Boy howdy, do I love Mortal Kombat. As a video game, as a movie, I just think the whole thing rips. It's why, even though we don't know too much about it, I'm excited and optimistic about the forthcoming 2021 film adaptation, which will drop in our HBO Max laps this April. And now that I've seen a new crop of character posters... let this film get over here already!
It's very cool to see the character design for all our familiar favorites, which include: Mehcad Brooks as Jax Briggs, Josh Lawson as Kano, Max Huang as Kung Lao, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Sisi Stringer as Mileena, Tadanobu Asano as Raiden, Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion, Chin Han as Shang Tsung, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, and Joe Taslim as Sub-Zero. The characters all seem to have their trademark video game signifiers with an appropriate amount of "realism" and "grittiness" grafted onto them; it doesn't feel performatively edgy, just like a solid, brutal interpretation of some dope iconography (I'm especially responding to the monstrous evilness in Mileena's poster).
It's also cool to see invented character Cole Young (Lewis Tan) get a spotlight here. He's the central character of first-time director Simon McQuoid's take on the material, whose narrative seems to be borrowing a bit of the arc from Johnny Cage in the '90s film — a real-life fighter who skeptically joins this intergalactic tournament and becomes heavily invested. I think it's a bold but smart choice, I think Tan looks dope as hell in this poster, and I just can't wait for this dang movie!
Mortal Kombat comes to HBO Max, theaters, and IMAX April 16, 2021. Check out the new character posters, followed by an official synopsis, below.
From New Line Cinema comes the explosive new cinematic adventure “Mortal Kombat,” inspired by the blockbuster video game franchise, which most recently enjoyed the most successful video game launch in its history, Mortal Kombat 11. In “Mortal Kombat,” MMA fighter Cole Young, accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of his heritage—or why Outworld's Emperor Shang Tsung has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero, an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt Cole down. Fearing for his family's safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade at the direction of Jax, a Special Forces Major who bears the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with. Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden, an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao and rogue mercenary Kano, as he prepares to stand with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe. But will Cole be pushed hard enough to unlock his arcana—the immense power from within his soul—in time to save not only his family, but to stop Outworld once and for all?