In less than a month, everyone’s favorite fighting game comes to life (again) as Mortal Kombat hits theaters on April 22, 2021. With the recent release of the trailer, fans finally got to see a glimpse of the upcoming video game adaptation that features MK favorites Sonya Blade, Jax Briggs, Sub Zero, and Scorpion. Here, I’m going to break down the top 10 moments from the red band trailer. Unfortunately, the lovely explanation of what a birthmark is didn’t make the list.
10) Sub Zero freezes and break Jax’s arms
Let’s be real here, Sub Zero was the star of this entire trailer. While everyone got a moment to shine in the video, one of the faces of Mortal Kombat was awesome every time he was on screen and the sequence of Sub Zero freezing Jax’s gun and arms, then breaking them off was simply badass. This showcased that the writers and directors have a solid grasp on both characters and the special effects are a massive upgrade from the original films back in the 90’s.
9) Liu Kang summons a fire dragon
While we don’t get much from the original MK tournament winner, the brief appearances he made surely had an impact. Just like the cool effects that Sub-Zero displayed throughout the trailer, seeing Liu Kang’s power in live-action form was awe-inspiring. The trailer didn’t necessarily indicate how significant Liu Kang’s role would be in the movie, though he damn sure made a lasting impression.
8) Shang Tsung and Raiden meet inside a room
One of the quiet moments in the Mortal Kombat trailer. We didn’t get much from the extremely brief moment as we only see the shadows of both Raiden and Shang Tsung, but this small moment highlighted the beautiful cinematography and the potential arc between Raiden and Tsung. Anyone who knows their MK history understands the deep and heated rivalry between the two legends and it’s nice that the movie will circle back to their relationship. Perhaps the film will dive deeper into the mythology of both characters, which could turn out to be great if done correctly.
7) Hanzo Hasashi kicks some major ass
The rivalry between the Shirai Ryu and Lin Kuei has been well documented in the Mortal Kombat universe by now; however, the first two movies skimmed on the rich history between Scorpion and Sub Zero. Here, we see Hanzo Hasashi before his Scorpion form, which indicates that the movie will explore the rivalry between both ninjas. Diving deep into the world of both Scorpion and Sub Zero has the potential to be a very compelling and memorable storyline.
6) Goro charging in for an attack
We got a strong glimpse at who will be in the Mortal Kombat film and it was a joy to see the four-armed brute part of the film. While the rich history of Goro won’t likely be explored like Scorpion and Sub Zero, the Shokan warrior should be presented as a huge and exciting threat throughout the MK tournament. As long as the film gives a solid amount of time in establishing Goro’s character and his violent nature then The Prince of the Shokan can easily be one of the highlights of the upcoming video game adaption.
5) Scorpion surrounded by fire
While the overall fire screams CGI, it’s still a cool moment nevertheless. Earlier in the trailer, we saw a brief glimpse of Hanzo Hasashi and as previously mentioned, it’s exciting that the movie is exploring the history behind one of the most iconic names in video game history. How the film addressed Scorpion’s resurrection is equally compelling. We all know how Hanzo Hasashi became Scorpion in the video game mythology, but it should be interesting to see how the writers crafted his journey altogether. Let’s just hope it wasn’t given the same care as the scene explaining Cole’s birthmark (seriously, that’s truly terrible).
4) Sub Zero turns Scorpion’s blood into ice
Like I said before, Sub Zero steals the show in the trailer, and its sequences like this have fans clamoring to see the Lin Kuei master kick some ass. While Sub Zero doesn’t speak much in the trailer, his movements and fighting style truly capture the spirit of his video game counterpart. It helps that the talented Joe Taslim is playing the part of the legendary character. If you need to check out Taslim’s work first hand then watch The Night Comes For Us and The Raid. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
3) Kano holding a man’s heart
Our loveable asshole only had one line of dialogue in the trailer; however, it was easily the funniest thing in the entire video. While The Black Dragon leader is missing his signature bionic eye, the personality and charm appear to have carried over from his video game counterpart. Based on the trailer, it doesn’t appear that the Kano/Sonya Blade rivalry will be a storyline in the film, but that doesn’t mean that Kano can’t make a lasting impression within the MK universe. Just like Goro, as long as the filmmakers establish Kano and embody his fighting style from the video game then the arrogant prick should have no problem chewing up the scenery.
2) Mileena’s brief appearance
Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that we’ll see Mileena’s grotesque beauty that’s made her a staple within the MK franchise (though the director did state that it wasn’t Mileena’s final look); however, the lone image of the MK warrior licking blood off her Sai indicates that the filmmaker understands her overall character. The reasoning behind Mileena’s placement on this list is due to the mystique behind her character in the film.
True MK fans know that Mileena is a genetic experiment created by Shang Tsung, and is one of the adopted daughters of the Shao Kahn. With Shao Khan and Kitana both absent from the movie, it should be interesting how they layer out the legendary character. While Shang Tsung is in the film, it doesn’t mean they’ll follow the MK story of her being a genetic experiment. Hopefully, Mileena isn’t some forgettable one-off character whose purpose is to simply die in the tournament.
1) The Montage of fighting moves towards the end
Of course, the most important thing people care about when it comes to Mortal Kombat is the fighting. While the story and the characters should be well developed, fans come to see these legendary characters beat the hell out of each other, plain and simple. It’s a very promising start that most of the main cast are actors that have a background in martial arts, thus fight scenes won’t be hyper-stylized and over-edited. Instead, the fights could rival a movie like The Raid, which started the trend of showcasing fights to the fullest without any crazy cuts to hide a stunt double or lack of action. Director Simon McQuoid promised fans that several fighters will use fatalities as well, highlighting the fact that the filmmaker understands what MK fans want from an upcoming live-action movie.
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