One of the first things that got fans talking the moment they got their first look at the new Mortal Kombat film was how video game accurate some of the costumes were. And while accurate costumes do not always translate into an enjoyable movie (case in point, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation), it does at least give fans something to look at.
The issue with accurate costumes though is that they might not always be practical in a live-action setting. This is why costumers sometimes decide to take some liberties with their costume designs, or in the case of those early X-Men movies, simply make the costumes look cooler. The latest Mortal Kombat film is no different, and here are just a few of the better interpretations of some of its classic characters and their costumes.
8 Goro
Although Goro was technically a fully CG character in the film (and therefore not a showcase of a costume in the traditional sense), there is no denying that he looked like he had been ripped straight out of the video games.
Everything from his ponytail to his four arms looked just about as real as you'd expect, given the limitations of current technology. And each of those four arms was appropriately muscly too, right down to their three massive fingers. Rounding out his overall aesthetic is a loincloth that contributed to his brutish appearance, making him look like a truly formidable foe indeed.
7 Jackson "Jax" Briggs
Jax might not look all that difficult to bring to life on the big screen. After all, he is effectively just a shirtless dude with metal arms. But the special effects crew still went the extra mile of putting as much detail on those arms as possible.
Rather than looking like a pair of sleeves, the arms look like true robot arms, with fully functional joints. You can even see all the underlying bolts and pistons straining with effort when they are put to task. And much like Goro, this is all made possible through the magic of CGI, resulting in an all-around impressive representation of the character.
6 Sonya Blade
A true measure of how good a particular costume looks is how instantly recognizable it is. And long-time fans of Mortal Kombat shouldn't have any trouble identifying Sonya in the new movie due largely to the faithfulness of her representation.
She was portrayed by Jessica McNamee, who brought all the physicality the tough-as-nails character demanded to the role. But it was her simple yet effective costume that really sold this particular depiction. It was reminiscent of her look in the earlier games, with familiar colors that didn't look too distracting in a live-action setting.
5 Liu Kang
Liu Kang is one character that has evolved a lot over the course of the games in the Mortal Kombat series. And for his appearance in the movie, the costumiers had decided to pay homage to several of his more iconic looks in the game.
He could be seen rocking the classic shirtless look from the earlier games at one point, complete with baggy pants. He was also spotted wearing another outfit closer to his default costume from Mortal Kombat 11, a white shirt with loose-fitting pants and a red belt and headband. This made him the character with the most wardrobe changes in the movie.
4 Kung Lao
Much like with Liu Kang, the costumiers had also looked back at the many iterations of Kung Lao's costumes in the game for inspiration. And what they ended up settling upon bore a strong resemblance to his tournament costume in Mortal Kombat X, with its black, blue, and red color motif.
His defining feature is of course his razor-rimmed hat, something that acts as both a weapon and a fashion accessory. And it was used to great effect in the movie, which really helped to bring the character to life. His signature moves were on full display, including that one scene where the hat was used in arguably the best fatality in the entire film.
3 Scorpion
Scorpion has always been featured heavily as one of the main mascots of the Mortal Kombat video game series, even gracing the cover of the most recent game, Mortal Kombat 11. And he is once again filling that role in the newest film adaptation.
For this particular iteration of the character, he bears a close resemblance to his look in the Mortal Kombat 11 game, with the addition of what looks like samurai armor and gear. The costumiers had clearly taken some liberties with the costume, giving him a look that was similar to and yet distinct from that of his arch nemesis, Sub-Zero.
2 Sub-Zero
And speaking of Sub-Zero, the character was right up there with Scorpion in most of the film's marketing. In fact, the film was set up to focus on the rivalry between the two, so it makes sense that a lot of attention would also be given to his look and costume.
He can also be seen rocking what appears to be armor, but with blue accents and a mask that ensured his menacing blue eyes could be seen at all times. And Joe Taslim had done such a great job portraying the character that moviegoers reported feeling actual chills whenever he popped up onscreen.
1 Kabal
While it is already clear that the costumes in the new Mortal Kombat movie are a touch above what you would expect from a typical video game adaptation, nowhere is that more readily apparent than in the one worn by Kabal.
Of all the characters in the movie, he was the one whose costume looked the most video game accurate. It had that post-apocalyptic look and feel that has pretty much defined the character since his first appearance in Mortal Kombat 3. But seeing it realized in live-action takes the get-up to a whole new level. Perhaps it had something to do with the glowing red eyes of his mask. Either way, he was a lot of fun to see in the film and is sure to inspire many cosplays in his wake.