MORTAL KOMBAT!!! A blood-slicked reminder that, in arcade fighter games and Hollywood blockbusters alike, no fatality is ever truly permanent.
Simultaneously, he’d been writing, shooting and producing his own projects most of them not in the action genre, but dramas, comedies and even a silent film inspired by Jean-Luc Godard’s nouvelle vague classic “Band of Outsiders” aiming to build a reel and take his career into his own hands.
Then, a few years ago, he sat through the longest plane ride of his life.
Tan had finished filming “Wu Assassins” and was on a flight to Japan when he heard that he’d lost out on the massive Marvel role he’d been reading for. “I was in a terrible state of mind for 12 hours straight,” he says. “Didn’t sleep, landed in Japan and was like, ‘I’m going to get off this plane and I’m never going to think about this again. I’m going to not only move forward, I’m going to move forward with more ferociousness.’”
Cary Darling April 21, 2021Updated: April 21, 2021, 8:40 pm
Indonesian action star Joe Taslim plays Sub-Zero in the new movie, “Mortal Kombat.” Photo: Raja Siregar
The laughter is a surprise.
In talking with action actor and member of Indonesia’s national judo team from 1997 to 2009 Joe Taslim, humor is unexpected. Judging from his resume and his roles as a man who lets his fists, feet and whatever else happens to be at hand do all the talking in such movies as “The Raid: Redemption,” “Fast & Furious 6” and “Star Trek Beyond,” cracking a smile wouldn’t seem to come as easy to him as cracking ribs.
CinemaBlend
Since the launch of the controversial fighting game in the early â90s there have been multiple
Mortal Kombat movie and TV adaptations, with the vast majority of those failing to capture the brutality (and fatalities) that drew gamers to arcades and terrified parents nearly 30 years ago. Well, that will all change with Simon McQuoidâs highly anticipated version of the classic Midway arcade franchise. But with not much time before the filmâs April 23 release, youâre probably wondering where you can watch
Well, lucky for you and everyone else whoâs been looking forward to
Mortal Kombat ever since Sub-Zero literally froze Jaxâs arms off in that first bone-shattering trailer because watching the movie is a hell of a lot easier than keying in a fatality command. And surprisingly enough, watching
“He was born to play Sub-Zero,” producer Todd Garner told us.
The first actor cast in the film, Taslim credits his son with helping him make the decision. (Ironically, his son was only 10 at the time and therefore not old enough to play the 18-plus-rated game). “When my agent called me about the offer, I asked my son, ‘Which character do you think fits me the best?’ He said ‘Sub-Zero,’” Taslim recalled. “I told my agent not to lose this job.”
Credit: Warner Bros.
If you had told Taslim that not only would he star in a live-action movie about one of his favorite video games, but that he would play opposite one of his real-life heroes, Hiroyuki Sanada (shown just above), who portrays Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion in the film, he wouldn’t have believed you. “Hiroyuki is someone I respect so much. He s kind of like my idol,” Taslim said. “In 2003, I saw
Wondering what to watch this week? Check out our weekly film and TV recommendations. We want to know what you’re streaming, too. Click here to share your picks with us. “Godzilla” and “Kong: Skull Island” Next week, I’m catching “Godzilla vs. Kong” (opening March 31 in theaters and streaming on HBO Max) at a press screening in an actual theater. Here’s hoping that’s all I’ll be catching! .