A new Mortal Kombat film — based on the much-loved videogame franchise — is in movie theatres this Friday. The Simon McQuoid-directed martial arts fantasy film has veteran Singaporean actor Chin Han in the role of the shape-shifting antagonist Shang Tsung. Over an early morning video call, we caught up with Chin Han — who has been a part of Hollywood blockbusters like The Dark Knight, 2012, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Independence Day: Resurgence and the popular TV series Arrow — for a chat on the latest film in the Mortal Kombat franchise and how much fun he had being evil!
Have you been a fan of the Mortal Kombat videogame and then the films (Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation) that came out in the 1990s?
Oh yes! The original film in 1995 is one of the most iconic films from that era. I remember watching that movie and immediately running out to buy the cassette tape of the soundtrack, and then playing it forever. I think I still have it back in Singapore (laughs).
I am familiar with the games as well, meaning the arcade games where you put in a coin and play. That was my introduction to the franchise. The games were pretty controversial at the time. There were, of course, other fighting games, but that game stood out because it was so extreme. As a teenager, you feel you are being such a rebel playing the game (laughs). It was fun at that time.
What was your reaction when you were offered the part of the antagonist Shang Tsung?
It took a while to sink in. I love the previous films so much and I love all the performances of the actors in there. Talking to Simon McQuoid (the director) about what we were trying to achieve with this film was very interesting. He came in very well researched, he had all his artwork and concept design and everything ready, and I was really won over by that. I thought, ‘This is a guy who really knows the history and what the fans love and he wants to build on that’. We decided that it was a worthy endeavour and ultimately, something to show appreciation for the fans who have loved the franchise over the last few decades.
Chin Han as Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat.
How much fun did you have being this demonic shape shifter?
A lot of fun! (Laughs) He’s literally like a force of nature, he’s unstoppable, he has an insatiable appetite for destruction.... It’s a lot of fun but it comes at a price. The costume, for one, was incredibly hot and heavy to wear. All the pieces that go into it, the armour, wasn’t easy to wear.
Apart from that, what were the other challenges?
I think it was balancing the longtime fans of the game with the new gamers. It has been around for a long time... more than most videogames. So you have a very wide spectrum of these fans of the game. Some people will love Mortal Kombat 11, some like Mortal Kombat 10, some like the original while others like the movie.... There are all kinds of fans but they all have one thing in common... they like Mortal Kombat. The challenge was to take the essence of what they all like, and then put it into the film and make it into its own thing.
What was the most difficult part to film?
I actually enjoyed all of it, even the difficult parts. Going and shooting the outdoor parts were fun. You have seen the movie, so the part where you see Mileena (played by Sisi Stringer) walk over the ridge or me walking with my guards... they are all real. It’s so easy to say, ‘Oh, that looks like visual effects’, but none of it is visual effects....
There is a place called Leigh Creek in South Australia, which is a giant abandoned coal mine, and that place was incredibly hot and very dusty. We had floors that had fissures with smoke coming out and that was challenging, but at the same time, when else are you going to have the opportunity to be in that kind of a location? (Laughs) So it was quite thrilling too.
What does it mean to you to have such a huge film out in the middle of a pandemic that has made movie watching in a theatre almost a distant memory?
We love the cinemas and that’s why we are in this line of work. But at the same time, we want people to be safe. We want precautions to be taken and we want people to be mindful of everything that’s happening around us. That said, I think the cinematic experience is so important for us to connect as a culture, as people, and as a community. We are very proud of the work we have done in this film and we are happy it’s going out into the world in this way, in theatres in most places in the world. In the US, it’s releasing on IMAX as well. Hopefully, the film will be a source of enjoyment and inspiration to people.
How do you look back at your journey in the West so far? And what would your message be to an aspiring actor in South-east Asia who wants to be where you are?
I would say, ‘Don’t look at the destination... look at the journey’. There is a lot of great work coming out of Singapore and Malaysia... not only in films, but in theatre as well. In India, of course, you have an incredible film industry and a huge film history as well. The journey has always been the most important thing for me, which is the work I do. You can work anywhere and have that experience. You don’t have to just do it in Hollywood. But if you happen to make it to Hollywood, I applaud you and it will be a very interesting destination to get to.
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