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5 Major Mortal Kombat Game Details Still Missing From the Movies After MK 2
Mortal Kombat II is now in theaters, and has introduced several more characters into the mix and a number of plot threads that will likely be explored in the third movie. Fans were delighted to see Johnny Cage and Kitana added to the roster, but there are even more characters waiting for their turn in the big-screen spotlight. That said, it’s not just additional characters that could make it into the third film, as there are also several major details and features from the previous Mortal Kombat games that are still missing from the movies as well, and we’ve collected five of those features right here.
5. Friendships
Let’s start with one of the non-violent ways to take someone down in Mortal Kombat, and that’s through using a Friendship finishing move. Friendships were first introduced in Mortal Kombat II as a lighthearted alternative to fatalities, though they were also having some fun with those who were taking issue with the game’s gory and brutal violence at the time.
Even the narrator was confused by Friendships, and while quite a few of them were not all that interesting, there were a few that stood out, especially when they made their return in Moral Kombat 11. Those standouts include the Raiden dance party, Noob Saibot jumping rope, and yes, even Spawn lying in a hammock. While no one wants a bunch of Friendships to take up space in the third film, one great one would probably be well received.
4. Babalities
While we are on the subject of alternate finishing moves, another way to finish off opponents in past games is Babalities. Just as Friendships were less violent and more fun, so are banalities, but in my opinion, these are far more entertaining on the whole than Friendships.
Babalities made their debut in Mortal Kombat II, and when activated, the defeated opponent is turned into a baby. This made a return in Mortal Kombat (the 2011 reboot), and custom animations were added to the baby versions, which in many cases also had miniature versions of their full-size outfits. Seeing Kano or Scorpion as a baby is hilarious, so while it would likely break the fourth wall or something, Mortal Kombat III should definitely have at least one Babality in the mix just for fun.
3. Death Traps (Stage Fatalities)
Death Traps have been in the Mortal Kombat franchise for quite some time, and they were already pretty gruesome at times, even in the earlier games. Those would level up exponentially in later games and would even come to be known as Stage Fatalities. Part of the fun of a stage trap is that you can use the environment against your opponent, and while some of the basic ones were essentially just falling off buildings a really long way to the bottom, others were more creative.
Some stages had pirañas in the water that would eat an opponent to bits, while others saw opponents get smashed by giant statues or crushed by spikes. Some of the most memorable ones included things like someone having their head repeatedly slammed into a moving subway, or being put into a pool of lava, or even being dragged down into the depths of the ocean by a Kraken. You could easily have one small fight in the next film feature one of these more elaborate location setups, and it would be a great callback to the series that started this whole franchise.
2. Animalities
The last of the alternate Fatalities has arrived, and these are called Animalities. Unlike the previous alternate finishers though, Animalities are just as vicious and gory, and sometimes even more disturbing than the usual Fatalities. As the name suggests, Animalities have a fighter turning into an animal and taking out their opponent in often brutal fashion, and some of them were kind of amazing, especially when they made their return in Mortal Kombat 1.
Ashrah turning into a Unicorn and melting the opponent in rainbow fire is wild, as is Li Mei turning into a Panda and pulling an arm off her opponent, and then nonchalantly sitting on her opponent’s head and crushing it. These were actually tied into the story as well, so if you’re going to give a nod, you can likely find a way to get at least one of these into the movie.
1. Air Juggles
One aspect of the Mortal Kombat games that can take some practice early on is the ability to air juggle in the middle of a fight, which is when you knock your opponent into the air and keep them from landing on the ground through combos and special moves. Depending on which Mortal Kombat game you are playing, air juggles are more or less prevalent, but they are still a consistent part of the games.
We’ve never really seen one delivered in the new films though, either in a more outlandish or realistic way. Either would be fun to see, especially with how well done the fight choreography is in the most recent Mortal Kombat film. You could also go way over the top with it, and that would still be fun to see, especially if a character loses a fight without ever having been able to get a hit in, which has been a real-life scenario for any fighting game player at least one time in their gaming lives.
Mortal Kombat II is in theaters now.
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