The Original Mortal Kombat Movie Still Wins at One Thing Games Forgot — Mortal Kombat II Is Bringing the Tournament Back
Paul W.S. Anderson’s Mortal Kombat was released on Aug. 18, 1995. The film uses a tournament setting, recognizable character costumes, specific casting choices, choreographed fight scenes, and a soundtrack that has become closely associated with the franchise. Now, the new movie Mortal Kombat II (2025) is highlighting the tournament structure again in its marketing and in statements from the franchise team.
- Why the 1995 film is still referenced
- How Mortal Kombat II (2025) uses a tournament format
- Marketing events and interactive reveals tied to the new movie
- How recent games handle the tournament concept
Why the 1995 movie is still referenced
The 1995 Mortal Kombat film opened on Aug. 18, 1995. It frames much of its plot around a martial arts tournament held on an isolated island. The movie features characters from the games, including Shang Tsung and Liu Kang, and includes a multi-armed sub-boss character, Goro. The film’s soundtrack and fight choreography have been repeatedly noted in coverage of the franchise.
Mortal Kombat II (2025) and the tournament angle
Franchise creator Ed Boon discussed the new film in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, and he said the movie will use an explicit scoring mechanic during the tournament. Specifically, Boon said:
“They keep score throughout the movie. There’s a visual representation of who is winning…. It’s not just a tournament for the sake of a tournament. There are huge consequences, so you really are keeping score. And there are a lot of twists in it that keep you on your toes.”
Studio marketing included a countdown event that revealed fighters in a selection-style presentation, and the reveal allowed viewers in chat to vote between two options to determine which character was unveiled first.
Round 2 – let the fight begin. #MortalKombatMovie pic.twitter.com/KI18evwdUL
— Mortal Kombat Movie (@MKMovie) July 17, 2025
How the reveal echoed the games
The interactive presentation resembled the classic fighter selection screen from the video games. Viewers could vote by choosing between two options in chat, and the selection order matched the votes. The studio used that mechanic as a direct tie to the source material during promotion.
Where the games stand on tournaments
The Mortal Kombat series moved toward larger, narrative-driven plots after the series entered the 3D era with Mortal Kombat 4. Later entries shifted focus to character-driven conflicts, throne struggles, and, more recently, multiverse storylines. The 2023 title Mortal Kombat 1 includes a tournament element but also emphasizes a multiverse narrative in its story.
Rivalries and the tournament frame
Across the franchise, recurring personal rivalries—such as Liu Kang versus Shang Tsung, and Scorpion versus Sub-Zero—have been central to character motivations. Tournament settings have been used historically to present those rivalries inside a compact competition format.
