ThePredator151 Wrote:
Liu Kang is evil?
Is it just me or am I the only one who remembers the rebellious behavior Liu Kang exhibits in the first MK movie? I would even go as far as to say that he was fed up with the monks...and the idea of Raiden. He wore a black leather jacket (usually indicative of a badass...or a bad guy in some cases), he had a bad attitude, he was bitter, and he didn't really believe in anything the good guys were about throughout a good chunk of the beginning of that movie. Almost the first whole hour of that film, I think...
This just looks like a revitalized version of that. A more visceral interpretation. Same thing, just modernized. He probably will come off seeming like a bad guy at first, if revitalizing is what they're doing.
I think it's more obvious that this Liu Kang is straight up bad. Liu Kang started off fighting for revenge in the first movie, but he still fought for the good guys. This time he definitely looks to be fighting for Shang Tsung, something he never would have done in the first movie. It looks like Shang Tsung offered him a chance to work for him, and Liu accepted. It seems like he's bitter with everyone and he doesn't even want to protect humanity. In the original movie, he just didn't believe the Mortal Kombat tournament was anything more than an old myth, and just decided to go because he wanted to get revenge against Shang Tsung for killing his brother.
I'd like to believe that Liu Kang is really a good person deep down, even if he seems bad or conflicted at first; a good guy that does bad things, or a "double agent". But the way he acts towards good guys, calling Kung Lao "Niave for thinking humanity is worth protecting" or pummeling Stryker and Johnny Cage, makes him seem completely bad. I don't think the Liu Kang from the first film would have done that. I'm guessing that this Liu Kang is a legitimately bad guy who hopefully, will turn good at the end (or at least do a good thing).
The more I look at it, the more I think I can tell about Liu Kang and what he will do during this season. And I'm hoping this is wrong, because it's straight-up generic anti-hero/antagonist stuff. But I guess it all depends on how it's done specifically.
I'm guessing he'll be introduced with the bar fight scene shortly before the tournament starts. He was once involved with Shaolin Monks, but he decided they're wrong about everything and left them to go drink away his miserable life. Then he gets in a fight with a bunch of punks in the bar, kicks a lot of ass, but eventually they overpower him and start beating him up. Then Kung Lao comes and finishes them off with this hat. Liu Kang basically goes "I didn't NEED your help, you shouldn't have come here" and blah blah blah. Kung Lao would tell him that they (the Shaolin) still need his help and they wish he would come back and help them with the tournament. But he says no and walks away.
Later, Shang Tsung comes along and offers him a "place on the ark" once he invades Earthrealm if he helps him out. Liu Kang doesn't like Shang Tsung (just like he doesn't like anyone) but he decides he may as well because it would allow him to kick ass and survive the apparently inevitable invasion. So he accepts and fights for Shang Tsung (the whole idea that you have to represent your home realm in MK would be left out of this series).
So Liu Kang becomes a force to be reckoned with in the tournament; something like an equivalent to Goro in the first movie in terms of power and danger. Basically he's the most powerful foe for the good guys. He beats the crap out of Stryker and Johnny Cage, and possibly kills Stryker. I would say that Stryker might pull the plug on one of his grenades and take Liu Kang out with him (hence the explosion in the trailer), but we were promised a fight with Liu Kang and Shang Tsung. I'm guessing Stryker tries the grenade, but Liu Kang gets away (although it might allow Johnny and Stryker to get away with their lives).
Anyways, I'm thinking Kung Lao would see him at some point during the tournament and be shocked that Liu Kang would turn his back on his own realm, which is when Liu Kang calls Kung Lao naive for trying to protect humanity. Anyways, Kung Lao basically gives up on Liu Kang and accepts that he went bad. Eventially, everyone is either killed, eliminated, wounded, incapacitated, or otherwise out of the game, except for Kung Lao, Liu Kang, Shang Tsung, and possibly Raiden (assuming he's just a guide and not able to assist in a fight). Kung Lao basically takes up Liu Kang's original role as last man standing for Earthrealm. This is where a few different scenarios might happen.
The first scenario is that Kung Lao has to take on both Liu Kang and Shang Tsung at the same time, hence the hint at the fight between the three that I think I heard of some time ago. So they fight and fight and fight, until Liu Kang and Shang Tsung win. Kung Lao almost gets killed, but then Liu Kang realizes that that's his best friend. He calls off the deal and takes on Shang Tsung alone, but Shang Tsung wins and Liu Kang is fatally wounded. But Kung Lao manages to recompose himself while they fight and gets back up, and pummels Shang Tsung. Liu Kang says that he's sorry, he was wrong, and he shouldn't have left the Shaolin temples. Kung Lao accepts his apology, Liu Kang tells him live well, and he dies, but he dies honorably because he came to his senses and helped save the world.
The second scenario plays out the same at first. Kung Lao goes up against Liu Kang and Shang Tsung, gets beat, and is about to die. Then Liu Kang turns on Shang Tsung, starts fighting him but he doesn't get fatally wounded. Kung Lao gets back up and together, they defeat Shang Tsung. Liu Kang says he's sorry, that humanity IS worth protecting, and it almost took his best friend's death to realize that. Kung Lao asks him to come back to the Shaolin and he agrees, but is very remorseful of his actions during the tournament.
The third scenario, again, starts out the same way. This time Kung Lao loses against the two. Shang Tsung prepares to kill him, but Liu Kang tells him to stop. He doesn't and Kung Lao dies. Shang Tsung gloats that the tourament is over, as there are no more Earthrealm warriors. Liu Kang says that there's one more; him. The two fight, and the enraged Liu Kang emerges victorious, becoming the champion of Mortal Kombat, but he laments the fact that it took the death of his best friend to realize who he really was; a good guy. Humbled, he decides to go back to the Shaolin Temples and try to atone for his transgressions; that's what Kung Lao would have wanted. An alternative version of this scenario is that Kung Lao survives but is too injured to get back up. This would give Kung Lao a reason to resent Liu Kang; even though Liu Kang had been fighting for the bad guys the whole time, he gets the title of champion in the end, which he literally robbed from Kung Lao by fighting alongside Shang Tsung for the first half of the fight.
A fourth scenario, which is the weakest, would go like this; Liu Kang stays bad. Kung Lao beats him and Shang Tsung. Liu Kang either dies or leaves once the tournament is over to his dark, depressing life. This would make Kung Lao look badass for beating both of them, but it wouldn't resolve the plot between him and Liu Kang.
My personal favorite scenario is the alternative third one because it's most like the game. Liu Kang defeating Shang Tsung is one of the most iconic moments in the series, right up there with Scorpion killing Bi-Han Sub-Zero. Even in a different take on the series, it should be in there one way or another. The reason I'd prefer the alternative is because I don't want Kung Lao to die believing his best friend is evil; Kung Lao seems to be the one who's noble through and through this time. He knew Liu Kang used to be good and probably believes he still is somewhere deep down. He deserves to know that everything turns out okay in the end, even if he doesn't get the title he deserves. To me, seeing him die would be like seeing Luke Skywalker die in Star Wars without seeing Darth Vader turn on the emperor. The Second scenario would also be a good choice; It's pretty much the happily-ever-after scenario, where Liu Kang becomes good and Kung Lao gets the glory he deserves. No animosity in that case.
The reason I don't want to see the first scenario play out is because I don't really buy into the "Dying with honor" idea. Again, I'll compare Liu Kang with Darth Vader, whose last action was overthrowing the emperor and getting killed in the process. We don't really know if he truly changed, or if he just cared more about his son than himself and the emperor. If Liu Kang died, the same thing happens. Did he turn good, or did he just do a good thing as his last action? If he lives and we see him go back to the Shaolin, we'd know for sure that Liu Kang is good. Also, Liu is my favorite character. I don't want him to die!
The last scenario would be incredibly disappointing, and I would feel quite let down if I saw it play out. The main plot would be resolved, sure, but the relationship between Kung Lao and Liu Kang would be left on a cliffhanger. I wouldn't want to accept that they just go their separate ways and Liu Kang just goes back to drinking and getting in bar fights; this series will be introducing a conflict between the two, and I want to see it resolved.
Of course, everything I just wrote is completely guessing based on the trailer and most good guy/bad guy/ good guy again stories. It might (probably will) be off, maybe completely wrong. If it does plays out like that, it won't be bad, just sort of generic. My overall impression will fall to how it's wrapped up if that's the case. Maybe Kevin does have a new idea, or a few tricks up his sleeve. Maybe Liu Kang won't be an antagonist throughout most of the season. Maybe Kevin has a better idea. Or maybe (and I dread to think this) he has a worse one.
And on an unrelated note, I agree with Razor about Kitana, who I didn't consider as too much of a factor in my prediction.
