Last Thursday delivered the first Mortal Kombat trailer to preview what director Simon McQuoid and his cast were working on while fans of the best selling video game series waited with baited breath. And what we’re seeing is a brutal, bloody show.
Lewis Tan stars as our protagonist, Cole Young; a man unaware of his past or why he’s being hunted by a clan of assassins. He seeks out a clique of fighters that were chosen to defend Earth in a high-stakes battle against the forces of Outworld in a tournament called Mortal Kombat.
The trailer wastes no time in introducing one of the mainstay characters in Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim) as he shattered the arms off of Major Jackson “Jax” Briggs (Mehcad Brooks), revealing the origins of the metallic arms that we know from his portrayal in the games. Sub-Zero is after Cole, leading the hero to turn to Jax and Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee, who is telling the tale in the trailer) in search of answers. The mysterious dragon birthmark is the invitation to the Mortal Kombat tournament in order to battle for the fate of the Earth realm.
Many iconic characters are packed into the trailer, including Lord Raiden (Thor’s Tadanobu Asano), who welcomes the Earth realm champions to train at his temple. Including Sonya and Cole, Liu Kang (Power Rangers; Ludi Lin), the cybernetically enhanced Kano (Josh Lawson), and Kung Lao (stuntman Max Huang). We also get a glimpse at the Outworld fighters like sorcerer Shang Tsung (Skyscrapers’ Chin Han); Mileena (Siri Stringer), licking her victim’s blood off her blade and the multi-armed Goro (who looked so much better than his 1995 portrayal).
However, looking at the trailer, I don’t think Cole is the main storyline. We have two mortal enemies looking to settle a lethal score as we get footage of Sub-Zero and Scorpion going head-to-head. The two favorite characters of the series have a long history which seems to play out in brutal fashion (including a icy fatality). I’ve personally, I have a soft spot for the 1995 film, still watching it from time to time. However, this update will mostly outpace the cult classic.
Mortal Kombat will be released in theaters and on HBO Max on April 16.
What are your thoughts on Mortal Kombat? Are you going to see this in theaters or watch it from the comfort of your couch at HBO Max?
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