The 2021 Mortal Kombat film is the first of its kind to bring R-rated ultra-violence and gore to the big screen, which was a big departure from the 1995 film. Here, fatalities, brutalities, and bad language are the norm, which in turn helped sell the film on its own notoriety. A film with this much bite needs to back it up in the dialogue department, of course.
Unfortunately, this Mortal Kombat film doesn't do nearly enough with its characters, but there are some good one-liners that rise to the top. Whether it's Scorpion uttering prophetic promises of retribution or Kano acting like a total fool for the delight of the audience, there's a decent amount of banter to make the film stand out.
"We Didn't Win Nine Straight Tournaments By Following The Rules."
Shang Tsung is no stranger to bending the rules to achieve his goals, a sentiment shared by his master Shao Kahn, the ruler of Outworld. The movie decided to forego a focus on the actual Mortal Kombat tournament in favor of a story where Earth's champions would be taken out before they had a chance to compete.
It's lazy storytelling, for sure, but it did allow Shang Tsung to utter this quip about how far he'll go to defy the Elder Gods and prevent Earth from winning the final tournament. With one more on the line, Shang wasn't about to take any chances, and that meant sending his cronies to assassinate Earth's warriors.
"I Killed The Lizard Man! Any Of You Ripped Anyone's Heart Out?"
It's safe to say that Kano is one of the few highlights of the Mortal Kombat film aside from the gory fatalities. His dialogue is hilarious, making him easily the most accessible character in the film, which is saying a lot. Audiences are introduced to Kano as a wisecracking, loudmouthed psychopath who never wastes an opportunity to poke fun at his fellow warriors.
After killing Reptile by plunging his hand straight through its chest and tearing its heart out, Kano clearly thought he had bragging rights. When others questioned his worthiness as a fighter, he tossed out this hilarious line to remind everyone that he wasn't someone to be taken lightly.
"What About Me, Gandalf? What Does My Fortune Cookie Say?"
After being brought to the temple, Liu Kang led Sonya, Cole, and Kano to meet Raiden, the Thunder God and the protector of the Earth realm. He wasted no time critiquing his out-of-shape fighters and berating them for their inadequacies in the hopes that they would step up.
He first began by telling Cole that he was completely unprepared to fight, before moving onto Sonya, pointing out that she didn't bear the mark necessary to compete. He started walking away, leaving Kano to ask this hilarious question before getting struck by a bolt of lightning that knocked him senseless.
"You're Like An Aggressive Little Bunny. Soft, And Useless."
To whip Earth's fighters into shape, Raiden knew he'd need to take risks. That meant provoking his fighters to unleash their inner power, otherwise known as Arcana, in order to generate superhuman abilities that would allow them to compete against Outworld's best.
In order to get Kano to unleash his Arcana, Kung Lao and Liu Kang began insulting him openly at the dinner table, knowing it would harm his overinflated ego. Liu Kang struck just the right nerve with this quote, forcing Kano to become more aggressive and angry before finally unleashing his Arcana in the form of a laser beam shot from his eye.
"Damn, Your Breath Stinks!"
Jax was caught off guard by Shang Tsung's attack on Raiden's temple, and that was a big problem given that he'd recently lost both his arms to Sub-Zero during a fight. As the monks of the temple began grafting metal arms to Jax's body, he struggled to generate enough power to make any real use of them.
This didn't play out well when Shang Tsung pit his hulking warrior Reiko against him in Raiden's temple. Jax lacked the strength necessary to defend against Reiko's massive hammer blows, which sent him to his knees. After being grabbed by the throat, Reiko screamed in Jax's face, provoking this hilarious response.
"Yeah, These Mother******s" Work."
After losing his first round with Reiko, Jax was ready for some payback. He realized he was ready when he managed to summon his Arcana to save Sonya Blade from being crushed to death by a giant piece of statue. The resulting power imbued his arms with massive metal plates, significantly increasing his physical strength.
Jax took on Reiko for a second time, battling him on a bridge when the two were more evenly matched. After beating Reiko's face to a pulp, Jax reared up both his hands and clapped them down on his opponent's head, shattering it like a melon. Clearly impressed, Jax dropped this line before sauntering off with a swagger.
"For The Lin Kuei!"
The hatred between the Lin Kuei and the Shirai Ryu ninja clans seemed to go far beyond a basic feud. Sub-Zero was clearly dedicated to his order's cause, and that meant personal honor when he killed members of the rival clan. He first uttered this quote before killing Hanzo Hasashi and sending him to the fires of hell.
Later, he'd speak the line again when he realized that he was outmatched in a fight with Cole and Scorpion. Barely able to stand, Sub-Zero fought to the bitter end.
"You Hoped I Would Burn In The Fires Of Hell, But Instead I Learned To Control Them!"
When it was time for Sub-Zero to die, Hanzo Hasashi used the most poetic tool at his disposal: a blast of hellfire spewed from his skeletal mouth. This was a play on the traditional Mortal Kombat fatality where Scorpion takes his mask off and burns his enemy to a cinder.
Here, Scorpion proclaims Sub-Zero's death with this quote just seconds before he engulfs the icy enemy in a blast of hellfire. Sub-Zero's lifeless body hit the ground, permanently deep-frying the villain once and for all.
"No Matter How Many Of My People You Put In The Ground, There Will Always Be Another To Take Their Place."
After his plan to assassinate Earth's warriors had failed, Shang Tsung was clearly incensed. This meant that Shao Kahn would have to face down the very real possibility of losing the tenth Mortal Kombat tournament to Earth realm and undoing centuries of work. Tsung must have known that his failure would be met with punishment.
He was defiant in spite of his failure, however. He met Raiden face to face and spoke this quote, which was an open threat. He then went on to claim that the next time they met, he would bring armies instead of warriors, but Raiden was not impressed and quickly teleported him back to Outworld in dismissal.
"Do Not Forget This Face."
The rivalry between Scorpion and Sub-Zero is the stuff of Mortal Kombat legend. Originally, the Lin Kuei ninja known as Bi-Han earned the ire of Scorpion after killing his family and sending him to the Netherrealm, where he gained mastery over the forces of Hell and returned to take vengeance. In the 2021 Mortal Kombat film, this feud is woven into the storyline.
The film begins with Hanzo Hasashi's village being attacked by Lin Kuei warriors, whom he promptly slays in brutal fashion. When he squares off against Bi-Han, however, Hasashi is outmatched and dealt a mortal wound. Before dying, he utters this quote to Bi-Han as a cryptic promise that he'll return to seek vengeance.