The Super Network

Bea and Marcey are big fans of MORTAL KOMBAT, these girls love the games. So why not tribute one of their favourite games with a Top 10 list of their favourite characters and who should play them in a new film. Here is Bea’s list, with Marcey’s coming soon!

Bea’s Number 10: Taven

The Character: Originally, I was going to make this character an honorable mention before I remembered just how much of an impact he really had on the current MK universe. An Edenian demi-god born of a mortal sorceress Delia and Argus, and Elder God, Taven and his younger brother Daegon were the essential pieces to prevent Armageddon who were put into a deep, dreamless sleep until waking up hundreds of years later to see their world had changed dramatically. Taven had much to learn wandering this new world and met many other characters in his quest. What I really like about Taven is that despite the fact he wishes to do good for the realms, it could be so easy for him to turn to the other side if he willed it because he had the power to do so, not just the willpower, but also because of the fact he had divine powers that had the capacity to create as well as destroy. He fits that archetype so well and I was rather confused why he wasn’t included in MK 9 (other than a quick cameo in Raiden’s visions of the apocalypse).

Casting: I thought rather hard about who I could actually see not only playing Taven but could also embody such a character, before I finally settled on Tom Hardy. Hardy is handsome and can look like the Hero archetype Taven represents and maintain a distinct sense of regality befitting of royalty as well a notion of vulnerability but at the same time, he can really pull off formidability both in physique and mind. Just look at his roles as Bane and Charles Bronson to see just how far he can push himself and still convince you that he IS this individual who will stop at nothing to see his quest through.

Bea’s Number 9: Frost

The Character: Frost cops so much dissent just because she is the female equivalent of her mentor, Sub-Zero, thus people assume she has no personal traits of her own. I beg to differ. Yes, Sub-Zero is more powerful than Frost when it comes to cryomancy, but he wouldn’t have taken on somebody so young as her if he did not see the potential of talent for his Lin Kuei. Not only does she have great power, she is NOT a good guy. In fact, she is a villain who gets far too overlooked despite the fact she poses a huge threat to many character, Sonya Blade in particular. I’ve often wondered what would happen if a female equivalent to Scorpion was created for Frost to interact with. Would they continue the legacy of hatred between their respective clans or would they forge a… deadly alliance? 😉 Either way, I think Frost deserves a lot more respect because she really isn’t merely a male character with tits and a vagina, she’s got her own thang going and it could certainly influence the future of MK games to come.

The Casting: You know, I couldn’t think of somebody particularly well-known to play this role, but then I cast my eyes over to another badass female videogame character- Jill Valentine. The look of Jill from Resident Evil remake was directly inspired by the counternance of Julia Voth a model/actress who is quite well known in videogame circles. Provided she isn’t snapped up for a proper RE movie reboot, I think she would be badass as Frost because of her work to ‘Project S.E.R.A’ a surprisingly well-made webseries where she basically PLAYS Jill but ISN’T Jill. Confusing? I know. But Julia has the right look for Frost- she has the grace, she is happy to get her hands dirty with physicality and well… SHE’S JILL!

Bea’s Number 8: Bo Rai Cho

The Character: While MK has never been high-art in terms of character, Bo Rai Cho does not fit the mold of ‘wise martial arts teacher’ in the slightest because at heart he is a guy who enjoys the simple things in life- drinking, eating copious amounts of food and producing some true feats of flatulence. It really is no wonder that Boon and co. used the Mexican word for ‘drunk’- ‘burracho’, to name him. This guy looks so out of control with his constant farting, vomiting and belching that it’s hard to believe he is this great, knowledgable teacher who has passed on his wisdom to countless students. But therein lies his awesomeness. Looking at him you would assume he’s this bumbling fatty, which is exactly what he counts on in kombat. His wild, out there fighting style is unconventional, but it’s this unpredictability that makes him an unlikely hero. While Scorpion has his spear, and Johnny Cage has his nut-breaker, Bo Rai Cho has his Fartality and boy oh boy does it ruin the day of any poor bastard caught in the middle of it.

Casting: Of course I’m not calling Chow yun-Fat a slob by any means, but I feel he can deliver deliberate physical comedy and easy-going charm combined with well-meaning and knowledge. Add to that his robust frame and the fact he shines when it comes to a variety of action roles and you have yourself the most unlikely sifu.

Bea’s Number 7: Quan Chi

The Character: By far, my favourite MK baddy-bad-bad guy (yes, in my estimation even badder than Shang Tsung). Ageless, ambitious, secretive, powerful and amoral, Quan Chi has no burning loyalty to Shao Khan as his true alliance has always remained under wraps. There was the insinuation that he was in league with Shinnok, but who is to say Chi wasn’t merely using the fallen Elder God for his own malevolent ends? Even more intriguing is that despite being an Oni, he has been able to temper his appearance and personality over millenia to create himself a new destiny complete with countless agendas. What I like about him is that he can easily slip into the role of a supplicant without compromising what HE is all about at the core and then disband that relationship as easily as one can call the sky blue. He is an unknown quality even to this day, and I think that in future games, he is going to become something greater to what he is now- he’s just biding his time.

Casting: Luke Goss. Yes. THAT Luke Goss. One half of the 80’s boy-band Bros. Before you question my sanity, I would also like to add that he played Nomak in Blade II (turning in an astoundingly layered performance as well as remarkable physicality) and Prince Nuada from Hellboy II: The Golden Army. The fact he has been in two del Toro movies have been for a reason- he can embody a fierce warrior character so completely that you forget you are watching a member of a boy-band. His sharp features, penetrating eyes and precise body language could really fit Quan Chi to a T, not to mention the fact this guy really is a gifted actor who can bring a lot to a role, even if it comes off as two dimensional on paper. It’s no big feat to see this guy being as still as cobra before striking with sudden ferocity to beat some poor person to death with their own leg.

Bea’s Number 6: Smoke

The Character: Silent as the night. Deadly as the dawn. Fuck yeah, Smoke. Smoke is one of the few characters who has had a humanoid appearance as well as being a cyborg AS WELL as being good and bad that it’s difficult to pick just one persona. The only reason why I picked this image in particular is just because many of his other ones was a different colour scheme to Subby, Scorpion, Reptile et. al so I wanted to give him more of an identity to work with. I just love the very essense of what Smoke is- dangerous, mystifying and disorientating, just as his alias would suggest. He travels fast and could theoretically come out of anywhere to break your face before you even knew he was there. In many ways, he is a true ninja who is quick, decisive, graceful and stylish, always effecient and effective while maintaining a sense of control and conduct.

Casting: Donnie Yen is a fabulous martial artist plus he is quite adept at exuding charisma as an actor in roles where he speaks little but his actions mean a lot. Given Smoke is not a particularly verbal character, Yen’s physicality would speak volumes through a mere gesture than any piece of dialogue could. You can’t help but look at this man and wonder what he is all about, which fits the very persona of Smoke.

Bea’s Number 5: Jade

The Character: Jade is the epitome of loyal best friend- a childhood friend of Princess Kitana, she has stood with her friend through thick and thin, even when Kitana put herself into perilous situations, Jade was there to protect her as well as offer her guidance and help any way she could. What I like about Jade is that while she is a skilled kombatant, she prefers to go about her business stealthily- she finds out crucial information by sneaking around and not drawing attention to herself (though wearing those scanty outfits I don’t know how that would be possible). Not only is she unwaveringly bound to Kitana, she does what she does in the interest of the realms and is not above punishing those who dare betray the Edenian royal family.

Casting: I love Rosario Dawson. Sure she has affirmed herself as a true geek which is always a plus when it comes to casting videogame characters given we KNOW she’d at least consider it. The true beauty of Dawson is that she can turn in a whole variety of layers in one performance. Strength, vulnerability, wisdom and humanity are qualities that she and Jade both possess as well as a sense of the fact she could knock you out if you crossed her or somebody close to her. I dunno, perhaps I’m seeing more than what I can see in front of me, but Dawson has so much moxy it’s hard not to believe.

Bea’s Number 4: Noob Saibot

The Character: Sorry, I had to use this picture because it’s true! It may seem controversial to say this, but I think Noob Saibot beats Sub Zero in terms of kombat prowess and overall awesomeness. Featureless, fearsome, reborn in the Netherrealm and infused with the very powers of darkness that his master Quan Chi possesses, Noob can literally suck you into the shadows only so that you will never appear again, or if you do, your lower half will be missing. 😀 Despite the fact he mainly works in Quan Chi’s stead, he has his own agenda and nobody really knows what is is. Is it against Scorpion, the one who killed him when he was the original Sub Zero? Or is it Chi considering he has developed a taste for the sort of power Chi weilds and finds that the only way to obtain it is to kill his maker. And go ahead, make fun of his name… I dare you.

Casting: Here’s the thing. You COULD easily just cast a highly competant stunt person to be the body of Noob and not have him talk, but I find Scott Adkins could pull off Saibot with ease and confidence to spare. The dude knows his martial arts like it’s a second language. Not only can this white man jump, he can kick, he can roundhouse, he can flip, he could make pancakes while doing a kata. Given Adkins has garnered a considerable reputation in the public domain, it’s hard to believe that he doesn’t have the gusto to give Noob a more rounded character. That being said, did you hear that voice actor who voiced him in MK 9? If Adkins isn’t quite able to nail the voice of Noob, get that guy to provide the voice talent again- he is bloody amazing!

Bea’s Number 3: Sonya Blade

The Character: Sonya has the distinction of being the first female character in Mortal Kombat and it was a gamble Boon and Tobias took because at that point in time, strong female beat ’em up characters were a rarity for the reason that games were seen as a ‘boy’ thing, and apparently no gamer guy wanted to play as a woman for fear it would make them look weak. Well, leave it to Lt. Blade to set that record straight- capable, mighty and fearless, she is one of Earthrealm’s most valuable defenders and her bravery has made her one of the best female characters in a videogame series. Yes, her image has been sexualized (a prime example sadly being the above image, but it was eithe that or far more revealing ensembles) in order to pander, but I like that she has never fallen to being in the victim role, or when she has, she is pro-active in her attempts to get out of trouble. With an attitude as snappy as her head-scissors, Sonya continues to blaze the trail digital female badassery.

Casting: I for one adored Jeri Ryan in ‘Mortal Kombat Legacy’ as Sonya, but I wanted to be a little more thorough in my search for another ideal Sonya casting whereby I settled on my fellow country kin Melissa George. This woman has proven she is not just a pretty face but she can play a whole plethora of roles that never come off as thankless no matter how minor they may be. Not only that, but her role on “Alias” cemented the fact that she isn’t afraid of taking and giving hits in equal measure. Her dramatic work in “Triangle”, “A Lonely Place To Die” and “30 Days of Night” too have proven that she has the chops to deliver a character who has a lot going on underneath the surface than one could hazard to imagine, and if that means giving Sonya the credibility she deserves, then Melissa really has a chance.

Bea’s Number 2: Scorpion

The Character: “GET OVER HERE!”. I can guarantee that when people hear this character’s name, it’s that catch phrase they remember and for good reason. Scoprion is the epitome of mad, bad and dangerous. While Sub Zero was cool and calculating, Scoprion is the oppostie. Wild, crazy and unpredictable like wildfire he will never fail in gaining a new generation of fans in every game he appears in and reigniting the passion in veterans. A vengeful revenant from beyond the dimensions, he knows only revenge and retribution with a special tally-mark for his nemesis, Sub Zero and will not rest until the Lin Kuei have been wiped out, eternity be damned. He is a cursed soul who long since gave up his chance of redemption because he was so consumed in own fury, which makes him the perfect puppet for Quan Chi to manipulate because no job is too dire for Scorpion as long as it involves suffering and penance.

Casting: Ian Anthony Dale. Yes, I know he played the role in “Legacy” but truth be told, I can’t see anybody else embody the role like he can. Why mess with perfection? To the Elder Gods with bias. 😀

Bea’s Number 1: Mileena

The Character: The ultimate case “Yeah but no, yeah but no, yeah but no” when it comes to the women of MK. While Mileena shows off a body to die for, it’s all to compensate for the fact she has the mouth that is like to make all men forgo blowjobs for about a year. But for all the demonic cheesecake she has in renders, what I love about Mileena is really how tragic she is. She wasn’t born, she was created not out of love, but for the pursuit of power at the behest of Shao Khan. Created to be Kitana’s twin she was forced to compete with her ‘sister’ for her ‘father’s approval and never knew what it meant to be loved as a child. She was made to be twisted and mad, to only answer to Khan, essentially a dangerous beast on a leash. What is sadder still is that despite her body, she still has the mind of a child, a child who knows nothing about the intricacies of the world and only knows one thing- kill for approval. It wasn’t until much later did Mileena come to realise that she could be her own being, but that didn’t necessarily mean she had to be GOOD. In fact, she became more dangerous when she realised she had the power to usurp Kitana and rule Edenia in her place.

Casting: Just like casting the other females on this list, finding a serious Mileena was difficult. Naturally the most simple-minded only think of Mileena as a pair of huge tits on legs, but as with the other actresses, I wanted somebody who could embody all of the character she plays rather than merely the looks. Natalie Mendoza first caught my eye in the unspeakably awesome “The Descent” and her character of Juno, who was basically an entitled bitch came to be much more under Mendoza’s portrayal. Not only is she physically fearless, but I feel she could portray Mileena’s deep-seeded insecurities that were born from Shao Khan’s mercurial treatment in such a way that you aren’t just seeing some scary hot demon chick- you’re seeing a deadly victim of power and circumstance which is what Mileena is at the core.