Mortal Kombat’s latest live-action movie adaptation is mere days away from its 23rd April release, and, in preparation for its arrival, Warner Bros has shared its limb-flinging, martial-arts-hued opening seven minutes online.
This particular live-action incarnation of Mortal Kombat – directed by Simon McQuoid and written by Greg Russo – predominantly unfolds in the modern day, charting the adventures of washed-up MMA fighter Cole Young (an entirely new character to the Mortal Kombat universe, played by Lewis Tan), who gradually becomes embroiled with the series’ familiar cast after encountering Outworld emperor, Shang Tsung (Chin Han).
Before getting to the meat of the story, however, Quaid and Russo set the scene with an opening sequence that whisks viewers back to Feudal Japan in order to establish the conflict between the clans of Hanzo and Bi-Han (who go on to become Scorpion and Sub-Zero, here played by Hiroyuki Sanada and Joe Taslim respectively).