Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Randy Miller III May 11, 2020

I haven't played a Mortal Kombat game in years. In fact, I probably lost interest in the brand more than two decades ago, just a few years after the first installment pulled in crowds like a magnet at arcades worldwide. I first saw the original MK at a local bowling alley and still remember skipping a few frames to gawk at its unique graphics and bloody fatalities. That bowling alley finally closed its doors after six decades in business but Mortal Kombat lives on, doubling down on the bone-crunching action and ridiculous, over-the-top finishers with each new installment. Over the years it's grown from a controversial Street Fighter wannabe to a full-blown franchise with two live-action movies (and a third coming in 2021), comics, toys action figures, a "blood, sweat, and tears" scented candle, and more. Warner Bros. Animation carries the torch with their all-new animated feature Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge, the first of several interlinked stories designed to deepen the history of its most iconic and celebrated characters.

For my thoughts on this surprisingly great direct-to-video animated feature, please see my review of the Blu-ray edition. Warner Bros. also offers a 4K combo pack that, while technically an upscale of its source material, features good use of HDR enhancement and better encoding for a more refined visual presentation that fans should enjoy -- and even if you're not set up for 4K yet, a Blu-ray disc is also included. Either way, you really can't go wrong here.

Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Like most animated releases, Scorpion's Revenge has 2K source material but clearly benefits from certain aspects of the 4K UHD format. For one, the films enjoys a much higher bit rate than its Blu-ray counterpart -- which, despite no flagrant defects, ran a bit lower than expected -- and displays fewer instances of banding and compression artifacts, although the former problem is not completely eliminated. The angular line work and deep contrast levels are also more refined and collectively give the overall picture a smoother and more pleasing appearance, while black levels also run a bit deeper without succumbing to obvious signs of crush or loss of detail. But as expected, color values and saturation quality are the key differences here: Scorpion's Revenge makes terrific use of HDR enhancement during many scenes, from the red-hot primaries of costumes and backgrounds to moody establishing shots and sporadic "special effects" showcasing the fighters' supernatural powers. Even the film's more muted moments display greater depth and subtle refinements over its SDR counterpart. Overall, it provides a nice boost to the Blu-ray's already-great presentation that, a few very mild source limitations aside, justifies DCAU's continued presence in the 4K format.

Please note that the images on this page are sourced from the included Blu-ray disc. For information about that disc's 1080p transfer (as well as 20 additional screenshots), see my review of the standard Blu-ray.

Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For information about the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix, please see my review of the standard Blu-ray.

Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc set (one 4K disc, one Blu-ray) arrives in a keepcase with a promotional insert, Digital Copy code, and a matching slipcover. Like its A/V presentation, the extras are on par with most DCAU direct-to-video releases.

For a full list of the on-disc bonus features, please see my review of the standard Blu-ray.

Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I didn't expect much out Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge coming in blind, but this is a very well-done animated film that really seems to capture the franchise's most iconic and engaging elements. I have a feeling that die-hard MK fans will love it even more, from its solid visual design and great audio mix to the countless little Easter eggs scattered around. Warner Bros.' 4K edition offers a superior visual presentation with better encoding and good use of HDR enhancement that really tightens up the edges. Although most MK fans will likely find the Blu-ray satisfactory, anyone set up for 4K -- or those who plan to be in the near future -- will find this to be the better option.