Summary
Overview
The How Did This Get Made podcast tackles the 1995 video game adaptation Mortal Kombat, featuring hosts Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas, and June Diane Raphael, along with guest Cameron Esposito. The discussion reveals June never realized it was based on a video game, leading to confusion about the plot, characters, and tournament structure. The hosts dissect the film's bizarre elements including Christopher Lambert's strange performance as Raiden, the underwhelming fight choreography, questionable special effects mixing CGI with practical effects, and nonsensical character motivations. Despite being made for $18 million and grossing $122 million worldwide, the consensus is clear: this is a poorly executed film that fails both as a movie and as an adaptation.
June's Video Game Knowledge Gap
The episode opens with a revelation that sets the tone for the entire discussion: June didn't realize Mortal Kombat was based on a video game. This leads to a hilarious exploration of her limited gaming experience, which consists mainly of Frogger (which she misremembers as involving a frog in a cart), Oregon Trail, and Solitaire. Her confusion about basic video game franchises like Street Fighter provides comedic gold as the hosts realize her complete disconnect from gaming culture.
- June admits she didn't know Mortal Kombat was based on a video game despite the words sounding familiar
- Her gaming experience is limited to Frogger, Oregon Trail, and Solitaire on computer
- She describes Frogger as 'a frog that was in a cart' crossing the street
- She had no interest in arcade games growing up, even at roller skating rinks
" I didn't know there was a game. "
" A frog that was in a cart? "
The Tournament That Makes No Sense
The hosts struggle to understand the basic structure of the Mortal Kombat tournament, which appears to have no consistent rules, rankings, or bracket system. Characters fight without clear consequences, the tournament organizer can apparently challenge anyone at will, and it's never explained why certain people are chosen to participate. The lack of any visible tournament structure like brackets or rankings makes following the competition impossible.
- There's no visible bracket system or tournament structure like The Karate Kid chart
- Shang Tsung can apparently challenge anyone he wants, making the tournament meaningless
- The participants include an actor, a special ops officer, and others with no clear connection
- It's unclear if fights are official tournament matches or just random battles
" Well, now if you win this match, I can either challenge you or I can challenge someone else. Well, that's not a good effective tournament. "
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