Actor Joe Taslim has compared his experience on Netflix's comparatively worse Extraction movie. In The Raid, Taslim starred as S.W.A.T. Sergeant Jaka, one of the central protagonists. As such, he contributed to some of the film's most crowd-pleasing fights.
After several other roles, Taslim next brought those abilities to Mortal Kombat and the more villainous Sub-Zero. Based on the video games of the same name, the adaptation was directed by Simon McQuoid. Though still centered around the titular and mythical tournament, Dave Callaham and Greg Russo's script promised to delve deeper into the mythology of the various worlds and their characters. Those included such familiar figures as Ludi Lin's Liu Kang and mysterious newcomers like Lewis Tan's Cole Young. In his murderous pursuit of Cole, however, Sub-Zero will serve as a catalyst for the plot. Furthermore, the conflict between Sub-Zero and Scorpion has been described as the heart of the movie.
Speaking exclusively to Screen Rant, Taslim discussed his work on both outings. Asked how the Mortal Kombat reboot compared to such other highly physical sets like those of The Raid, he stated that the former was actually the most taxing. That reveal will likely surprise many, given the non-stop nature of The Raid's action. However, Taslim offered a very specific and understandable reason for his answer. Check out his full comment below:
"I gotta say, Mortal Kombat is physically harder. Because I have 10 or maybe 12 kilos attached to my body, and then I just need to move fast in of doing it. I think Mortal Kombat is harder because I have almost like a kid on my back, and I have to run around and move around. But I think the energy is the same."
Ever since the release of the long-awaited trailer, discussion of Mortal Kombat's fight scenes has raged. Taking the film's R-rating to its limit, they have been praised equally for their faithfulness and brutality. Not content with mere spectacle, however, producer Todd Garner expressed that each battle was specifically crafted around each character. During the conversation, Taslim expanded upon that notion. As well as proudly wielding Sub-Zero's famous ice sword, the actor sought to incorporate story beats into every movement — only compounding the energy he poured into the role.
"In energy, from one movie to another. I always try to give a story in my fights. I don't like to just throw punches and kicks, but even the pain itself needs to be a story. People need to feel what he feels; people need to feel like he's going to die, or like he's thinking he's gonna die. Those layers are important for me. It's not just fight, struggle, win or dead. In between that, people need to believe that he's confident or he's breaking and he's falling apart. Or, "I think he just saw the end of the line." That story needs to be there in The Raid and in Mortal Kombat. I hope people digest that as well."
How well-received those efforts are will be made clear when the film is released. Based on the trailers and Mortal Kombat's opening 13-minute prologue, however, the reception has already been substantially positive. As such, it's understandable that McQuoid and several actors - Taslim included - have already begun hoping for sequels and spinoffs. Whether or not those actually come to be, that hope was evidence that, as exhausting as the work may have been, it was equally rewarding. Fortunately, fans will only have to wait a few more weeks for Mortal Kombat — and to witness the fruits of Taslim (and the others') labor for themselves.
