Memories of Mortal Kombat 1995 – The Film Buff Review

[00:00:01]
The video begins with an introduction by Peter A. DeLuca, also known as AKAPAD or AKAPAD69, who frames the discussion as a personal reflection on his long-standing passion for films, particularly martial arts and action movies. He mentions that this video is part of multiple ongoing series, including ones about baseball, female assassins, and Street Fighter, before focusing on the 1995 film Mortal Kombat. He identifies himself as a lifelong film enthusiast, setting the stage for a personal and nostalgic recount of his experiences with this movie and related cultural moments.

[00:01:17]
Peter summarizes the Mortal Kombat 1995 movie plot: it is a post-apocalyptic, tournament-style fighting story where contestants compete to prevent evil forces from taking over Earth. The antagonists come from a “dark world” or “underworld” with portals linking to Earth. The stakes are high—if the villains win one more tournament, they conquer Earth. Raiden, an electricity-powered protector (played by Christopher Lambert), leads Earth’s fighters, including a character inspired by Bruce Lee. The tournament structure and characters like Goro (a four-armed prince) are central to the film’s narrative. Peter highlights Goro’s prominence in the movie’s teaser poster as a memorable marketing element that captivated him as a youth. The good guys ultimately win the tournament, preserving Earth’s safety.

[00:02:54]
The personal story aspect deepens as Peter discusses his friendship with Joe, a mixed-race older schoolmate introduced through Peter’s mother, who worked in the school system. Joe was a charismatic martial arts enthusiast with a striking physical presence, described as having “amazing thighs” and the ability to do splits, which fascinated Peter. Joe’s academic struggles contrasted with his physical prowess and maturity. The pair bonded over shared interests, especially martial arts films, and Joe would often pick Peter up to see movies, making their friendship a formative part of Peter’s film experiences.

[00:04:11]
Their movie outings focused heavily on martial arts and action stars, especially Jean-Claude Van Damme. Peter lists several Van Damme films he and Joe watched, including Timecop, Hard Target, Maximum Risk (1996), Replicant, Double Team, Legionnaire, and The Quest. These viewings formed a key part of Peter’s early cinematic education. Peter notes some confusion over certain movies (Double Team), while emphasizing their enthusiasm for Van Damme’s work as a core shared interest.

[00:06:20]
Peter contrasts Van Damme’s movies with Street Fighter, which they watched but did not consider a Van Damme film due to its more Hollywood-style production. He then turns attention back to Mortal Kombat (1995), praising its opening sequence, particularly the iconic Mortal Kombat music beat. He underscores the beat’s lasting cultural impact, noting how it’s still sampled in clubs and sporting events, often without people realizing its origin as a video game soundtrack. This opening sets the tone for the film’s energy and style.

[00:07:41]
Peter describes the film’s character introductions and early action scenes: Sonia, Jax, Reptile (though not the same as the game character), Raiden (Christopher Lambert), Johnny Cage, and Goro all feature prominently. He recalls a memorable fight between Johnny Cage and Scorpion in a bamboo forest, involving shifts between dimensions and dream-like sequences, calling it some of the best martial arts choreography in the film. The Liu Kang fight scenes, particularly with Sub-Zero, also stood out for their intensity.

[00:09:01]
He highlights the iconic entrance of Sub-Zero and Scorpion, noting their complex relationship as enemies and henchmen, a nuance lifted from the game lore but adapted for the movie. The film’s ending sets up a sequel potential with Liu Kang facing off against a soul-stealing villain who killed his brother, and the ominous presence of Shao Kahn, emperor of Outworld. Peter praises this ending as a masterclass in franchise continuation, leaving the story open and dynamic. This narrative decision, in his view, was crucial for the longevity of the Mortal Kombat franchise, which evolved through multiple games and story arcs, including Liu Kang’s eventual betrayal and death in later installments.

[00:10:50]
Peter recalls watching Mortal Kombat multiple times with Joe, emphasizing the excitement and lasting impression the movie had on them. Their repeated viewings and discussions about the film created a lasting shared memory. Peter mentions that whenever he reconnects with Joe, Mortal Kombat remains a central topic, especially in anticipation of upcoming franchise installments like Mortal Kombat 2 (upcoming at the time of this video).

[00:11:21]
He places Mortal Kombat (1995) within a broader cinematic context, labeling that year as a “New Line Cinema year” and part of a remarkable era alongside movies like The Crow, Spawn, Dark City, Equilibrium, and The Matrix. These films share tonal and stylistic elements, creating a unique cinematic spectrum of the mid-1990s. Peter regards The Matrix and The Crow as pinnacle examples of this era’s filmmaking.

[00:12:33]
Peter briefly contrasts Mortal Kombat (1995) with its sequel Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), which he strongly dislikes and refuses to watch again due to its poor quality. Joe, by contrast, was more forgiving of Annihilation, possibly due to his appreciation of the female characters. Peter’s critique emphasizes the sharp decline in quality from the original film to the sequel, underscoring how the original Mortal Kombat stands as a high point in martial arts and video game movie adaptations.

[00:13:10]
The video closes with Peter reaffirming his personal affection for the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie, celebrating it as a formative and nostalgic cinematic experience. He signs off warmly, thanking the audience and marking the end of the segment.

Key Insights and Highlights

• Peter A. Duca (Aka Pad) presents a personal narrative centered on his passion for martial arts films and the Mortal Kombat (1995) movie.
• Plot Summary: Mortal Kombat (1995) is a post-apocalyptic tournament film where Earth’s champions fight to stop evil forces from conquering the planet.
• Key Characters: Raiden (electricity god), Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Goro (four-armed prince), Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and others.
• Marketing Impact: Goro’s teaser poster was a powerful visual hook for young viewers.
• Cultural Impact: The Mortal Kombat theme music remains one of the most influential video game soundtracks ever, still resonating in popular culture and sports arenas.
• Personal Connection: Joe, a martial arts enthusiast and older friend, played a significant role in Peter’s film experiences and appreciation for martial arts cinema.
• Jean-Claude Van Damme Filmography: Peter and Joe bonded over Van Damme’s martial arts movies, highlighting their influence on Peter’s film taste.
• Film Style and Fight Scenes: The film’s choreography, dimensional fight sequences, and character dynamics were highly praised.
• Franchise Continuation: The movie’s ending was key to sustaining the Mortal Kombat franchise’s narrative longevity.
• Broader Cinematic Context: The film is part of a mid-1990s wave of stylistically and tonally related films, including The Crow, Spawn, Dark City, Equilibrium, and The Matrix.
• Sequel Reception: Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997) is viewed negatively by Peter, representing a downfall from the original’s quality.
• Nostalgia and Legacy: Mortal Kombat (1995) remains a beloved and defining film for Peter and his circle, with ongoing conversations about the franchise’s future.

Chronological Timeline Table

Definitions and Comparative Notes

Keywords

• Mortal Kombat (1995)
• Martial Arts Cinema
• Jean-Claude Van Damme
• Video Game Adaptation
• Raiden
• Goro
• Tournament Fighting
• Soundtrack Influence
• 1990s Action Films
• Film Nostalgia
• Franchise Continuation
• Mortal Kombat: Annihilation
• The Crow
• The Matrix

Summary

Peter A. DeLuca’s reflection on Mortal Kombat (1995) is a richly detailed personal memoir that intertwines the film’s plot, cultural significance, and his formative friendship with Joe, a martial arts enthusiast. The movie’s portrayal of a high-stakes martial arts tournament to save Earth, combined with iconic characters and groundbreaking fight choreography, left a lasting impact on Peter and many fans. The film’s soundtrack, especially its opening beat, remains influential decades later. Peter situates Mortal Kombat within a larger cinematic wave of mid-1990s genre films, alongside The Crow and The Matrix, highlighting a unique stylistic era. While the sequel Annihilation disappointed him, the original Mortal Kombat endures as a defining and cherished film experience, symbolizing youthful passion, friendship, and the enduring appeal of martial arts storytelling.

00:00:01
Quiet on the set speed down production stage one action. Let’s buff some Royal Combat 1995. We got personal stories today. Let’s just want to tell you about the the growing the the young mind of the film buff. A that’s me by the way. And who am I? Peter A. Duca known as Aka Pad on some social media networks on others even aka Pad 69. That’s what I use to sign my my artwork and and other things of my creations. But I always thought it was cool, original. I came up with it when I was

00:00:39
young. I’ve stuck with it ever since. But in life, we uh we grow. We get some wings. We get other interests. And well, I’ve been interested and obsessed with film and movies for a long time. And that this is the beginning of another obsession cuz we we have a couple series running right now. We have a baseball series. We have a a fem assassin series. We have a Street Fighter series that is complimentary to the series. And here Mortal Mortal Kombat 19 1995. My buddy Joe I I like I we could talk

00:01:17
about the movie. It look here’s the plot. It’s a bunch of people fighting. It’s somewhat postappocalyptic. It’s it’s this utopian. Everyone’s fighting in the tournament to pre to prevent the the bad guys, which is uh the underworld or overworld or dark world. But either way, they have portals. If they win one more tournament, all of those evil guys, and some of them are very ugly looking, but they got cool powers. They can do cool things like freeze you and set you on fire. They just, you know, mental

00:01:47
mind bullet stuff. But if they win, they get to take over Earth. Earth sends. It’s last. It’s the last tournament. a guy named Raiden. He’s electricity dude. He’s if if you’ve seen Big Trouble in Little China, you’ve seen Raiden. Raiden has a bunch of guys. One of them’s a a Bruce Lee ripoff. And they all go they go fight and they they have to go win. And they win. And then along the way, we have a guy named Goro. That’s the prince. Uh he’s got four arms. If you

00:02:17
guys remember the teaser poster of this movie, uh they they promoted Goro within the teaser poster which was highly effective for young minds like myself and going back. So that’s the whole plot and and the good guys win. Here’s the story. My friend Joe and and I talk about Joe fondly because uh you know him and I we we’ve tried to connect a few times, but Joe was a mixed kid. He was like Obama, but he was African-American. I never really met his mother. I only heard of his mother. Uh Joe came into my

00:02:54
life through my my mother. My mother worked for the uh school system and she knew of him and somehow through my mother uh Joe and I were introduced and we were uh I believe uh in middle school and I think he was like a grade or two above me which which was like fantastic. Yeah. Being a little bit friendly with with an older kid. So he would come pick me up or I I believe too he might have been held back like once or twice, but in my view, Joe was always just like a smart kid, just like hanging around them. Uh

00:03:34
maybe not great academically, but he was almost like aging out of school. He looked older. Uh had a fantastic I mean, no homo, fantastic body. Uh he was into martial arts. I think you guys know where where this is going. And uh yeah, he would just pick me up sometimes and and we would go see movies and and you know, hang out afterward and talk to him. And we went on a run of uh I mean a lot of my John Claw Van Dame film experiences were with Joe. He loved John Claw. I mean Joe could do a split. He had these amazing

00:04:11
thighs. Uh, and just for like a young dude that that played soccer, him and I both played soccer. Uh, yeah. Like it was just again like to me he was he was like a super superhero that that couldn’t get through school. He he would later join the armed forces and served his country. And uh, you know, I I think that’s that’s historic, fantastic, wonderful stuff. So, he drags me to see Blade one day, and I’m blown away by how fantastic and great Blade. Remember, Blade was not a a superhero movie. Blade was a a um Wesley

00:04:54
Snipes action movie. The the dorks afterwards labeled Blade a superhero movie. The originals, the OGs know Blade as a Wesley Snipes kickass martial arts movie. And that that’s that. My aka Powder. Don’t Don’t let people fool you. Blade is not a superhero movie. It was it wasn’t even marketed as such. We would later rent like replicant from John Cloam. Uh, a lot of the Let me if we can get into the John Claw Vin Dame filmography. I remember us seeing Time Cop in in the theater. We would rent Hard Target

00:05:45
Maximum Risk 1996. That was the one that just uh with Ringo Lamb directing that movie. I remember us like really being confused with Double Team, him and Dennis Rodman. Uh yeah, knockoff. We miss Legionnaire. We missed the quest which is uh directed by Jean Claude. But yeah, like years later. Yeah, I here we go. We would we would rent the replicant in the order 2001 to direct the videos. Uh that might have been like The Order might have been the last John John Clo main movie I watched with him. And along

00:06:20
all of this, you know, we would kind of like sprinkle in Street Fighter, but we never considered Street Fighter a Vay Dane movie. Uh it was it was just too too Hollywood kind of. But one of the movies that him and I went to go see was the 1995 Mortal Kombat. And as soon as the movie starts, which is fire, and the Mortal Kombat beat hits, so this music from Mortal Kombat, which is still heard in clubs and arenas to this day in sports, there’s a generation of individuals that have no idea that

00:07:02
Mortal Kombat is a video game movie soundtrack. They like they all know what they’re hearing. Now it’s just sampled and and reused. It’s one of the most influential beats or even to this day like even to right now more Mortal Kombat opening is as influential as the Star Wars opening and the movie hits and then we get that flashback sequence where I want your soul which turns out to be a Liu Kang dream. great gotcha sequence, but the movie hits like right like it hits right away and we get our characters. We get

00:07:41
Sonia, we get we get Jax, we get Reptile, we get and but that’s not our our reptile from the the games. It’s still close enough though. And then Raiden and Christopher Lambert as as Raiden is just awesome. But we get this cast of characters. We get Johnny Cage. We we see Gorro like they actually Goro is right there on screen and we get an idea of the tournament. We get matches that happen within the tournament as early on in the beach when they get off the boat. We have matches that are outside the

00:08:20
tournament. We I remember the the Johnny Cage Scorpion fight where they’re in the Bamboo Forest and they’re kind of going between dimensions and like dream worlds within like Scorpio’s like power or or purview. I remember watching that sequence just saying this is some of the the like the greatest most fantastic stuff. The martial arts stuff in Mortal Kombat rocked me. We get the Liu Kang fight. I mean, I get it’s a bucket of water when you fight Subzero, but holy crap. And then so

00:09:01
rewind it. the moment where Subzero and Scorpio Scorpion walk on screen to the music and you see that they’re you know like we know we know some of the game they’re supposed to be enemies but then they’re they’re henchmen. We’re close enough. You’re just like holy hell. We get a mo we get a movie with with an ending. We see coming Liu Kang’s gonna gonna fight the soul stealing mother efer that killed his brother. But then we get this ending. We get the ending that it’s it’s

00:09:37
just not over yet. And Kahan, the emperor of Outworld. I know I was making fun of it earlier. Outworld. It’s not over yet. and we get this absolute definition of how to continue a franchise. And that ending of the 95 Mortal Kombat movie is so freaking good. It really I in my view that’s the single thing that changed the franchise where the story can can keep going and maybe maybe the good guys don’t win and then we would go all the way up to Mortal Kombat I think nine, right? like nine or 10 where Liu Kang is

00:10:19
is dead and Liu Kang is running out the world and he’s he’s betrayed all of his friends. It’s it’s one of the best fictional arcs in existence and Joe and I we we watched this movie and I remember I think we might have went back like the next day to go to watch it again. He got off of work and came by to to pick to pick me up and we saw it again and again. We were just like couldn’t believe our our eyes and ears and Joe and I would talk about seeing this movie together. Even to this day

00:10:50
whenever uh he you know calls me I kind of lose track of him. Uh you know like what I I always try and remind him and he always seems to be eager to remind me of just what that day was like, what that moment was like. Uh, if I speak to Joe like recently, like let’s just say like he calls me tomorrow or I speak with him tomorrow. I mean, we’re gonna talk about Mortal Kombat coming out this year, Mortal Kombat 2 and what he thought of the previous one and is is he excited or uh is is anyone in the movie

00:11:21
that he’s tracking or knows because like I said, he’s he’s more connected to the martial arts stuff. But AK Patterns 95 really uh that that year and I I call it a little bit of like the the the new line cinema year because around this time you would get Mortal Kombat, The Crow, Spawn, you would get Dark City. Uh you just a lot of these movies that are at, you know, like we can even put Equilibrium and the Matrix all within this this little spectrum here. and the way how these movies just tonally and

00:11:57
stylistically uh handshake and complement one another. And the Matrix might have been like the end of this run. Uh which is, you know, also maybe arguably the best of all of the the movies. Mat Matrix and the Crow to me is is a two-headed dragon. But two years later, we would get Mortal Kombat Annihilation and never want to watch that movie ever again. Like that’s how you go from euphoria to what the hell is this? And I think uh I just also recall Joe being way more kind with Annihilation. Uh there was there was a

00:12:33
lot about that. And yeah, again him being older, I think he liked some of the the girls in it. He was happy with that. Me uh yeah, Jade, the little film buff dude uh didn’t like the story and uh you know, I had to be vocal on it. But AK patterns, a little bit of my personal experience with Mortal Kombat 1995. Love you guys. Rock and roll. Okay, that’s a wrap.

PETER A DELUCA AKAPD

AKAPAD is a versatile thinker known across Philadelphia, Europe, and even in the vast Multiverse as The Electic One. By day, he excels as an IT Mastermind, assisting individuals, both big and small, with a wide range of simple and complex solutions. In contrast, he is also a talented illustrator, a passionate comic book enthusiast, a creative content creator, and an active live streamer. Additionally, his podcast, “AKAPAD The Film Buff Podcast,” boasts an impressive catalog of over 500 episodes available on nearly every major platform.