by Tor Books.

Canceled sequel

Shou's initial agreement encompassed a three-film contract, with Threshold Entertainment intending to produce a follow-up to Annihilation soon after its release; nevertheless, unfavorable reviews and underwhelming box office performance resulted in the project being shelved. Efforts to create a third installment encountered extended development challenges, involving numerous script revisions and alterations in plot, cast members, and production team. A 2001 fan survey hosted on the official Mortal Kombat website demonstrated sustained enthusiasm for the franchise's continuation.

The devastation of New Orleans caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 affected one intended filming site. In 2009, producer Kasanoff filed a lawsuit against Midway Games amid bankruptcy proceedings, referencing a third movie under development. Following the acquisition of most of Midway's properties, including Mortal Kombat, Warner Bros.—which has owned New Line Cinema since 2008—released a rebooted version of the Mortal Kombat film in 2021.

See also

• List of films based on video games