Mortal Kombat (1995)

Director:

Paul W.S. Anderson

Writers (WGA):

Ed Boon (video games) &
John Tobias (video games) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 August 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Choose Your Destiny...

Plot:

Three unknowing martial artists are summoned to a mysterious island to compete in a tournament whose outcome will decide the fate of the world.

Plot Keywords:

Tournament | Mortal Kombat | Island | Sorcerer | Lightning

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Christopher Lambert	...	Lord Rayden
Robin Shou	...	Liu Kang
Linden Ashby	...	Johnny Cage
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa	...	Shang Tsung
Bridgette Wilson-Sampras	...	Sonya Blade (as Bridgette Wilson)
Talisa Soto	...	Kitana
Trevor Goddard	...	Kano
Chris Casamassa	...	Scorpion
François Petit	...	Sub-Zero
Keith Cooke	...	Reptile (as Keith H. Cooke)
Hakim Alston	...	Fighting Monk
Kenneth Edwards	...	Art Lean
John Fujioka	...	Chief Priest
Daniel Haggard	...	Assistant Director
Sandy Helberg	...	Director
Steven Ho	...	Chan
Peter Jason	...	Master Boyd
Lloyd Kino	...	Grandfather
Gregory McKinney	...	Jax
Mikal Moore	...	Singer at Techno Club
Brice Stephens	...	Singer at Techno Club
Frank Welker	...	Shao Kahn / Reptile (voice)
Ed Boon	...	Scorpion (voice)
Kevin Michael Richardson	...	Goro (voice) (as Kevin Richardson)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Leo Anastasio	...	(uncredited)
Richard Branden	...	Outworld Warrior (uncredited)
Jaime H. Campos	...	Temple Monk (uncredited)
Deanna Hodges	...	Street Walker (uncredited)
Alex Morissen	...	Techno Club Teenage Rebel (uncredited)
T.J. Storm	...	Guest Fighter (uncredited)
Tom Woodruff Jr.	...	Goro (uncredited)

Directed by
Paul W.S. Anderson		(as Paul Anderson)

Writing credits (WGA)
Ed Boon		(video games) &
John Tobias		(video games)
Kevin Droney		(written by)

Produced by
Lauri Apelian	....	producer
Robert Engelman	....	executive producer
Lawrence Kasanoff	....	producer
Alison Savitch	....	associate producer
Danny Simon	....	executive producer

Original Music by
George S. Clinton

Cinematography by
John R. Leonetti

Film Editing by
Martin Hunter

Casting by
Fern Champion
Kate Kennedy
Mark Paladini

Production Design by
Jonathan A. Carlson

Art Direction by
Jeremy Cassells		(as Jeremy A. Cassells)

Set Decoration by
Susan Degas

Costume Design by
Ha Nguyen

Makeup Department
Raqueli Dahan	....	makeup artist
Thomas Floutz	....	sculptor
Eileen Kastner-Delago	....	makeup artist
Moni Mansano	....	makeup artist
Michael Pachal	....	hair stylist (as Michael Ross)
Katherine Rees	....	hair stylist: Thailand
Alicia M. Tripi	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Robert Engelman	....	unit production manager
Steven Kaminsky	....	post-production supervisor
Kevin Reidy	....	production manager: Thailand
Ted Zachary	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Apichart Chusakul	....	first assistant director (as Abhijati 'Meuk' Jusakul)
Michael Greenwood	....	second second assistant director
Jarounari Memak	....	assistant director
Robin R. Oliver	....	assistant director
Thomas Schellenberg	....	assistant director
Jesse E. Johnson	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
George Capetanos	....	set dresser
Bryn Court	....	sculptor
Tammy DeRuiter	....	painter
Rome Duval	....	propmaker
Doug Hart	....	sculptor
W.D. Hogan	....	storyboard artist (as David Hogan)
Brian Jewell	....	set designer
Jonathan Josell	....	construction accountant
D.W. Kann	....	second property master (as David Kann)
Christian Klump	....	scenic artist
Fireball Tim Lawrence	....	storyboard artist (as Tim Lawrence)
Spanky Lofland	....	carpenter
Dave T. MacDonald	....	welding foreman
Eugene McCarthy	....	property master
Galia Nitzan	....	set designer
Merry-Beth Noble	....	set dresser
Michael Parent	....	on set painter
Rodney Petreikis	....	set dresser
David W. Roden	....	lead prop builder
Chris Santini	....	construction foreman
Keith Short	....	head sculptor
Gregory T. Smith	....	art department coordinator
Eric Upshur	....	props
Michael D. Welch	....	construction coordinator: additional action sequences
Andrew Wert	....	assistant property master
Brannon Wright	....	storyboard artist
Frederick Agnew	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Renato Raposo	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Wil Rees	....	conceptual designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bobbi Banks	....	adr editor
Gregg Barbanell	....	foley artist
Ricardo Broadus	....	sound effects editor
Harry Cohen	....	sound effects editor
Zachary DiPego	....	sound cable wrangler
William Dotson	....	supervising sound editor
David Farmer	....	sound designer
Marc Fishman	....	supervising sound editor
William Freesh	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eric J. Goldstein	....	boom operator
Tom Hartig	....	boom operator
Pamela Kahn	....	foley artist
Jason King	....	adr editor
Gerry Lentz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Menichini	....	sound editor
Paul Menichini	....	sound effects editor
Steve Nelson	....	sound mixer
Vince Nicastro	....	foley artist
Ann Scibelli	....	sound editor
Michael Simpson	....	sound re-recording assistant
Cathie Speakman	....	supervising adr editor
Liz Sroka	....	adr recordist
Ken Teaney	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Brandon Walker	....	adr recordist
Harry Woolway	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Joanne Bloomfield	....	fabricator
Evan Brainard	....	puppeteer: ADI
Evan Brainard	....	special effects makeup
Duncan Capp	....	special effects
Joe Colwell	....	foam supervisor
Michael Dawson	....	special effects administrator
Michel Gagné	....	special effects animator
Patrick M. Gerrety	....	creature effects crew
Alec Gillis	....	special effects: Goro
David Hoehn	....	creature effects artist: Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc.
Ian Hubbard	....	creature effects crew
Scott Kodrik	....	special effects technician
Karl Larsen	....	technical assistant: RGA/LA
Chris Nelson	....	special effects technician
Carolyn Oros	....	special effects technician
Alison Savitch	....	special effects supervisor
Andy Schoneberg	....	art department supervisor: Amalgamated Dynamics
Kirk Skodis	....	special effects
Brandon Trost	....	special effects assistant
Ron Trost	....	special effects coordinator
Patricia Villalobos	....	special effects crew
Tom Woodruff Jr.	....	special effects: Goro
Josselin Mahot	....	creature effects crew (uncredited)
John Shea	....	special effects crew (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Isa Alsup	....	computer graphics supervisor
William L. Arance	....	digital effects artist
Tricia Henry Ashford	....	visual effects producer
Elissa Bello	....	visual effects artist
Jim Berney	....	technical director: Metrolight
Craig Clark	....	digital animator
Bill Coffin	....	digital compositor
Charles Colladay	....	visual effects artist
Carole Cowley	....	digital painter
Denise Davis	....	visual effects production supervisor: BVVE
Vince De Quattro	....	technical director
Stevan Del George	....	CGI animator: Kleiser-Walczak
Valerie Delahaye	....	digital artist
Patrick Denver	....	model maker
David Emerson	....	optical lineup
Rosa Farre	....	visual effects artist
John Follmer	....	special effects supervising producer: main title sequence
Mark Franco	....	visual effects executive producer: The Post Group
Allen Gonzales	....	digital artist
Sam Greenmun	....	effects props designer
Scott Harper	....	digital artist
Jongwoo Heo	....	visual effects
Ralph Horan	....	executive producer: visual effects
Cynthia Hyland	....	effects compositor
Brian Jennings	....	visual effects supervisor: Todd-AO
Arthur Jeppe	....	digital artist: RGA/LA
David Jones	....	CG supervisor: Buena Vista
Bill Kent	....	visual effects supervisor: main titles, MetroLight Studios
Laurel Klick	....	digital supervisor
Malina Koani	....	production assistant
J.W. Kompare	....	visual effects editor
James W. Kristoff	....	executive in charge of production: MetroLight Studios
Lee Lanier	....	digital artist
Paul Lasaine	....	matte painting supervisor
Kim Lavery	....	visual effects coordinator
Annie Mahlik	....	editorial assistant
Seth Maury	....	digital compositor
Daniel Miller	....	digital compositor
Bret Mixon	....	rotoscoping
Peter Montgomery	....	visual effects supervisor
Steve R. Moore	....	visual effects editor
Craig A. Mumma	....	digital effects producer: Robert Greenberg & Associates
Winston Quitasol	....	digital compositor
Rebecca Ramsey	....	visual effects producer: RGA/LA
Linda Renaud	....	I/O manager
Stuart Robertson	....	visual effects supervisor: RGA/LA
Greg Rostami	....	digital artist
Wally Schaab	....	special projects supervisor
Jennifer Lee Scheer	....	digital effects coordinator
Dobbie Schiff	....	visual effects executive producer: MetroLight Studios
Craig Seitz	....	digital effects compositor: Todd-AO
Samrod Shenassa	....	digital camera
Lewis Siegel	....	technical director (as Lewis N. Siegel)
Suzanne Smith	....	visual effects
Smokey Stover	....	model maker forman: Grant McCune Design
Joseph Thomas	....	matchmove photography
Vincent E. Toto	....	visual effects director of photography
Tara Handy Turner	....	executive in charge of production
John T. Van Vliet	....	visual effects supervisor (as John Van Vliet)
Kendrick Wallace	....	visual effects producer: RGA/LA
Christopher Walsh	....	character animator
Kelly Walsh	....	visual effects intern
Tamara Watts Kent	....	digital effects producer
Eric Withee	....	digital film technician: RGA/LA

Stunts
Paul Beahm	....	stunt player
Barbara Bernhardt	....	assistant stunt coordinator (as Barbara Goldstone)
Barbara Bernhardt	....	stunt player
Steve Boyles	....	stunt player
Kurt Bryant	....	stunt player
Mark Caso	....	stunt player
Gary Clayton	....	stunt player
Fumio Demura	....	stunt player
Thomas Dewier	....	stunt player (as Thomas DeWier)
Mark Gannon	....	stunt player
Donnie Hair	....	stunt player
Brad Halstead	....	stunt player
Earnest Hart Jr.	....	stunt player
Dana Hee	....	stunt player
James Louis Hopkins	....	stunt player
Steven Ito	....	stunt player
Pat E. Johnson	....	fight coordinator
Pat E. Johnson	....	stunt coordinator
Dennis Keiffer	....	stunt player
John Koyama	....	stunt player
Leo Lee	....	stunt player
Sidney S. Liufau	....	stunt player (as Sidney Liufau)
Danny Lopez	....	stunt player
Brad Martin	....	stunt player
Carl Milinac	....	stunt player
Rodney Mitchell	....	stunt player
Billy Morts	....	stunt player (as William Morts)
Gerald Okamura	....	stunt player
Saong Park	....	stunt player
David Rowden	....	stunt player (as David Rowden)
Robin Shou	....	fight choreographer: additional fight sequences
Mike Sims	....	stunt player
Christian Torchia	....	stunt player
Mark Caso	....	stunt double: Sub-Zero (uncredited)
Mitchell Gaylord	....	acrobatics stunt double: Scorpion (uncredited)
Al Goto	....	stunts (uncredited)
Donnie Hair	....	stunt ninja (uncredited)
Robert Hammond	....	stunts (uncredited)
Earnest Hart Jr.	....	stunt ninja (uncredited)
Dana Hee	....	stunt double: Kitana (uncredited)
Master Ho Sik Pak	....	stunt ninja (uncredited)
James Louis Hopkins	....	stunt warrior (uncredited)
Jeff Imada	....	fire stunt double: Scorpion (uncredited)
Leo Lee	....	stunt gunman (uncredited)
Sidney S. Liufau	....	stunt warrior (uncredited)
Danny Lopez	....	stunt ninja (uncredited)
Brad Martin	....	stunt double: Linden Ashby (uncredited)
Andre McCoy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Billy Morts	....	assistant stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Gerald Okamura	....	stunt warrior (uncredited)
J.J. Perry	....	stunt double: Linden Ashby (uncredited)
Pat Romano	....	stunt rigger (uncredited)
Chris Torres	....	martial arts demonstration (uncredited)
Takis Triggelis	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dominiquie Vandenberg	....	stunt ninja (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Aaron	....	still photographer
Hugo Cortina	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Hugo Cortina	....	gaffer
Allen D. Easton	....	camera operator
Allen D. Easton	....	director of photography: second unit
Christopher Faloona	....	director of photography: second unit
Renée George	....	electrician (as Renee Kayon)
Bill Greenberg	....	rigging electrician
Bruce Alan Greene	....	Steadicam operator
Rick Grover	....	grip
Michael Guthrie	....	grip
Jimmy Harritos	....	rigging electrician
Evan A. Nesbitt	....	first assistant camera: VistaVision camera
Greg Patterson	....	set lighting
Mark Santoni	....	second assistant camera
Stephen J. Ullman	....	assistant camera
Mark R. Leins	....	additional assistant camera (uncredited)

Animation Department
Chow Emrich	....	animator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cheryl Cravedi	....	set costumer
Lisa A. Doyle	....	set costumer
Christopher J. Kristoff	....	assistant costume designer
David Le Vey	....	costume illustrator
Whitaker Malem	....	special costumes

Editorial Department
Peter Amundson	....	additional editor
Logan Breit	....	assistant editor
Scott Conrad	....	additional editor: action sequences
Harrison Gibbs	....	assistant editor
Heather Hughes	....	assistant editor
Mato	....	color timer
Steve R. Moore	....	editor: visual effects

Music Department
Sharon Boyle	....	music supervisor
Buckethead	....	composer: guitar score
Joanie Diener	....	music editor
Joseph R. Thygesen	....	assistant music editor
Walter Werzowa	....	composer: additional music, end fight scene
John Whynot	....	score mixer

Transportation Department
George Andrews	....	unit driver
Billy Kane	....	driver
Carlos Williams	....	driver

Other crew
Natalie Allisandro	....	stand-in
Fahey Benton	....	medic
Kevin Blank	....	production assistant
Brandon Boyce	....	stand-in (as Brandon Boryce)
Jim Brockett	....	insect wrangler
Milton Canady	....	stand-in
Dea Cantu	....	script supervisor
Ken Cappozzi	....	stand-in
Bob Corff	....	voice teacher
Muyhuot Ear	....	stand-in
Patrick Ellis	....	production assistant
Steve Graham	....	stand-in
Kevin Halloran	....	location scout
Kim Hillman	....	shipping coordinator
Eric Hsu	....	martial arts production assistant: additional action sequences
Pat E. Johnson	....	fight choreographer
Fireball Tim Lawrence	....	fight choreographer (as Tim Lawrence)
Marylou Lim	....	production assistant
Danny Lopez	....	assistant fight choreographer
Lance Mancuso	....	key medic
Sarah Pierse	....	stand-in (as Sarah Pierce)
Mercy Santos	....	stand-in
Burton Sharp	....	adr group coordinator
Robin Shou	....	fight choreographer: additional action sequences, additional crew
Jules Stewart	....	script supervisor: flight sequences (as Jules Mann-Stewart)
J. Marc Strachan	....	location manager
Anthony Tian	....	stand-in
E.J. Wessel	....	stand-in
Marsha Zvonkin	....	production accountant
Eric Chen	....	martial arts consultant (uncredited)
Jeffrey J. Kiehlbauch	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Mike McIntosh	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• New Line Cinema
• Threshold Entertainment

Distributors

• New Line Cinema (1995) (USA) (theatrical)
• Fox Network (2001) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (1995) (France) (theatrical)
• Prooptiki (1996) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (1996) (Greece) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Films de España (Spain)
• Entertainment in Video (2006) (UK) (DVD) (anamorphic re-release)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2007) (United Arab Emirates) (DVD) (Middle East)
• New Line Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• New Line Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• New Line Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (Argentina) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Amalgamated Dynamics (visual effects and animation)
• Available Light Productions (additional animation visual effects) (as Available Light)
• Buena Vista Visual Effects (visual effects)
• Class 'A' Special Effects (mechanical special effects) (as Class A Special Effects)
• Fantasy II Film Effects (additional special visual effects)
• Grant McCune Design (additional models and miniatures)
• Hunter/Gratzner Industries
• Illusion Arts (additional special visual effects)
• Make-Up Lab of Hollywood (makeup effects)
• MetroLight Studios (animated main and end title sequence digital effects)
• Pacific Title Digital (additional compositing) (as Pacific Title Digital Studios)
• Post Group, The (additional visual effects compositing) (as The Post Group-Digital Film Group)
• R&B Films (additional digital animation)
• R/Greenberg Associates (West) (visual effects and computer graphics imagery)
• Todd Masters Company (additional animatronic makeup effects)
• Todd-AO Digital Images (additional digital effects)
• Viewpoint Datalabs International (additional modeling of 3D datasets) (as Viewpoint Int.)

Other Companies

• Chapman Equipment  camera dollies (as Chapman)
• Cinema Research  end credits (as Cinema Research Corporation)
• Digital Equipment Corporation  special thanks
• Direct Tools & Fasteners  expendables
• E=mc²  24 frame video displays
• EFX Systems  digital sound and re-recording
• Eagle Eye  editing equipment
• Editing R Us  editing equipment (as Editing 'R' Us)
• Hill Production Services  camera equipment provided by
• J.L. Fisher  camera dollies
• L & L Studio Equipment Rentals  additional grip equipment
• Leonetti Company  production equipment provided by
• Magic Film and Video Works  negative conforming services (as Magic Film & Video Works)
• Palmbrokers  greenery (uncredited)
• Reeltime Creative  trailer music
• Salon Films  production services: Thailand (as Salon Films, Thailand)
• Sky Media Travel  travel agent
• Steenbeck  editing equipment
• TVT Records  soundtrack
• Wish You Were Here  footage: video wall

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for non-stop martial arts action and some violence

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS (8 channels)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (British Columbia) (1999) | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Mexico:B | Netherlands:12 (re-rated) | New Zealand:M | Norway:18 (1995) | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Taiwan:R-12 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Japan:R-15 | Japan:PG-12 (uncut version) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Ireland:15

Filming Locations:

Santa Monica, California, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

Christopher Lambert also voiced Raiden in the French dubbed version of the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: Shang Tsung's hair changes several times between shots in the first part of his fight: different strands of hair become loose with each angle change, and after he gets punched down, it's perfect again.

Quotes:

Johnny Cage:[Seeing someone sitting in his chair] Hey, mister. You're in my chair.
Master Boyd:[Reading a Tabloid, and lowering it to reveal himself] Hi, Johnny.
Johnny Cage:Oh, Master Boyd.
Master Boyd:I can see that the press is still giving you a hard time.
Johnny Cage:Yeah, they think I'm a fake.
Master Boyd:Johnny, you are one of the best martial artists in the world, and I can help you prove it.
Johnny Cage:Prove it? How?
Master Boyd:A tournament, "THE" tournament.
[Hands him an invitation]
Master Boyd:It's held once a generation. The best fighters in the world are invited. You win the tournament, you win their respect. They'll tell the whole world, that you're the real goods.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Nostalgia Critic: The Top 11 Awesome Movie Themes (#5.25)" (2012)

Soundtrack:

Lies

Test your might

"Mortal Kombat" in my opinion is just an awesome movie. I think because I was such a fan of the video games, the days when Sega was the "thang". LOL, way before Playstation there was Sega! But, I really just loved the characters and this story just always appealed to me. I think because also my friends and I enjoyed acting the movie and video game out. No, we didn't kill each other, we just loved the characters.

Yes, despite this being a typical video game movie, I still think it was cool to watch, still to this day I don't mind watching. It has an awesome soundtrack, excellent moves, and a great look and feel to the movie itself. Just let go and have fun with it, if you enjoyed the video games, I think you should enjoy "Mortal Kombat". It's just cool to watch and keeps you on the edge of your seat in excitement!

7/10