Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)

Director:

John R. Leonetti

Writers (WGA):

Ed Boon (video games)
Lawrence Kasanoff (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

21 November 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Nothing Will Ever Be The Same

Plot:

A group of martial arts warriors have only six days to save the Earth from an extra-dimensional invasion.

Plot Keywords:

Warrior | Martial Arts | Mortal Kombat | Battle | Loss Of Friend

Cast

Robin Shou	...	Liu Kang
Talisa Soto	...	Kitana
James Remar	...	Rayden
Sandra Hess	...	Sonya Blade
Lynn 'Red' Williams	...	Jax
Brian Thompson	...	Shao-Kahn
Reiner Schöne	...	Shinnok (as Reiner Schoene)
Musetta Vander	...	Sindel
Irina Pantaeva	...	Jade
Deron McBee	...	Motaro
Marjean Holden	...	Sheeva
Litefoot	...	Nightwolf
Chris Conrad	...	Johnny Cage
John Medlen	...	Ermac
J.J. Perry	...	Cyrax / Scorpion
Tyrone C. Wiggins	...	Rain (as Tyrone Wiggins)
Dennis Keiffer	...	Baraka
Ridley Tsui	...	Smoke (as Ridley Tsui Po Wah)
Keith Cooke	...	Sub-Zero (as Keith Cooke Hirabayashi)
Lance LeGault	...	Elder God #1
Carolyn Seymour	...	Elder God #2
Dana Hee	...	Mileena
Ray Park	...	Raptor #3 / Tarkatan (Baraka) #2
Ed Boon	...	Scorpion (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mark Caso	...	Raptor #1 (uncredited)
Paul Driver	...	Ninja Warrior #2 (uncredited)
Steven Ho	...	Chan (uncredited)
Sultan Uddin	...	Raptor #2 (uncredited)

Directed by
John R. Leonetti

Writing credits (WGA)
Ed Boon		(video games)
Lawrence Kasanoff		(story) &
Joshua Wexler		(story) &
John Tobias		(story)
Brent V. Friedman		(screenplay) &
Bryce Zabel		(screenplay)

Produced by
Thom Fleming	....	line producer
Gerrit V. Folsom	....	line producer
Carla Fry	....	executive producer
Lawrence Kasanoff	....	producer
Kevin Reidy	....	co-producer
Alison Savitch	....	executive producer
Joshua Wexler	....	associate producer
Brian Witten	....	executive producer

Original Music by
George S. Clinton

Cinematography by
Matthew F. Leonetti

Film Editing by
Peck Prior

Casting by
Fern Champion
Mark Paladini

Production Design by
Charles Wood

Art Direction by
Nathan Schroeder

Set Decoration by
Simon Wakefield		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Jennifer L. Parsons

Makeup Department
Shaune Harrison	....	special makeup effects artist
Matt Jordon	....	special makeup effects artist: Tony Gardner Crew (as Austin Jordon)
Melissa Lackersteen	....	key makeup artist
Chris Lyons	....	special effects teeth
Gary Pollard	....	prosthetic makeup designer
Darren Robinson	....	prosthetics technician
Michelle Taylor	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Jo Burn	....	production manager
Kevin Reidy	....	production manager
Jonas Thaler	....	post-production supervisor
Forrest Sloan Wright	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jamie Christopher	....	second assistant director
Apichart Chusakul	....	first assistant director: Thailand (as Abhijati 'Meuk' Jusakul)
Lee Cleary	....	first assistant director
Kate Hazell	....	first assistant director: second unit
Pat E. Johnson	....	second unit director
Eddie Stacey	....	second unit director

Art Department
Zvika Aloni	....	props: Jordan
Alan Booth	....	construction manager
Paul Booth	....	assistant art director
Alex Boswell	....	props
Chris Buchinsky	....	storyboard artist
Cristiano Donzelli	....	illustrator
Stuart Frossell	....	propmaker
Matthew Gray	....	set designer
Jonathan Hurst	....	prop storeman
Jonathan Hurst	....	storeman
Michael King	....	production buyer
Sean McConville	....	art department crew
Julie O'Neill	....	art department coordinator
Keith Pitt	....	props
James Pyburn	....	general foreman
Keith Stevenson	....	set dresser
Tom Still	....	assistant art director
Ty Teiger	....	property master
Peter Watson	....	props
Douglas Womack	....	construction coordinator
Kris Nagle	....	welder foreman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Pembrooke Andrews	....	assistant dialogue editor
Paul Curtis	....	adr editor
Charles Deenen	....	sound editor
David Farmer	....	supervising sound designer
Marc Fishman	....	sound editor
Elisabeth Flaum	....	sound effects editor
Laura Kamper	....	sound effects assistant (as Laura Pratt)
Michael Kamper	....	assistant sound designer
Bill Mellow	....	adr recordist
John Midgley	....	sound
Juan Peralta	....	sound re-recording assistant
Miguel Rivera	....	supervising sound editor
Ken Teaney	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Tim Walston	....	sound effects editor
Jeffrey R. Whitcher	....	sound effects editor
Vincent Zabaly	....	sound transfer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Nick Bates	....	special effects supervisor
Jim Beinke	....	miniatures supervisor/art director
Chris Clarke	....	creature costume creation
Manex Efrem	....	special effects technician
Brian Jaecker-Jones	....	miniatures production assistant: Vision Crew Unlimited
Ryan Laney	....	special effects
Nigel Marchant	....	special effects production coordinator
Kevin Mathews	....	special effects wire technician
John R. McConnell	....	compositor: Alterian Studios
Mark Meddings	....	special effects foreman
Matt Minich	....	special effects
Arthur Spink Jr.	....	special effects technician
Jody Taylor	....	special effects assistant
Neil Toddy Todd	....	special effects
Brandon Trost	....	special effects assistant
Ron Trost	....	special effects coordinator
Jim Walsh	....	special effects technician
Joss Williams	....	special effects supervisor: UK
Ian Wingrove	....	second unit special effects supervisor
Elliot Worman	....	special effects technician
Danielle Quilici	....	miniature set construction (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Larry Arpin	....	optical effects
Andy Atkins	....	digital compositor
Jason Barlow	....	lead CG animator: The Production Plant
Chris Barton	....	key animatronic model designer
Kevin Blank	....	digital artist
Stephen Brand	....	visual effects supervisor
Jerry Brown	....	digital effects artist
Everett Burrell	....	visual effects supervisor
Phil Carbonaro	....	digital compositor
Kyle Clark	....	digital artist
Chuck Comisky	....	visual effects supervisor
Brian Conlon	....	digital compositor
Gregory Creaser	....	digital timer: Digital Magic
Matt Diezel	....	first assistant visual effects editor
Linda Drake	....	visual effects co-supervisor
Linda Drake	....	visual effects editor
Leif Einarsson	....	CG shot supervisor
Todd Erickson	....	digital artist
Tom Firestone	....	model maker
Dan Fowler	....	animator
Mark Franco	....	visual effects executive producer: Rainmaker Digital
Veronique Garcia	....	visual effects character artist
Tony Gardner	....	miniature effects
Tony Gardner	....	visual effects
Mike Goslin	....	digital effects engineer
Don Greenberg	....	visual effects compositor: Digital Magic Company
Brian Hanable	....	digital effects compositor
Steve Harwood	....	digital artist
Jongwoo Heo	....	3D animator
O.T. Hight	....	visual effects artist
Paul Hill	....	visual effects compositor
Jessica Huebner	....	visual effects coordinator
Suzanne Jack	....	visual effects coordinator
Evan Jacobs	....	visual effects producer: Vision Crew Unlimited
Greg Juby	....	animator
Elizabeth Maxwell Keith	....	technical director
Jeffrey Kleiser	....	digital effects producer: Kleiser-Walczak
Damon Knight	....	motion capture
Raji Kodja	....	technical director: Digital Magic
Lu Kondor	....	data manager: Digital Magic
James W. Kristoff	....	executive in charge of production: MetroLight Studios
Kevin Kutchaver	....	digital animator
David Lebovitz	....	compositor
Bob Lloyd	....	visual effects
Scott Lord	....	systems administrator
Ralph Maiers	....	in house visual effects supervisor: Digital Magic
Richard Ivan Mann	....	visual effects producer: Hollywood Digital
Wendy Mashburn	....	visual effects coordinator: vision crew
Jeff Matakovich	....	visual effects supervisor: Optical Illusions
W. Regan McGee	....	2D animator
Jon Merrifield	....	visual effects artist
Douglas Miller	....	miniatures cinematography: Vision Crew Unlimited
Eric Mises-Rosenfeld	....	visual effects supervisor: Todd-AO
Eroc Moralls	....	digital compositor
Kevin O'Neill	....	visual effects producer
Mark M. Pompian	....	digital effects animator
Janet Quen	....	digital effects compositor
Rebecca Ramsey	....	visual effects executive producer: Todd AO Digital
David Rednour	....	digital artist
Rod Ripley	....	data management: Flat Earth Productions
Steve J. Sanchez	....	2D animator
Alison Savitch	....	visual effects supervisor
Dobbie Schiff	....	visual effects executive producer: MetroLight Studios
Marc Scott	....	digital compositor
M. Zachary Sherman	....	digital artist
Rick Shick	....	digital compositor
Terry Shigemitsu	....	digital artist
Mark Shoaf	....	digital artist
Mark Spatny	....	digital visual effects coordinator: Digital Magic
Kevin Struckman	....	3D digitizer
Mark Tamny	....	compositor
Anna Tkatch	....	digital effects artist
Diana Walczak	....	digital effects producer: Kleiser-Walczak
Erika Walczak	....	visual effects producer: Kleiser-Walczak
Talmage Watson	....	computer animator: Kleiser-Walczak
Bob Wiatr	....	digital effects supervisor
Chris Y. Yang	....	3D animator
Chris DeAngelis	....	visual effects editor: EFilm (uncredited)
Mark Edwards	....	visual effects coordinator: E-Film (uncredited)
Tony Gardner	....	digital effects: Alterian Studios (uncredited)
Matt Haslam	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Shawna Olwen	....	digital artist (uncredited)
Dane Picard	....	CG supervisor (uncredited)
Christopher Reichel	....	visual effects assistant (uncredited)
John Scheer	....	digital effects artist (uncredited)
Ricardo Torres	....	digital compositor: Production Plant (uncredited)
Mike Warren	....	shop supervisor: miniatures unit (uncredited)

Stunts
Nicola Berwick	....	stunts
Billy Bradstock	....	stunts
Mark Caso	....	stunts
Keith Cooke	....	stunts (as Keith Cooke Hirabayashi)
Ranae D'Amato	....	stunts
Steve Fisher	....	martial arts trainer
Carlton Headley	....	stunts
Dana Hee	....	stunts
Jeff Hewitt-Davis	....	stunts
Pat E. Johnson	....	additional fight choreographer (as Pat Johnson)
Pat E. Johnson	....	stunt coordinator (as Pat Johnson)
Dennis Keiffer	....	stunts
Theo Kypri	....	stunts
John Medlen	....	assistant stunt coordinator
John Medlen	....	stunts
Valentino Musetti	....	stunts (as Val Musetti)
Ray Park	....	fight double: Raiden
Ray Park	....	stunts
J.J. Perry	....	stunts
Robin Shou	....	fight choreographer
Eddie Stacey	....	stunt coordinator
Kenji Tanigaki	....	stunts
Ridley Tsui	....	stunts (as Ridley Tsui Po Wah)
Sultan Uddin	....	stunts (as Kimball Uddin)
Tyrone C. Wiggins	....	stunts (as Tyrone Wiggins)
Jack Wong Wai Leung	....	stunts
Nicola Berwick	....	stunt double: Sonya Blade (uncredited)
Mark Caso	....	stunt double: Cyrax (uncredited)
Ranae D'Amato	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Dana Hee	....	stunt double: Kitana/Jade/Sindel/Sheeva (uncredited)
Jeff Hewitt-Davis	....	stunt trainer (uncredited)
Tony Jaa	....	stunt double: Robin Shou (uncredited)
Dennis Keiffer	....	stunt double: Shao Kahn (uncredited)
Theo Kypri	....	stunt double: Robin Shou/Sub-Zero/Scorpion (uncredited)
Theo Kypri	....	stunt ninja (uncredited)
Ray Park	....	stunt double: Robin Shou (uncredited)
Buster Reeves	....	stunt double: Cyrax (uncredited)
Ridley Tsui	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Tyrone C. Wiggins	....	stunt double: Jax (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Aaron	....	video camera
Lloyd Barcroft	....	key grip
Pat Blymyer	....	gaffer
Ian Coffey	....	clapper loader
Aviezer Dasberg	....	rigger gaffer
Allen D. Easton	....	camera operator
Christopher Faloona	....	director of photography: second unit
Raymond Flindall	....	rigger
Ian Foster	....	camera operator: second unit
Nimi Getter	....	prelight gaffer
Graham Hall	....	assistant camera
Brad Larner	....	first assistant camera
Logan Leabo	....	gaffer
Ofer Margolin	....	electrician: Jordan
Ron Nicholls	....	grip
Shuki Paz	....	pre-light electrician
Mark Santoni	....	first assistant "a" camera: second unit
Gary Smith	....	grip
Stephen J. Ullman	....	Steadicam operator
Stephen J. Ullman	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Tammo van Hoorn	....	clapper loader: second unit

Animation Department
Steve Harwood	....	animator
Todd Jahnke	....	animator
Beau Janzen	....	lead animator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Philip Goldsworthy	....	costume design supervisor
Jo Korer	....	costume supervisor
Whitaker Malem	....	special costumes
Angela Pledge	....	costume assistant
Gunnar Weber-Prada	....	costume illustrator
Nicole Young	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Scott Conrad	....	additional editor: action sequences
Jim Flynn	....	assistant editor
Mato	....	color timer
Gregory Plotkin	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Mike Flicker	....	music editor
Matt Friedman	....	assistant music editor
Rick Giovinazzo	....	orchestrator
John Houlihan	....	music supervisor
Maria Newman	....	musician
Micki Stern	....	music coordinator
John Whynot	....	score mixer

Transportation Department
David Rosenbaum	....	unit driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Emily Anne Barclay	....	assistant to director
Kevin Richard Buxbaum	....	production accountant
Andy Clement	....	creature modeler
George David	....	production coordinator: Jordan
Steve Fisher	....	martial arts trainer
Erin Fitzgerald	....	adr walla group
Donal Geraghty	....	location accountant
Desmond Griffiths	....	production office coordinator
Nathan Holmes	....	set production assistant
Pat E. Johnson	....	additional fight choreographer
Jemma Kearney	....	assistant: Lawrence Kasanoff & Alison Savitch
Ashifa Lalani	....	first assistant accountant
Nigel Marchant	....	special effects production coordinator
Simon Marsden	....	location manager: UK
Andrew Matthews	....	production attorney
Hermione Ninnim	....	production coordinator
Robin Shou	....	fight choreographer
Jayne-Ann Tenggren	....	script supervisor
Isobel Thomas	....	contact: London
Isobel Thomas	....	projectionist: rushes
Jane Trower	....	first assistant accountant
Chris Warren	....	video coordinator
Eric Chen	....	martial arts consultant (uncredited)
Sean Jordan	....	interactive media (uncredited)

Production Companies

• New Line Cinema
• Threshold Entertainment

Distributors

• Cecchi Gori Group (1998) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Finland (1998) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2007) (United Arab Emirates) (DVD) (Middle East)
• Metropolitan Filmexport
• New Line Cinema
• Prooptiki (1997) (Greece) (all media)
• Roadshow Entertainment Video
• Roadshow Entertainment
• Threshold Entertainment
• Universal Pictures Benelux (????) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Vitória Filmes (Portugal)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Alterian
• Digital Magic Company
• Flat Earth Productions
• Hollywood Digital
• Kleiser-Walczak Construction Company
• MetroLight Studios
• Modern VideoFilm
• Optical Illusions
• Rainmaker Digital Pictures
• SimEx Digital Studios
• The Production Plant Inc.
• Vision Crew Unlimited
• Wildcat Digital Effects

Other Companies

• TVT Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for non-stop martial arts violence

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

UK:15 (cut) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:18 | Mexico:B | Netherlands:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | USA:PG-13 | Hong Kong:IIB | Sweden:15 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Netherlands:12 | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Ayuthaya, Thailand

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

Tony Jaa doubled for Robin Shou in quite a few stunt sequences.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the first scene of the movie, Rayden's hair starts out long, then is tied in a pony tail when he's fighting Shao Kahn, then his hair is let down again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Rayden:[narrating] Mortal Kombat is not about death, but rather the preservation of life. Liu Kang and a few chosen fighters from the Earth realm defeated Outworld sorcerer Shang Tsung. According to the rules of Mortal Kombat, their victory preserved the safety of the Earth for one more generation. Our chosen ones were returned to Liu Kang's home on Earth, only to enjoy a brief period of peace... for someone from Outworld has a different point of view.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Bad Movie Beatdown: Street Fighter- The Legend of Chun-Li (#2.9)" (2010)

Soundtrack:

Anomaly (Calling Your Name)

Mortal Kumquat

By all that's Holy! A film that made me cringe the whole way through! Dear Lord how the studio bosses must have laughed as they counted the money that they made off this turkey. Now, I thought the first MK was an OK film, great soundtrack, OK acting and plenty of fighting. A good no-brainer actioner. But this....this....defies belief.

How on Earth can you get such a bunch of wooden actors together and still manage to hide all the strings? It comes to something when you look at a film and can honestly say the best actor in it is Brian Thompson! The actors playing the bad guys overacted so awfully it was painful to watch, expecially the centaur guy. He exuded ham to a level I've not seen before.

The special effects were truly special, but only in a "special needs" kind of way. Looks like they were lifted straight from the video game itself. Laugh as you watch something resembling a dragon perform martial arts very badly. Laugh as Brian Thompson turns into a......thing. Laugh at the terrible lack of detail in it all. Laugh, laugh, laugh, laugh and laugh again, right up until they slap the straightjacket on you and cart you off to the loony bin. Because only someone truly demented would want to sit through this terrible, terrible film.

Eh? What's that Doc? Yes, I know I sat through it. But it was all in the name of science, you see. I was doing research. By the way, you couldn't loosen this jacket a bit, could you?

Anyway, as I say, the best actor was Brian Thompson. Only he saved it from getting a 1, but even then, the rest prevented it from getting any more than a 2.

Avoid it if you value your sanity!