[DoctorEldritch]

@DracoTarot I am cautious, to be honest. Both fighting games and shooters are rarely lucky when it comes to cinematic adaptations. I'd say for fighters it may be better to have an animated version instead, there you can spend time on fights, techniques and effects (which is one of the things fans want, I would expect) and it would not cost as much as it would if done live.

[DracoTarot]

@DoctorEldritch An animated version would be better but MK fans are looking forward to seeing how well the directors cast the movie and storyline. Special effects and choosing the actors will be most important. Fatalities I guess would be thehighlight of the movie. Die hard fans want to see how realistic they can recreate the finish him/her moves of the characters.

The movie has been rated R.

[DoctorEldritch]

@DracoTarot Fatalities can be done easily enough, I guess, but it would cost an arm and a leg to do them properly in a live format. As for actors, well, I am not sure what the pool is these days, are there many actors around who are also proficient in martial arts? The time of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan has passed, these days you can either have an actor or a martial artist, not both in one, most of the time. But maybe directors can find promising new blood that would fill this gap and bring in the renaissance of martial arts movies, we'll see.

I guess R makes sense for a game adaptation movie. They could really go all out with M, but it would probably look weird for a game-based film and limit the audience somewhat.

[DracoTarot]

@DoctorEldritch They have hired some of the best FX artists for the second movie. I'm not sure how much the whole thing will cost, but I'm sure it would be an arm and a leg.

No big-time actors in Hollywood may have played small roles in other low-budged movies. Rumours have it that Martyn Ford will play Shao Khan. This beast of a man has starred in a few well-known movies.

[DoctorEldritch]

@DracoTarot Well, they can afford it, given how much money the game brings in. But FX artists alone do not make a good fighting movie, a real actual martial art experience would be a major asset. I miss Sir Christopher Lee, he'd make a perfect sword-wielding antagonist for this (and maybe could sing a little too, that would be fitting for this movie).

A shame how man actors who would have been perfect for this have passed on by now. Martyn Ford is all good and well, but he is a bodybuilder, not a martial artist. He has his dominating presence going for him, but that alone is not enough for a good martial arts fighting scene. But maybe they'll coach him enough. I mean, even with amateur actors, much can be achieved with a good fighting choreographer.

[DracoTarot]

@DoctorEldritch The fighting scenes do look well-choreographed and it seems they put a lot of effort into it. Sir Christopher Lee would have fit the role of Raiden well as the God of Thunder.

Martyn Ford has training in mixed martial arts, I'm not sure if you have watched the movie Boyka.

Here is his fighting scene in the movie:

Shao Kahn is shown to be an immensely powerful being throughout the series. He is able to utilize magic and has superhuman strength, durability, and stamina, as well as longevity. He is also able to charge at the opponent with considerable speed and power. Armed with his Wrath Hammer, Shao Kahn can send opponents flying with one swing.

Shao Khan is mostly seen as a tank and a raw powerful fighter and not a martial artist that's why Martyn Ford was well suited for the role.

[DoctorEldritch]

@DracoTarot Martin Ford may well fit the role of Shao Kahn (provided he can also character act well), but he is just one character. MK has a whole array of them, and each needs to be a decent fighter. That is a challenge.

As for the movie, not so sure. Choreography looks decent enough at times, but the bit at 0:38-0:40 looks somewhat fake...