Mortal Kombat: Annihilation

"The Earth was created in six days; so too shall it be destroyed; and on the seventh day, mankind will rest... in peace!" - Shao Khan

release year: 1997
genre: martial arts/action
viewing setting: home Bluray 1/15/16 and 9/29/14 and home DVD 12/25/07 and a few other times before that

synopsis: The evil emperor Shao Khan is hell-bent on merging his world and our world...and only the heroes of Earth can stop him.

impressions: This was like the first movie, but amplified: more fighting, more cool special effects, and less plot. Come to think of it, they didn't even TRY to have a plot this time. And that was good, because it allowed for more fighting. The fights (and fighters) were generally really cool, with numerous nods to the video game series. Of course, none of it made much sense, but it was entertaining in a silly way.

something this movie has that no other movie has: Baraka.

acting: Robin Shou and Talisa Soto return as the man two good guys. Sandra Hess takes over the role of Sonya. James Remar is sometimes-goofy thunder god Raiden. Brian Thompson (he of the menacing role in Cobra) is the menacing evil Emperor here. Lynn "Red" Williams is the hulking hero Jax, and brings a bit of common sense to the otherwise-flippant conversations.

unrecognizable actor alert: One of the elder gods is played by Lance LeGault, who was the A-Team's nemesis through much of their five seasons in the early 1980s.

final word: This may be the most entertaining movie ever to lack a plot.

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