Mortal Kombat: Annihilation is the 1997 live action sequel to the original Mortal Kombat film and continues the story of Earthrealm’s warriors as they confront the invading forces of Outworld led by the evil sorcerer Shao Kahn. The plot follows Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage and their allies as they travel across realms to stop Shao Kahn from merging Earthrealm with Outworld and achieving ultimate domination. Along the way they encounter familiar faces from the video game series such as Kitana, Mileena, Jax, Raiden and the newly introduced antagonists like Sindel and the generic ninja warriors. The film emphasizes the tournament’s high stakes, the mystical powers of the characters and the looming threat of a catastrophic invasion that could end all life on Earth.
Highlights of the DVD release include the extended fight choreography that showcases a blend of martial arts styles and wire work intended to mimic the game’s signature moves, the use of practical effects combined with early computer generated imagery to portray supernatural abilities such as Raiden’s lightning and Shang Tsung’s soul stealing, and a soundtrack that mixes techno beats with orchestral themes to heighten the intensity of battle scenes. The DVD also features behind the scenes featurettes that discuss the challenges of adapting a video game to film, interviews with the cast and stunt coordinators about their training regimens, and a gallery of concept art that illustrates how the film’s costume designers translated the iconic outfits from the game onto the screen. The presentation offers subtitles and multiple audio tracks to accommodate a wider audience and includes a trailer gallery that promotes other action titles from the same era. The Mortal Kombat: Annihilation DVD was added to iOctavio.com on March 19 2005, making it searchable within the site’s Action category for users looking to locate this specific title.