I'm sure that there's been a post or a comment about this, but I figured I'd share something.

I recently borrowed 'Big Trouble in Little China' from a friend, and I had forgotten that the creators of Mortal Kombat had mentioned in an interview or two that this movie was one of their inspirations.

As I was watching the flick, I remembered that and started to tick off little things that the two things had in common. I thought it was cool that the guys who created Mortal Kombat, now one of my obsessions, took some inspiration from one of their own interests. It shows an interesting line of inspiration. Or maybe I just need medication. For your viewing pleasure.

And if you haven't seen this movie - It's awesome!


Sorceror, elegant and stereotypically Asian. Shifts his age from older to younger. Mentions the word soul a lot. Almost the same archetype.

The thunder and lightning trio with control over lightning and with very distinctive straw wizard hats. Raiden.

Egg Chen throws up a steel fan, a spitting image for one of Kitana's fans, to block an attack of lightning.

Two characters expand and explode, much like a victim of Kitana's kiss of death fatality.

A very interesting scene is when Egg Chen and Lo Pan utilize mental projections of warriors to engage in fierce battle - And they move their fingers exactly like they are playing a video game. Not to mention the similiarity between their fighting warriors and certain MK characters.

Several of the settings are similiar to MK's. One of Lo Pan's rooms resembles Shang Tsung's Throne Room. The idea of rotting bodies hanging around reminds me a lot of certain places in the MK universe.

A lot of talk and literal reference to the underground and the subterranean - Spiritual, physical, and worldly.

Portals are used several times.

The ability and desire to unbalance the furies.

A lot of the fighting movements are magical and very similiar to MK. Flying kicks, air fighting, et cetera.

BTiLC shares a very similiar sense of humor with MK.

Both Lo Pan and Raiden are 7' tall.

The same sense of disillusionment and disbelief that Wang has is similiar to Liu Kang's own feelings when confronted with his destiny. A very similiar 'grown out of believing in myth' feeling.