The highly anticipated Mortal Kombat reboot has debuted its first red band trailer and it was well worth the wait. The trailer perfectly showcases the brutal bloodsoaked violence the series is best known for. It also shows how the film is going to embrace the iconography of the franchise with lines like “Get over here” and “Finish him” heard in the trailer.
Refreshingly, it seems to be committing to the more fantastical elements of the series like the four-armed Shokan Goro, Reptile and Kano’s eye beam. All in all, this seems very loyal to the franchise in all the ways fans would want it to be. Eagle-eyed fans might have also noticed some iconic fatalities such as Lui Kang’s Animality and Kano’s Heart Rip.
Mortal Kombat follows Cole Young, an MMA fighter who is blissfully unaware of his heritage as he is thrust into the conflict between Earthrealm and Outworld after Shang Tsung sends his best warrior, Sub-Zero to hunt him down.
Fearing for his family’s safety and desperate for answers, he finds sanctuary at the temple of Raiden, an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Sonya Blade, Jackson “Jax” Bridges, and Rogue mercenary Kano as he prepares for a high-stakes battle for the universe.
Directed by Simon McQuoid (in his feature directorial debut) Mortal Kombat Features a diverse international cast including Lewis Tan (“Deadpool 2,” Netflix’s “Wu Assassins”) As Cole Young, Jessica McNamee (“The Meg”) as Sonya Blade, Josh Lawson (“Bombshell”, “House of Lies) as Kano, Tadanobu Asano (“Midway”) as Lord Raiden; Mehcad Brooks (TV’s “Supergirl”) as Jackson “Jax” Bridges; Ludi Lin (“Power Rangers”) as Liu Kang; with Chin Han (“Skyscraper,”) as Shang Tsung; Joe Taslim (“The Raid”) as Bi-Han/Sub-Zero; and Hiroyuki Sanada (“The Last Samurai, Sunshine”) as Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion. Also featured are Max Huang as Kung Lao; Sisi Stringer as Mileena; Matilda Kimber as Emily Young; and Laura Brent as Allison Young.
I’m my opinion, this trailer was a lot better than I was expecting. The tone, costumes, CGI, and the cinematography all look excellent. I’m especially looking forward to Joe Taslim’s role as Subzero due to his involvment with high-quality fight choreography in films like The Raid and The Night Comes For Us as well as Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion who has the experience and intensity needed for this Character.
Mortal Kombat is set for release in theaters and for a limited time on HBO Max on April 16, 2021.
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