Mortal Kombat: Shang Tsung’s Soul Powers Improve Iconic Original Movie Line

Shang Tsung likes to announce to his opponents that he will devour their souls before doing so, and the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie continues this tradition — albeit more brutally than ever before. Simon McQuoid’s Mortal Kombat takes a more grounded approach to the MK franchise than the previous live-action attempts. The 2021 reboot also offers a more explicit take on the fights and a more serious tone while also paying homage to the video games.

The imposing Shang Tsung serves as the primary antagonist of the original Mortal Kombat video game, the 1995 movie, and the 2021 reboot, among many other appearances. In the 2021 film, he has brought Outworld nine victories over Earthrealm. His ability to absorb souls makes him a force to be reckoned with, but this skill also has the downside that he needs to feed off those souls to survive.

One of the most famous lines from the 1995 movie is Shang Tsung’s “your soul is mine,” which he utters a little bit too dramatically while pointing directly at the camera. This quote has become a recurring line for the character, and it’s so memorable that the Mortal Kombat 11 video game featured it using the likeness of the same actor (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), with the same delivery and with the same camera angle. Chin Han’s Shang Tsung delivers the same line in the Mortal Kombat reboot, although more subtly, when he grabs Kung Lao and immediately follows through with his threat, sucking the soul out of Kung Lao’s body and transferring it to his own through a visibly painful process.

Kung Lao’s demise is one of Mortal Kombat‘s most shocking moments, both for the surprising defeat of the fighter and his excruciating death. It also appears to be a painful experience for Shang Tsung, as the green trail that turns Kung Lao into a mummified husk also enters Shang Tsung’s mouth forcefully. The last glimmer of light suggests Kung Lao is aware of what’s happening until the very end, while Shang Tsung only seems stronger afterward. While not as gory as the rest of Mortal Kombat’s fatalities, this flawless victory is the perfect companion to Shang Tsung’s iconic line, despite it being easier to miss in the reboot.

In comparison to the 1995 movie and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, 2021’s Mortal Kombat subdued many of the franchise’s most iconic elements. The dialog isn’t as over-the-top and Scorpion’s kunai aren’t organic mini-monsters, for instance. However, the movie improved on these aspects with higher stakes, an interesting backstory, and a healthy dose of R-rated violence.

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