It’s officially official; Mortal Kombat is rated R. The upcoming reboot is once again set to adapt the popular fighting game series in a cinematic way. The creative team behind the film repeatedly promised that it would be rated R. They promised blood. Death. The whole thing. The trailer did not fire any punches. Now the MPAA has confirmed that the film will indeed be slapped with an R for reasons that should make fans of the franchise happy.
According to the MPAA, Mortal Kombat was rated R for “bloody violence and language throughout, and a few crass references.” It remains to be seen whether the film keeps its promises on all other fronts. That said, violence, gore, language, and rudeness sounds like the right mix of ingredients for a movie like this. At the very least, it looks like Warner Bros. didn’t get cold feet at the last second, trying to soften things up for a PG-13. The original ’90s Mortal Kombat went that way. This will push the envelope a little further.
Simon McQuoid is in the director’s chair and this represents his debut in the feature film. James Wan, the man behind The Conjuring franchise, along with Aquaman, is on board as a producer. The cast is led by MMA fighter Lewis Tan Cole Young, a new character created specifically for the film. Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Josh Lawson as Kano, Tadanobu Asano as Raiden, Mehcad Brooks Jax Bridges, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Chin Han as Shang Tsung, Max Huang as Kung Lao, Sisi Stringer as Mileena, Matilda Kimber as Emily Young and Laura Brent as Allison Young.
Mortal combatfocuses on MMA fighter Cole Young who is used to getting beaten up for money. However, he ignores his legacy and doesn’t know why Emperor Shang Tsung of Outworld sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero, to hunt him down. Fearing for the safety of his family, Cole searches for Sonya Blade under the direction of Jax, a special forces major who has the same strange dragon marking Cole. It doesn’t take long before Cole finds himself at Lord Raiden’s temple. Raiden, an ancient god and protector of Earthrealm, grants sanctuary to those who have this mark. Cole then trains with seasoned warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and Kano as he prepares to fight alongside Earth’s greatest champions against enemies of Outworld in a high-stakes battle for the universe.
Newcomer Greg Russo and Dave Callaham, of 1984 fame Wonder Woman , wrote the screenplay. Like all Warner Bros. movies in 2021, Mortal Kombat will hit theaters along with HBO Max in the US on the same day. This will give viewers an option; stay home and stream it or head to a movie theater and watch it on the big screen. The release date is set for April 16. This news comes to us via FilmRatings.com.
