Mortal Kombat, WB

Warner Bros. brings in the popular characters and their bloody finishing moves from the bestselling fighting game into the official restricted trailer of Mortal Kombat. The cast and crew appear to be pushing the fantasy and action elements from the video game phenomenon created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, 

“A washed-up mixed martial arts fighter named Cole Young is unaware of his hidden lineage or why he is being hunted down by Sub-Zero of the Lin-Kuei clan of assassins. Concerned for the safety of his family, he seeks out a clique of fighters that were chosen to defend Earthrealm in a high-stakes battle against the forces of Outworld.”

Here are 16 reasons why we love the Mortal Kombat trailer:

16) It’s Own Thing!

The original Mortal Kombat by director Paul W. S. Anderson had that ‘90s tongue-in-cheek humor. That ‘90s spirit was wonderfully captured by Linden Ashby, who played Johnny Cage. Based on the trailer, I noticed there’s a more serious and grounded tone with this latest reimagining. Director Simon McQuoid has brought in his own visual style to the latest video game adaptation.  

15) The Lineup!

With the story by Greg Russo and Oren Uziel, Russo and co-screenwriter Dave Callaham have managed to include a big lineup from the game. Well, sure they’re going to have Sub-Zero and Scorpion in the cast!

14) Finish Him!

Russo and Callaham have also brought in the emotional and physical stakes to the drama. They managed to bring in fatalities from the game too! There’s a dude stabbing someone with blood!

13) The Music!

There’s a hint of a film score in the trailer and it’s low-key on purpose. It’s a different approach than I was expecting and I expected a lot because I love the original soundtrack! How’s composer Benjamin Wallfisch (Blade Runner 2049) going to top the EDM and rock music of the original?

12) Hiroyuki Sanada!

No one told me Hiroyuki Sanada is in this movie! That changes everything! Sanada held his own alongside Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai. He was also in Speed Racer and my personal sci-fi favorite, Sunshine.

11) Into The Badlands!

Lewis Tan co-starred in one of my favorite TV shows, Into the Badlands. He had these amazing fight scenes as Gaius Chau. As a huge fan of this guy, I’m really excited to see what he does in Mortal Kombat!

10) He’s In It Too!

9) Now We’re Talking! Shang Tsung!

8) No Way! Kano!

7) It Screams Coolness!

6) Now You Have My Attention!

5) My Favorite!

4) Now We Have A Party!

3) OMG! It’s Raiden!

2) Scorpion!

1) True Blood Fans! He’s Back!

Mortal Kombat will stream exclusively on HBO Max on April 16, 2021.  Seriously, don’t bother going into theaters because we’re in a pandemic.

By Jorge Solis