Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)
In the mid-1990s, merchandising tie-ins to movies earned three times the revenue of the movies themselves. Although the pie of profit was bigger, individual slices were smaller, fragmented among a conglomeration of companies across various industries. Threshold Entertainment founder and producer Kasanoff resolved that the big money was in the pie-making business, owning all of the merchandising rights, which is why he bought full control of the “Mortal Kombat” franchise outside of the games.
Following the smash success of 1995’s Mortal Kombat. Kasanoff continued his “Mortal Kombat” mass-market media blitz with a direct-to-video animated special, a live touring stage show, a platinum-selling soundtrack, a CD-ROM, a toy line, a dedicated website, branded apparel, and an animated cartoon series on the USA network called “Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm”. Kasanoff’s wanted each release to promote everything else, with Midway’s games and his films providing the cornerstones.
Kasanoff told New Line that he wanted to get things right in pre-production so they didn’t need to do costly reshoots later. Reshoots on Mortal Kombat were done primarily because fans complained about the lack of fight sequences and frustration about inconsistent character elements between the movie and the game. Threshold’s official “Mortal Kombat” website featured a forum where fans voiced opinions on what they hoped to see in the next movie. Kasanoff regularly mined this forum for ideas on how to please this critical component of the target audience. For instance, fans wanted to see Rayden fight, so Kasanoff concocted Rayden forfeiting his god powers to battle as a “mortal”. Kasanoff asked fans to rank every component of Mortal Kombat as either excellent, good, fair, or poor. For the sequel, he’d expand “excellent” aspects while jettisoning the rest. He also wanted to take all of the big ideas meant for the first film that they couldn’t do due to budget or time issues and put them into the sequel.
With Midway’s “Mortal Kombat 4” arcade game scheduled for release in 1997, Kasanoff knew the hype would spill over for his movie sequel. If he played it right, the rewards would be massive, so he determined to have full creative control to deliver a film that would supercharge interest in further “Mortal Kombat” ideas for the next few years. Part of retaining control included forgoing Mortal Kombat‘s screenwriter Kevin Droney, who was contractually obligated to be offered the screenplay (Droney successfully sued for breach of contract later). Instead, Kasanoff brought in a writer friend who’d worked for Threshold on a family film idea, Brent V. Friedman. Friedman was collaborating with Bryce Zabel to create, write and produce the TV show, “Dark Skies”. Threshold hired both writers to script a story treatment Kasanoff developed with Threshold writer/producer Joshua Wexler and one of the game’s creators, John Tobias, based primarily on “Mortal Kombat 3”.
The title became Mortal Kombat: Annihilation to avoid confusion with the game, “Mortal Kombat II”. Kasanoff determined through market research that while Mortal Kombat was a resounding success among teenage viewers, older audiences found the plot too simplistic. For the sequel, Kasanoff wanted a plot that broke out of arena fighting into the realm of a full-blown adventure – less Enter the Dragon, more “Dungeons and Dragons”. Stakes would be raised by replacing the hero’s quest from the 1995 film with a scenario where they must unite to save the world. Kasanoff also wanted more sex appeal. He wanted actors who could be models but who had the ability to deliver a kick in skin-tight wardrobe and memorize dialogue
After studio bean counters estimated that the first draft would cost $75 million to produce, Friedman brought in “Dark Skies” script coordinator Adam Sigel to help reduce costs in half while retaining the storyline. Removed was a costly prison break subplot involving Liu Kang rescuing characters Stryker and Kabal as slaves in an Outworld cobalt mine. Annihilation would be 300% as ambitious as the original film with only 50% more budget to cover over a hundred additional digital effects shots using more photorealistic elements rendered in 3D with motion capture technology. To save money, they employed Sprint’s Drums Network, allowing them to instantly share video and graphics with technical facilities around the world at a fraction of the cost of travel or shipping items back and forth.
In this entry, portals between Outworld and Earth are illegally opened by Outworld’s emperor Shao Kahn, who has decided the rules of “Mortal Kombat” need not apply to him. This leaves the world’s mightiest fighters only six days to vanquish this new threat and close the portals or lose Earthrealm to the powers of evil. Theyreturn to Outworld to fight for humanity’s fate.
On the Monday following Mortal Kombat‘s smash opening weekend, New Line pursued director Paul Anderson to return. He declined. Between his sometimes contentious relationship with Kasanoff and feeling he’d exhausted all his ideas, he saw greener pastures in directing Event Horizon, which he proclaimed the most unique screenplay he’d read in some time. Kasanoff contemplated taking over as director but preferred producing, where he controlled every aspect from beginning to end.
When Kasanoff asked John Leonetti to return as cinematographer, Leonetti expressed interest in the director gig. Kasanoff loved the idea. Leonetti had mentored the inexperienced Anderson to success and knew what needed to be done. Cinematographer Jan de Bont had recently successfully transitioned to director with Speed and Twister, so New Line surmised that Leonetti might follow suit.
Leonetti adjusted to being inundated with questions but found comfort in working with the actors and staging fight sequences. He had ambitious ideas to get audiences into the action, trying to create a 3D scope within a 2D framework by placing cameras on the actors, the stunt people, on bungee cords, or behind plexiglass in the middle of each fight. For his cinematographer, Leonetti hired the person he trusted most, his older brother Matthew. Kasanoff served as the second unit director on occasion.
Kasanoff felt that location shooting was financially comparable to building new sets if the cast and crew kept to modest accommodations and meals. The production spanned five countries: England, Wales, Thailand, Jordan, and Israel. The chosen locations were rarely seen on film, so they would look new to most audiences. Some locales were designated as “sacred sites” in their respective countries, so Kasanoff assured the governmental authorities that they’d be portrayed positively and treated with respect.
To save time, two separate production crews worked simultaneously. Interiors were being shot in Leavesden Studios in London while the other crew shot in other countries. Illnesses among the cast began in Wales, where they were freezing in skimpy costumes while fighting in icy mud during a freak hurricane. In addition to pulling muscles that tightened from the cold, they inhaled smoke and Fuller’s earth clay dust used to create fire and grit. Director Leonetti developed acute bronchitis from the experience.
Annihilation was the first production to film in Jordan with a partial Israeli crew. Because Israel had suffered recent terrorist attacks, Kasanoff worried that their production crew might be targeted, but resolved that the terrorists would win if they didn’t go. The Jordanians were inexperienced with effects films so the Israelis assisted. Without electricity or cell service in remote areas, the Jordanians were needed to navigate the terrain and deal with locals. In the holy city of Petra, Jordan, the Israelis saw places normally forbidden to them due to the political climate; they looked upon the city within the stone with tears in their eyes. Kasanoff was surprised to find that despite the hostilities between the countries of Israel and Jordan, as well as the lack of amenities, that the Jordanian shoot was the smoothest of the production. Except for locally-prepared lunch that consisted of monkey brains.
Thailand proved tough again because of heat and bugs. The warehouse serving as their soundstage lacked air conditioning, sometimes heating up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. A local monk blessed the set and its crew to little avail, as nearly everyone got sick from the flu, pneumonia, food poisoning, or dysentery. Some were hospitalized, though director Leonetti worked through his pneumonia. The first assistant director was rushed to a hospital when a moth fluttered into his ear canal.
The production suffered culture shock filming in Thailand when their government’s Committee on Religious Affairs, sensitive to the portrayal of the Buddhist faith for commercial purposes, was upset at the film’s ignorance of the Buddhist principles of peace and tolerance by depicting Buddhist priests paying respects to an evil warlord. They sought to confiscate property used by the film production at the historic temple ruins of Ayutthaya. The authorities claimed the crew was desecrating the ruins by setting off smoke bombs and staging fight scenes on ancient holy artifacts and temples used for religious purposes. The production team claimed that outsiders mistakenly took the 400’x300′ styrofoam and scaffolding set they built on site as the real ruins.
Annihilation recasts most prior characters. The only prominent returning actors are Robin Shou and Talisa Soto. In addition to his first top-billed role in an American film, Shou helped with casting and fight choreography. James Remar became Rayden after Christopher Lambert deemed the script terrible. Chris Conrad stepped in for Linden Ashby as Johnny Cage. Ashby had a sequel deal but was set to star on the TV show, “Spy Game”, but would return if the money was right. Kasanoff didn’t think Ashby’s box-office appeal justified his high salary demands so he reduced Cage’s scenes to allow Ashby to perform his part in a few days. Ashby opted out after being told that he not only wasn’t getting paid more but that his character was getting killed off. In the case of Sonya Blade, Kasanoff was more ambivalent about Bridgette Wilson’s return, preferring someone more physically agile, sexy, and affordable. She was replaced by Swiss actress Sandra Hess after Shou’s Beverly Hills Ninja co-star Nicollette Sheridan backed out.
For the fight sequences, Shou and Leonetti studied the works of Hong Kong director Tsui Hark for how he utilized the set to enhance the fight choreography organically. They determined that each fight would showcase different fighting styles, blending the Eastern martial arts style of Jet Li with the Western style of Steven Seagal. Kasanoff searched for the best martial artists available from a variety of disciplines all over the world to put into the film.
Because of the bifurcated shoot, the actors couldn’t be in two locations at once, so body doubles were often employed. Thai action movie star Tony Jaa got his start in Hollywood by doubling for Robin Shou during a few of the action sequences, especially against Baraka. Ray Park doubled for Remar’s fight sequences. Park taught gymnastics at a London youth center and responded to a call for locals with wushu martial arts training. His performance got him noticed by the production team making The Phantom Menace at Leavesden, who hired him to play Darth Maul.
Brian Thompson had attained a red belt in hapkido prior to auditioning. He estimates he lost 20 lbs. from the oppressive heat and illness from food in certain locations. South African-born actress and professional dancer Musetta Vander joined late due to commitments to TV’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and wasn’t involved in pre-production martial arts training. She had to call upon her dance training to learn fight movements in a hurry when her first scene was moved up in the schedule due to an injury to another actor.
Ex-football player Lynn ‘Red’ Williams was an American Gladiator named Sabre who had a black belt in karate and could bench press 500 lbs. Leonetti said he was hired as Jax, a popular character briefly portrayed by Gregory McKinney in Mortal Kombat, the moment Williams walked through the door to the audition because of his incredible physique and his likable face. As with the first film, Jax was originally cast with Michael Jai White who then dropped out. In the first case, White left to star in the HBO biopic Tyson, and in the second, to star in New Line’s Spawn. White finally played Jax for the 2010 short film, Mortal Kombat: Rebirth and the 2011 web series, “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”.
Also from “American Gladiators” is Deron McBee (Malibu on the show), who plays the non-CG portion of the centaur character, Motaro. He got Motaro after losing the role of Shao Kahn to Brian Thompson. The horns placed on his head gave him major headaches. Keith Cooke, who played Reptile in the first film after failing to get the Liu Kang role given to his longtime friend Robin Shou, was initially offered the role of Baraka before they upgraded him to Sub-Zero. Chris Cassamasa was cast but dropped out of his reappearance as Scorpion due to a scheduling conflict as George Clooney’s stunt double in Batman and Robin. Kasanoff brought Cassamassa back for the TV show, “Mortal Kombat” Conquest”. J.J. Perry, who doubled for Linden Ashby in Mortal Kombat played Scorpion, Cyrax, and Noob Saibot (‘Boon/Tobias’ backward). Dana Lynn Hee, who plays Kitana’s twin sister Mileena, won a Gold Medal at the 1988 Olympics for Tae Kwon Do and spent years in Hollywood as a stunt double, including for Soto in Mortal Kombat.
American actress and stunt woman Marjean Holden plays Sheeva. Sheeva’s prominent role was whittled down in favor of other characters. Holden, who’d worked for months on her training, asked why she wasn’t taken out altogether and was told she remained to avoid disappointing the character’s fans. A fight sequence between Sheeva and the mortal Raiden was cut due to money and time limitations on CG. Siberian model Irina Pantaeva portrays Jade.
Alison Savitch returned to supervise the visual effects and took an executive producer role. Savitch pushed the limits of motion-capture technology by introducing fight sequences between a live-action performer and a CG-based character. Unlike prior attempts where the CG character was added later, this had a stunt person in a suit covered with infrared dots that were computer-translated into a 3D-designed CG entity, calibrating to every motion. The technology was so successful, they added a fight involving two CG creatures.
It’s reported that Leonetti brought in Annihilation under budget and days ahead of schedule. However, Kasanoff wanted this time to fix narrative gaps and incomplete CG. Kasanoff got New Line to push the August 1 release to November 21 as he worked with the screenwriters to plug story holes, dubbing in alternate dialogue during ADR postproduction. In hindsight, Kasanoff wished he had additional resources for reshoots to fix these issues and bolster effects but New Line wouldn’t spend more money. They had financially binding obligations to theaters to deliver the film by their specified date. New Line liked the test screening scores from the game’s biggest fans who loved seeing characters from the game in cool fights. Although Kasanoff felt there was much more work to be done, he was pressured to relinquish the film in its current state.
As with Mortal Kombat, no advance screenings were held for film critics, yet it debuted at #1 at the box office. Unfortunately, it lacked the legs the first film did, bouncing out of the top ten by week four, taking in only $35 million domestic, and $15 million in international markets. Unfortunately, releasing before Thanksgiving wasn’t the best since most young boys were in school and it lacked the “fun for the entire family” appeal of Flubber.
Kasanoff suggests that his “keep it in the family” philosophy, promoting the crew on the first film to higher positions rather than surround Leonetti with veterans, was responsible for the sequel’s issues. Inexperience among the crew required many to do double or triple duty to cover where things were lacking. Despite a higher budget, their reach exceeded their grasp and in the end, they were left scrambling to put together what they had into something barely workable rather than something polished. Shou thinks failure resulted from cramming too much fanservice wanted into one movie – every character, every signature movie, regardless of any rationale for their inclusion.
The tell-tale sign of the step down in quality came from “Mortal Kombat” game creator, Ed Boon, who, when asked which of the two movies he prefers, said the question was like asking whether someone preferred to drink lemonade or urine. He called it the worst moment in the franchise’s history.
This sequel spends most of its focus on the visuals and not enough on storytelling. This is a movie that feels gutted by the production process, stripping away nearly all attempts at a basic exposition, streamlining everything to give maximum exposure to fighting, beautiful women, and cutting-edge 3D computer-generated effects.
At the very least, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, deserves credit for not completely rehashing the same plot, despite ignoring its conclusion to bring back the same characters. The fight choreography, editing, and visuals have improved. Kasanoff succeeded in expanding the best aspects of its predecessor.
Sadly, it fails everywhere else. The adherence to fanservice overpopulated the story with so many game elements it ceased to work as a standalone adventure. The actors who didn’t return were lucky, as Annihilation nothing in the way of character development, plot cohesiveness, or passable dialogue. We’re dropped into the action with dozens of new characters from the games introduced with no explanation of who they are. In place of story is a cavalcade of wire-fu fight scenes rife with CG effects. Impressive when compared to those of the original, but paling against better action films with higher budgets.
Most audiences rejected this sequel soundly, although gamers fondly enjoy seeing favorite characters “brought to life” in a big screen manner. The film franchise would end with this one and with the popularity of the game franchise waning, there wasn’t interest in another entry. Fatality.
Qwipster’s rating: D
MPAA Rated: PG-13 for violence and some language
Running Time: 91 min.
Cast: Robin Shou, James Remar, Talisa Soto, Sandra Hess, Brian Thompson, Lynn ‘Red’ Williams, Reiner Schone, Deron McBee, Musetta Vender, Marjeen Holden, Irina Pantaeva
Director: John R. Leonetti
Screenplay: Brent V. Friedman, Bryce Zabel