Stephen Thompson

The original game came out when I was 20.

I had just kind of gotten out of my Smash TV phase and not really into another video gaming phase.

I just kind of stepped away from video games for a long time.

I really kind of was only dimly aware of Mortal Kombat from a few catchphrases, from a few characters who I mostly knew from characteristics more than backstory or name.

So it's like the Flame Fist guy.

Ah, old Flame Fist.

Yeah, right.

I was talking to my partner about this last night, having no idea that she had ever played these games.

And she was like, well, tell me about the movie.

And I was like, well, you know, there's like this washed up action star.

Oh, Johnny Cage.

Come on, Steven.

No.

Right, exactly.

And so I'm not necessarily coming into these films with the backstory already uploaded into my brain.

And so for me, was I lost?

No, I was not lost.

These films are fairly easy to follow in part because all that kind of portentous lore about different realms is being fed to me by Charlie Brown's teacher.

Not only am I not like processing it, I am not hearing it.

It is just want, want, want, want, want, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.