Cinematic Support: Christopher Lambert in MORTAL KOMBAT (1995)

When some of us partake in cinema, we sometimes discover that we are enjoying something very specific, immensely more than the main actors, the plot, the action set pieces or really anything else in the movie that perhaps was our initial reason for engaging with the movie. We become enthralled with a specific supporting character. Not the lead or even the second fiddle. Maybe not even the main antagonist. These are the characters that show up in a few scenes and end up leaving a lasting impression. The kinds of performances we love to discover. That is the focus of this new feature series that I will embrace this year. To celebrate those iconic, minute screen time performances that elevate the movie to a higher level. You could already like the movie, but now you love it. You might hate the movie, but you dig that one actor who showed up for two scenes. The ones that I will write about over are what stuck with me over time, always cracking a smile across my face when they sashay across the screen.

First up for discussion might not be one that leaps to front of mind for most people. Video game adaptations were a new thing back in the 90s. Starting with the ill-conceived but enjoyably bizarre Super Mario Bros. in 1993, Hollywood began to slowly trickle out interpretations of the most popular video game properties. While these movies would be mainly high budget disasters that failed to understand the source material – Double Dragon, Street Fighter – there was one that understood the assignment. A cheeseball 90s adaptation that is probably more renowned for its iconic main theme song on the soundtrack. Beyond that, however, lies a movie that is a blast to watch and never gets old. All the performances within are delivered very seriously but with a glint in their eye and a lean toward the camp. There is one performance, however, that stands above the rest for me. This individual clearly knows the film he is in. Ignoring the fact that it’s a Frenchman playing a Thunder God of Asian influence, it’s a lively and tongue in cheek performance. I present Christopher Lambert and his portrayal of Raiden in the 1995 schlock fest Mortal Kombat.

Coming in at around maybe 10 minutes of actual screen time, Christopher Lambert delivers pure childlike energy as the defacto mentor to our stable of protagonists, a band of warriors from the Earth realm defending our planet in massive tournament called Mortal Kombat – Liu Kang (Robin Shou), Sonya Blade (Bridgette Wilson), and Johnny Cage (Linden Ashby). While each of these three deliver solid performances and have their moments of seriousness and levity, none, however, truly deliver on the camp and genuine fun that should come along with this property than Lambert. A well-known French actor who had a illustrious film career before (and after) this movie – he was well known to most as the main character Connor MacLeod from the Highlander film franchise – Lambert gets thrown a long white straight hair wig, some beige robes, and is asked to embody the mystical thunder god that is the assigned protector of the Earth realm, and goes for broke and holds nothing back.

The Mortal Kombat game is filled with ridiculous and convoluted lore that is all there just for us to have bloody battles and gory fatalities, which is what separated it from the glut of fighters that prospered in the 90s. The movie script, written by Kevin Droney, keeps true to the spirit of the games while also providing ample one liners and meta humor that allows each actor to get their time in the sun. While Linden Ashby’s Johnny Cage is probably the most spot-on interpretation of any of the characters, no one does more with such limited screen time as Lambert. The minute he enters the picture, with his gravelly voice that sounds like he has smoked 47 cigs a day for 20 years, he commands your attention. Lambert is essentially tasked with delivering nonsense exposition to move the plot along, but he delivers it all with such esteemed assurance with a hint of slyness and, dare I say, sexiness that just makes a lasting impression. He sporadically pops up throughout the film, only for a minute or two at a time, but his return is always welcome and injects a little life into the film that propels itself to his next reemergence. Lambert also excels at his secondary purpose, which is to carry his less experienced trio of actors – Ashby, Shou, Wilson – and elevate their performances to perfection. He also has a few scenes with fellow scenery chewer Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, doing his most slimy and pure 100% evil portrayal of main antagonist Shang Tsung, but they match campy beat for campy beat, and they are both glorious to watch. And even with Lambert being such a ham and delivering such preposterous dialogue, his performance is constantly engaging and is always entertaining, a defining trait of a brilliant character actor. Someone who understands what is being asked of them, doesn’t look down on the material, and delivers it to their fullest capabilities the minute the director says action. A true professional.

My goal with this feature series is to highlight supporting character performances that go far and beyond one might expect. I have six specific roles that I will highlight across the year (with a little help from thepaintedman as the year progresses) and Lambert’s performance here is a great jump off point and peek into the types of roles I will be talking about over the coming months. Lambert takes what could have been a drab role that just serves to move the plot along and makes it fun, interesting and always engaging. That is the best you can ask of your character actors, and he delivers in spades.